WA inspection stages, certifier role and Certificate of Construction Compliance

What it is

Western Australia runs a private certification model for building permits and inspections. Under the Building Act 2011 (WA), a registered building surveyor (working as a building surveying contractor) signs the certificate of design compliance (CDC) at the start of the job and the certificate of construction compliance (CCC) at the end. The permit authority (usually the local council) issues the building permit once the CDC is in hand. The council's role during construction is limited. The building surveyor carries the front-line compliance responsibility.

The Building Act and Building Regulations 2012 give the surveyor power to list inspections and tests in the CDC. There is no statewide list of mandatory residential inspection stages in the same way that Victoria runs mandatory notification stages under section 33A. Instead, the inspection schedule is set per job by the certifying surveyor, informed by the National Construction Code, manufacturer specifications and the surveyor's professional judgment.

The standard residential inspection stages

Most certifying surveyors set inspection points at the following stages on a Class 1a residential job:

• Site set-out and footings (pre-pour). The surveyor or their delegate inspects formwork, reinforcement and site classification before the concrete arrives.
• Slab (pre-pour). For waffle pod or conventional slabs the steel layout, vapour barrier and termite management system are checked.
• Frame stage. Wall and roof framing, bracing, fixings and lintels are checked against the engineer's drawings before plasterboard goes up.
• Pre-lining or wet area waterproofing. The waterproofing membrane in bathrooms, laundries and other wet areas is verified before tiling.
• Final inspection. The surveyor checks the completed work against the approved plans and the National Construction Code before signing the CCC.

For Class 2 and higher buildings the CCC is required to obtain an occupancy permit. For Class 1a houses, the BA7 notice of completion is lodged and the CCC certifies the work was built in accordance with the building permit.

Certifier role

A registered building surveying contractor is the only party who can sign a CDC, CCC or certificate of building compliance (CBC). The surveyor must hold professional indemnity insurance and is registered through the Building Services Board. The Board can refer the surveyor to the State Administrative Tribunal where the certification work falls short.

The surveyor's relationship with the builder matters. A surveyor who is engaged by the builder still owes a duty to the permit authority, the National Construction Code and (through the CDC) the homeowner. Conflicts of interest are managed through the Board's code of conduct.

BCITF levy

The Building and Construction Industry Training Fund (BCITF) levy is collected at building permit lodgement. The levy is 0.2 per cent of the estimated construction value where the project value (including GST) exceeds $20,000. Payment of the levy is a precondition to the council issuing the building permit. The funds support apprentice training delivered through the Construction Training Fund.

CCC at handover

The CCC is the document that closes the loop. It states that the completed building work is, in the surveyor's opinion, in accordance with the building permit, the approved plans and the applicable building standards. Without a CCC for a Class 2 to 9 build, no occupancy permit can issue. Without a final inspection sign-off for a Class 1a build, the homeowner has no formal record of compliance to give a future buyer.

How TradeLens uses this

TradeLens treats each inspection point as a milestone. The model expects evidence that the surveyor or delegate attended, signed off and recorded the result before the next trade starts. If a slab is poured without an inspection record, or if a frame is lined before frame inspection, TradeLens raises a high-severity flag. The same logic applies to the BCITF receipt and the CCC. A missing CCC at handover is a serious compliance gap.

Common pitfalls

• Letting plumbers and electricians sign their own statutory compliance forms without the builder folding them into the inspection record. The builder is still on the hook for coordination.
• Skipping a pre-lining waterproofing check to keep the tiler on program. Waterproofing rectification after the fact is one of the most expensive defects to resolve.
• Treating the BA7 notice of completion as the equivalent of a CCC for a Class 1a job. The notice is a builder declaration. The CCC is the surveyor sign-off.
• Engaging a new surveyor mid-job without a written handover. The original CDC may not transfer cleanly.

What to do

Confirm the inspection schedule with the building surveyor before site start. Save each inspection result alongside the photos in the project file. Lodge BA7 the day the job finishes and chase the CCC if it is for a Class 2 or higher building.