Building standards: verification and certification

Introduction

Local authorities are currently appointed as verifiers by Scottish Ministers for a set period.

We monitor the performance of local authority verifiers who are responsible for administering the building standards system.Verifiers are responsible for:

• implementing the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and building regulations
• undertaking independent checks of buildings at design and construction stages
• grant building warrants (if they are satisfied the building work meets the building regulations)
• accept completion certificates (if satisfied the building work meets the building regulations)

We monitor their building standards service using the building standards operating framework for verifiers (2024) and their performance using the building standards performance framework for verifiers (April 2024). The performance framework is based around three perspectives:

• professional expertise and technical processes
• quality customer experience
• operational and financial efficiency

We published revised guidance on verification during construction for non-domestic and domestic buildings. 

Verification: guidance and strategies

Local authority verifiers are responsible for granting permission for work to be done (building warrant) and for a completed building to be occupied (completion certificate). If you are looking for advice on a specific building project, please contact your local authority, who administer and enforce the Scottish building standards system.

• Building standards: operating framework for verifiers 2024
• Building standards: performance framework for verifiers 2024
• Building standards: operating framework for verifiers 2024
• Building standards - Early Adopters Scheme: compliance handbook
• Building Standards model forms
• Building standards performance framework: April 2021
• Building standards operating framework: April 2021
• Building standards verification during construction: handbooks
• Modern methods of construction: guidance for building standards verification
• Building standards verification service: workforce strategy
• Building standards - verifiers: self-assessment tool - April 2021
• Building standards - verifiers: professional competency framework
• Building standards local authority verifiers: operating framework May 2017
• Building standards local authority verifiers: verification performance framework April 2017

Verification: reports

Reports providing aggregated information on the national level of performance of verifiers on the key performance outcomes of the Building Standards Performance Framework for Verifiers.

Contact your local authority building standards department.

• Building standards: national annual verification performance report 2022 to 2023
• Building standards: national annual verification performance report 2021 to 2022
• Building standards - annual verification performance report 2020 to 2021
• Building Standards verification performance 2013-14: report

Verification: letters

Guidance to local authority verifiers on changes to legislation and guidance. Other letters to local authority verifiers can be found in our website archive.

• Building standards - guidance changes April 2024: letter to local authority verifiers – 25 March 2024
• Building standards - notification of application for building warrant: section 2.0 fire: letter to local authority verifiers - 31 October 2023
• Building standards - Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) programme for rising main replacement works: letter 27 October 2023
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards special measures - temporary care assistance buildings: letter - 30 September 2022
• Building standards - legislation and guidance changes June 2022: letter to local authority verifiers - 5 July 2022
• Building standards - legislation and guidance changes June 2022: letter to local authority verifiers - 5 July 2022
• Building standards - legislation and guidance changes December 2022: letter to local authority verifiers - 5 July 2022
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): Continuation of special measures to enable the erection of temporary buildings by the hospitality sector
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - continuation of special measures guidance: letter to local authorities - 26 October 2021
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - temporary buildings - special measures: letter to local authorities - 21 July 2021
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - duration of building warrant guidance: letter to local authorities - 21 July 2021
• Building standards - notification of application for building warrant: section 2.0 fire: letter to local authority verifiers - 29 March 2021
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - verification guidance: letter from the Planning Minister - 4 March 2021
• Building standards - legislation and guidance changes for March 2021: letter to local authority verifiers - 3 December 2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): letter from the Planning Minister about the role of certification
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - construction industry restart: letter to local authorities - 17 June 2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) building standards - verification guidance: letter from the Planning Minister - 14 May 2020
• Building standards - sample testing of fire doors: letters to local authority verifiers - 26 October 2018
• Building standards - notification of application for building warrant - section 2.0 fire: letter to verifiers - 27 August 2018
• Building standards - Carbon dioxide monitors standard 3.14: letter to local authority verifiers - 22 January 2018
• Changes to legislation and guidance for October 2019: letter to local authority verifiers

Certifying building work

The building standards system sets out various roles and responsibilities.  

We set the standards and requirements which verifiers, approved building professionals (approved bodies and approved certifiers), local authorities and building owners must adhere to. We also produce guidance to explain the building standards system.

Certifying building work

We have produced a Certification Handbook to explain how the process works. We also maintain the only authoritative list of registered approved building professional (approved bodies and approved certifiers).

The use of certification is optional. Certification covers design or construction and only applies where the work requires a building warrant. There are a number of works covered by certification, these are listed on the Scottish Government Certification Register. The benefit of using an approved certifier of design and/or construction is that the building work will be certified by qualified building professionals as complying with regulations.

There is also guidance given in the  Procedural Guidance on Certification that provides useful information on what to consider when making a building warrant application, including the information that should be submitted with an application.

The Modern methods of construction: Guidance for building standards verification provides guidance to Local Authority verifiers and Certifiers as defined under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 when assessing building warrant applications and certifying works which use Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

Making an electronic application - eDevelopment and eBuilding Standards

We have provided model forms that may be adapted by the verifier to suit their individual circumstances and requirements. These forms may also be used by applicants or their duly authorised agents.

We provide the eBuildingStandards.scot portal for online submission of applications for building warrants, completion certificates and other related forms to local authorities.  You can create an account on the e-Development website, and once registered you can make an on-line application

If you need help completing a form please contact your local authority building standards department. You will also find form help guides on the eBuilding Standards homepage.

• Building Standards Certification handbook
• Building standards procedural guidance on certification
• Modern methods of construction: guidance for building standards verification
• Building Standards model forms

Verification and certification: research

• Building Standards verification performance framework - national customer satisfaction survey: survey findings 2021
• Building standards - verification service: customer experience evaluation - future model
• Building standards - verifiers management and training and development recording: review
• Exploring the potential for a certification scheme for fire stopping: report