Building Commission NSW - Building Certifier Audits

Are You Audit-Ready? What NSW Building Certifiers Need to Know - And How Visual Approvals Can Help

The Building Commission NSW is intensifying its oversight of the certification industry, conducting regular audits to ensure building certifiers are meeting their obligations under planning and building legislation. These audits are revealing a pattern of compliance issues that all certifiers in NSW should be aware of - and prepared for.

Whether you’re a sole certifier or part of a larger firm, staying ahead of regulatory requirements is critical. With the recent audit findings and proposed reforms, now is the time to ensure your systems, documentation, and processes are audit ready. Here’s what you need to know - and how Visual Approvals can help.

Key Audit Findings: What the Commission Is Seeing

In recent audits, the Building Commission NSW has identified several concerning trends across the industry:

• Inactive Certifiers: Around one-third of certifiers have not issued any approvals over an extended period, raising concerns around currency of practice and compliance awareness.
• Documentation Errors: Many engineers’ certificates and geotechnical reports were found to be non-compliant - including generic documents not tailored to the site, or lacking property-specific information.
• Unsigned Certificates: A number of key certificates were found to be missing signatures, rendering them invalid in the eyes of the Commission.
• Low Awareness of Practice Standards: Certifiers are not aware of or using the Certifier Practice Standards, a crucial resource for understanding regulatory obligations and maintaining compliance.
• Poor Site Inspection Records: Audits revealed inadequate records of inspections and insufficient evidence that critical site inspections were carried out.
• Technical Construction Issues: Common issues include poor placement of damp-proof courses and electrical conduits being routed through fire-rated walls - both of which can compromise building safety.

A Push for Standardisation

To support certifiers in meeting their obligations, the Building Commission NSW has flagged its intention to roll out template documents for standardised use across the state. These would help bring consistency to certifier records and support better compliance.

But even with templates, certifiers will still need reliable systems to manage records, track inspections, and ensure timely, accurate documentation. That’s where Visual Approvals comes in.

How Visual Approvals Helps You Stay Compliant

Visual Approvals is purpose-built for building certifiers, with compliance and audit-readiness at its core. Our tools are designed to help you:

Maintain Complete Records - Keep accurate and easily accessible logs of site inspections, approvals, certificates, and correspondence.

Track and Verify Site Inspections - Ensure that required inspections are scheduled, completed, and documented with photos and notes.

Use Custom or Standard Templates - Upload your own compliance templates or use pre-loaded templates aligned with NSW regulatory requirements.

Digital Signatures - Automatically sign and validate certificates, so you're never caught with unsigned documentation.

Access Resources and Guidance - Built-in links to the Certifier Practice Standards and other regulatory guides, helping you stay up-to-date and informed.

Streamline Communication - Integrated messaging and alerts so your team and stakeholders are always on the same page.

Don’t Wait for the Next Audit

Whether you've been audited or not, the message from the Building Commission NSW is clear: stronger regulation and closer scrutiny are here to stay. Now is the time to ensure your certification practices are watertight.

With Visual Approvals, you can manage your certification processes with confidence, reduce compliance risk, and be audit-ready - every day.

Want to learn more about how Visual Approvals can support your compliance needs?
Contact us or book a demo today and take the guesswork out of building certification.

Visual Approvals - Built for Certifiers. Designed for Compliance.

For further information on the Building Commission NSW Audits please see their webpage:

How we audit building certifiers (NSW Government)

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/building-commission/our-audit-strategy/building-certifiers