Client Pressure to Certify Before Commissioning Is Complete
An assessor is engaged on a new-build residential scheme of 120 dwellings. The developer wants the post-construction certificate issued before the final phase is occupied, because a funding drawdown depends on it. Commissioning of the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems is only 60% complete; the remaining units have been installed but not balanced or tested. The developer's project manager says the missing commissioning 'will be done later' and asks the assessor to mark the relevant credits as achieved on the basis of the installation certificates alone. The assessor has installation certificates for all units but testing records for only 72 of 120.
1. Can the assessor mark the ventilation-related credits as achieved on the basis of installation certificates alone? Explain.
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No. Installation certificates confirm that equipment was fitted, not that it performs as designed. Ventilation credits in BREEAM New Construction typically depend on commissioning and testing to demonstrate that systems deliver the required performance - for example, balanced airflow rates and confirmed extract and supply rates. Without testing records for 48 units, the assessor cannot verify that those dwellings meet the credit criteria.
The assessor should:
- Identify exactly which credits depend on commissioning evidence and which are satisfied by installation alone.
- Award credits only where the evidence meets the scheme requirement for the whole assessed scope.
- Record the 48 untested units as an evidence gap and explain the consequence to the client.
- Suggest a realistic route: complete commissioning and testing, then submit the records for assessment before the certificate is issued.
Marking credits as achieved on the basis of installation certificates would misrepresent the building's performance and breach the assessor's duty of accuracy.
2. The developer offers to sign a declaration that the remaining commissioning will be completed within 30 days. Is that an acceptable substitute for the missing test records?
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Generally no. A future promise is not evidence of current performance, and a declaration of intent does not demonstrate that the credit criteria are met at the time of assessment. The assessor's role is to verify achieved performance, not to accept undertakings about work that has not happened.
The assessor should explain that:
- The scheme requires evidence that the relevant systems have been commissioned and tested, not an intention to do so.
- A declaration signed by the developer is not independent verification and does not substitute for test data.
- If the client wants the certificate now, the honest options are to certify only the credits that are evidenced, or to wait until the testing is complete.
If the scheme operator permits a staged or partial approach in specific circumstances, the assessor should check the rules rather than assume. But the default position is that unverified performance cannot be credited. The assessor should put this advice in writing so the client understands the basis of the decision.
3. How should the assessor handle the commercial pressure from the funding deadline?
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The assessor should separate the commercial pressure from the technical judgement. The funding deadline is the client's risk, not a reason to change the evidence standard. The assessor should:
- State clearly and early what evidence is missing and what the consequences are, so the client can manage its funding discussions.
- Avoid informal assurances that credits 'will be fine' - these can later be presented as commitments.
- Document all communications about the deadline and the evidence gap.
- Offer practical support: a checklist of the outstanding testing, an indicative timeline once records are received, and clarity on which credits are already secure.
If the client continues to press for certification without evidence, the assessor should decline and, if necessary, escalate within their own organisation or to the scheme operator. Professional integrity requires that the certificate reflects verified performance. Walking away from an engagement is a last resort, but the assessor must not compromise the certificate under pressure.