Building Regulation 2021 • Section 73 and 77 • Form 15 • Version 2 • March 2023 Page 3 of 4
Appendix – explanatory information
IMPORTANT NOTE: it is an oence for a competent person to give a building certier a document, including this form, that the person
knows or reasonably suspects, is false or misleading.
Who can complete this certicate? (section 10 of the Building Act 1975 (Building Act) and sections 73 and 77 of Building Regulation 2021
(BR 2021))
A building certier can accept from a competent person (design-specication) a certicate stating that the competent person has
assessed the building design or specication for the aspect of building work, and it will, if installed or carried out under the certicate,
comply with the building assessment provisions, including any relevant standards and codes.
Schedule 10 of the BR 2021 denes building design or specication as any material, system, method of building or other thing related to
the design of or specications for building work.
When completing the certicate, a competent person is required under section 77 of the BR 2021 to include the basis for giving the
certicate and state the extent to which the competent person has relied on tests, specications, rules, standards, codes of practice or
other publications.
What is the purpose of this form? (section 10 of the Building Act and sections 73 and 77 of the BR 2021)
The information in this form informs the building certier’s decision making when they are assessing a building development
application, issuing the building development approval for the building work the subject of the certicate (form) and when amending
the building development approval due to the receipt of updated aspect information such as glazing or truss specications or revised
excavation drawings.
Can a manufacturer or supplier give this Form 15?
A building certier can accept this form from a manufacturer or supplier who the certier has decided is a competent person (design-
specication).
A manufacturer or supplier of building materials can give this form if they have undertaken the design component for the product. For
example a window manufacturer who designs, constructs and supplies the windows to industry could give this form.
Competent person (section 10 of the Building Act 1975 and Part 6 of the BR 2021)
A building certier must assess and decide to appoint an individual as a competent person before they can accept design-specication
help.
When deciding whether a person can be a competent person, the building certier must assess the person having regard to their
experience, qualications and skills and ensure the person holds a licence or registration if required.
The building certier is required to keep detailed records about what was considered when appointing a competent person.
For further information about assessment of someone as a competent person refer to the Guideline for the assessment of competent
persons.
What is required if a manufacturer or supplier did not do the design work for the product?
A manufacturer or supplier who is not part of the design process may give the construction contractor, builder, competent person or the
building certier evidence of suitability such as a product technical statement under Part A5 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA),
for an aspect or material stating that it is compliant with the relevant reference documents in the BCA i.e. the applicable Australian
Standard/s.
What if there is not enough space for all the supporting material/documents?
Items 2, 3 and 4 requires the competent person to clearly identify the extent of the assessment that was undertaken for aspect/s of work
identied in this form.
For instance, there is provision for material such as specications, standards, codes or other relevant publications to be referenced in
the form. However, if the space in the form is not sucient to accommodate all of this material, you can create and refer to additional
material in an addendum or attachment to the form.
The form is also available in a Microso Word version, that you can download and edit to include additional material in the relevant
parts of the form. Note that editing the form in the Microso Word version may cause the relevant boxes to expand and increase the
length of the document. This is acceptable and does not change the approved form, provided the section text (description on the le-
hand side of the page) is not altered.
Appointed competent person (design or specication) – (sections 34 and 36 of the BR 2021)
A building certier must assess and decide to appoint an individual as a competent person before they can, as a competent person,
give design-specication help. The building certier is required to keep detailed records about what was considered when appointing a
competent person.
A building certier must be satised that an individual is competent to give the type of help having regard to the individual’s experience,
qualications and skills and if required by law to hold a licence or registration, that the individual is appropriately registered or licensed.
An individual is appointed as competent to give design-specication help on or from a particular day.
For further information about assessment of someone as a competent person refer to the Guideline for the assessment of competent persons.