Assessment Routes

There are two routes to certification;

1. Complete both the Design Stage (DS) Assessment and the Post Construction Stage (PCS) Assessment. An Interim Certificate will be issued based on DS evidence, followed by the Final Certificate based on PCS evidence.

2. Complete the Post Construction Stage (PCS) Assessment only. Only the Final Certificate, based on PCS evidence, will be issued. QA audits will cover both the DS and PCS assessments. Completing both the DS and PCS assessments should be the preferred route to certification as it offers two significant benefits.

Firstly, where DS assessments have been carried out and the requirements have been fulfilled, the subsequent PCS assessment report should take less time to complete and to progress through the certification process. This is of significant benefit to the client who is likely to need the Final Certificate as soon as the dwellings are complete.

Secondly, completing the DS assessment will help to identify opportunities for redesign in order to maximise the number of credits achieved. At the DS it is much easier to alter designs than at PCS when some of the dwellings may already have been built.