Building WOFTohu Whakamana Whare

Building Warrant of Fitness

Building owners are responsible for keeping their buildings safe and healthy. This means keeping the life safety features and essential systems in good working order.

The maintenance procedures for these systems are listed in a Compliance Schedule. Once a year the owner goes on record to state that those procedures have been followed.

To assist building owners, an Application for Amended Compliance Schedule Form has been included in the Related Documents area above.  Your Independent Qualified Person (IQP) will be able to assist you to complete this application form.

What is a Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF)

A Building Warrant of Fitness Form 12 is a statement issued and signed by the owner or agent of a commercial or public building. The BWOF confirms that the specified systems (safety systems) stated in the Compliance Schedule for their building have been maintained and checked in accordance with the Compliance Schedule for the previous 12 months; and that they will continue to perform as required. A BWOF (Form 12) must be:

• Renewed annually on the anniversary of the compliance schedule issue date.
• One copy must be supplied to Council before the expiry date.
• One copy must be publicly displayed in the building. Failure to do so becomes a breach of the Building Act 2004.

The building owner must retain all inspection and testing records for two years and these must be available for inspection at the locations stated in the BWOF. Owners have the responsibility to carry out some of the minor inspections that are specified to occur daily, weekly or monthly. An Independent Qualified Person (IQP) must be employed by the owner to verify that the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures have been carried out. The IQP supplies the owner with a Certificate of Compliance Form 12A which allows the owner to then issue the BWOF (Form 12). The owner must ensure that all the Certificates of Compliance are attached to the BWOF supplied to Council. Forms 12 and 12A are standard forms that are specified in Section 108 of the Building Act 2004.

We endeavour to send a reminder to all building owners with a compliance schedule that their BWOF is due one month prior to the anniversary date.

MBIE guidance

• Building warrants of fitness
  
  
• Managing your BWOF (for buildings with specified systems)

Audits of Building Warrant of Fitness

Councils periodically audit the BWOFs to ensure that they have been completed correctly and that the maintenance checks they are based on have been recorded in a log that is kept in the building. This audit is charged to the owner. For the schedule of audit fees refer to our website Building Fees and Charges. 

For further information on Building Warrants of Fitness, please contact us at bwf@napier.govt.nz.