Letters of Assurance are uniform, mandatory documents intended to clearly identify the responsibilities of key individuals in a building project.
On July 19, 2010, Minister of Housing Rich Coleman announced changes to Building Code Letters of Assurance, to help code oversight requirements keep pace with the evolutions in construction practices and new code requirements for energy and water efficiency.
Letters of Assurance were introduced in the 1992 Building Code as an accountability mechanism, to provide assurance that building design and construction are substantially in compliance with the Code and that the necessary field reviews have been completed. The set of standard Schedules in the Code and the “Guide to the Letters of Assurance in the BC Building Code” were developed by a technical committee made up of representatives from the Architectural Institute of BC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, the Building Officials Association of BC, the Union of BC Municipalities, and the Provincial branch responsible for building regulations.
As construction practices, technologies, and processes evolve, they require that building regulatory tools, such as the Letters of Assurance, change as well. The Province of BC reconvened a technical committee comprising the original associations who created the Letters of Assurance to propose changes which support the Modernization Strategy’s shift toward more clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities.
The changes include:
This change clarifies the roles and accountabilities of individuals who sign Letters of Assurance. It was always intended that one professional signs a Letter of Assurance for each discipline. This change in wording would result in a number of small changes throughout the Building Code. In many situations there will be additional professionals supporting the Registered Professional of Record. These registered professionals do not sign Letters of Assurance.
Division A, 1.4.1.2 Defined Terms
Add:
Registered professional of record means a registered professional retained to undertake design work and field review pursuant to Clause 2.2.7.2.(1)(b) in Division C.
To increase the efficiency of the process for Letters of Assurance, the Schedules B-1 and B-2 would be merged into a single Schedule B. This change does not alter the fundamental content of the current Schedules.
The Letters of Assurance would be altered to specifically reference Part 10 provisions under their respective disciplines. Since professionals are already responsible for including these provisions, this change supports this existing responsibility (see new Schedule B).
Letters of Assurance do not currently apply to Part 9 buildings, except in the case of structural components that fall within the scope of Part 4, or Part 9 buildings constructed with a common egress system that requires the use of firewalls. This change would expand this scope to include:
1) The requirements of this Subsection apply to an owner who applies for a building permit for all components of a building that fall within the scope of Part 3 in Division B.
2) The requirements of the Subsection apply to the following components of a building that fall within the scope of Part 9 in Division B:
a) structural components of buildings that fall within the scope of Part 4 in Division B (See Appendix A), or
b) geotechnical components that are beyond the scope of Part 9 in Division B (see Appendix A), or
c) sprinkler systems designed to NFPA 13 and standpipe and hose systems designed to NFPA 14, or
d) a building that is designed with common egress systems for the occupants and requires the use of firewalls according to Article 1.3.3.4. of Division A.
Letters of Assurance, located in Division C of the BC Building Code, consist of the following Schedules:
These schedules, including the consolidated Schedule B, are available here.
The new Letters of Assurance requirements come into effect on September 1, 2010 and will apply to all new construction and renovations in BC. The new requirements will apply to building permit applications submitted on or after September 1, 2010.
