Applying to become a certifier
Learn how to apply for registration, the qualifications and experience you need, and the documents to submit.
About registered building and development certifiers
Registered certifiers are public officials and independent regulators of development. They are responsible for assessing development applications for building and subdivision work in NSW.
You can learn more about the role of certifiers and their responsibilities on What certifiers do and Working as a certifier.
Qualifications and experience
Different qualifications, skills and experience are needed for the different certifier registration classes.
How to apply
The application criteria and documents you must submit will depend on the pathway or certifier class you’re applying for.
What you need
Before you begin your application, make sure you have:
- documents all applicants must submit
- additional documents needed for the pathway or certifier class you’re applying for.
All applicants
Identity documents
Provide one of the following:
- a certified copy of your driver licence (front and back), or
- a certified copy of the photo page of your passport with a copy of a recent utility bill or rates notice showing your current home address, or
- another certified form of photo ID (such as a NSW Photo Card) to prove your identity and current home address.
Evidence of your current employment
- Employees must include
- an employment confirmation letter from HR or a letter of offer you’ve signed that includes the company/council’s name
- your start date
- a brief outline of your duties
- whether you’re a contractor or employee.
- Company directors must include a recent ASIC extract.
Copy of the UTS Certification Short Course certificate
All applicants must complete the UTS certification short course prior to applying for registration, unless you're applying for:
- a swimming pool inspector registration, or
- mutual recognition.
Knowledge and skills report (if required)
You may be required to provide a written knowledge and skills report demonstrating you have the minimum knowledge and skills specified in Schedule 3 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
The portal will prompt you to provide this depending on what class of registration you are applying for and, in some cases, depending on the pathway you select.
Your responses to the criteria should:
- demonstrate your understanding of each criteria
- reference the correct and relevant legislative sections, codes and standards along with other statutory obligations and functions
- use specific examples of your own work.
Certificate of currency for professional indemnity insurance (if required)
Refer to the Working as a certifier page for more information.
Note: Your application can be assessed without evidence of insurance but cannot be granted until you have provided a compliant certificate of currency.
Additional documents
You will need to submit additional documents alongside the steps in how to apply. The additional documents will depend on the class of certifier registration you are applying for.
Submit the information/documents through the building certifiers' online portal. Find the Knowledge, Skills & Experience Guide relevant to your role:
- Building surveyor – unrestricted
- Building surveyor – restricted (all classes of building)
- Building surveyor – restricted (class 1 and 10 buildings)
Building surveyor - unrestricted applicants only - use these templates:
Building surveyor - restricted (all classes of building) and building surveyor - restricted (class 1 and 10 buildings) applicants only - use these templates to demonstrate you meet the experience requirements:
- Construction Certificate (CC) application template
- Complying Development Certificate (CDC) application template
- Occupation Certificate (OC) application template
- Critical Stage Inspection (CSI) template
- Referee statement template
For more information see Building surveyors - qualifications and experience.
Pathway 1, 2 and 3 applicants will need to submit a report in a prescribed form demonstrating how you satisfy the knowledge and skills requirements. For more information on what's required, see:
- Building inspectors - skills, qualifications and experience
- Building inspector knowledge and skills report template
Pathway 2 applicants - ask your supervisor to complete this form:
Pathway 3 applicants - use this template to provide a list of the critical stage inspections you’ve undertaken:
You must complete the following steps to become a registered swimming pool inspector.
1. You’ll need to have one of the following:
- certifier registration as a building inspector (unconditional), or
- current, endorsed contractor’s licence or a supervisor certificate under the Home Building Act that enables the holder to construct a swimming pool or to construct structural landscaping. For example, a builder licence, swimming pool builder licence and structural landscaper licence, or
- 2 years of recent experience working for a council and inspecting at least 20 swimming pools.
2. Complete the swimming pool inspector training course through the College of Professional Development. It is the only provider approved by the NSW Building Commission to deliver this course.
3. You must successfully complete a NSW Building Commission exam within the 6 months leading up to your application. Email us to:
- request access to the online exam
- provide a date and 2-hour window you will be available to sit the exam.
Applicants for certifying location of works must have registration as a land surveyor under the Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002.
No experience is required for this type of registration.
You must provide one of the following:
- a degree in civil engineering from an Australian university
- a qualification that would enable a person to be registered as a land surveyor under the Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002
- registration as a land surveyor under that Act.
You must have 3 years of recent, relevant and practical experience. To be considered recent, the experience must have been obtained within the last 5 years immediately prior to the application.
Provide a list of projects you’ve worked on during the past 3 to 5 years to demonstrate you satisfy the experience requirements under Schedule 2 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
The list must include:
- projects that are relevant to the class of registration you’re applying for
- any relevant applications you have assessed
- a brief description of the project, your role, start and end dates and your supervisor’s name.
Using the six most complex and/or significant projects from the list above, complete the experience report template to demonstrate how you satisfy the knowledge, skills and experience requirements.
The information in your report must be verified in writing by a referee or supervisor.
Provide a written referee statement from each supervisor who can verify the information in the experience reports submitted with your application.
Each referee must be registered as a Certifier Strata at the time of supervising the work they signed off in the experience report.
In cases where the statements are provided by a single referee, we may ask you to nominate an additional referee.
Note: Council officers have delegated authority to carry out strata work without being a registered certifier.
Experience gained under the supervision of a council officer with delegated authority can be verified by providing a referee statement from the officer and your manager.
You must provide one of the following:
- a degree in civil engineering from an Australian university
- a qualification that would enable a person to be registered as a land surveyor under the Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002
- registration as a land surveyor under that Act.
You must have 5 years of recent, relevant and practical experience. To be considered recent, the experience must have been obtained within the last 5 years immediately prior to the application.
Provide a list of projects you’ve worked on during the past 5 years to demonstrate you satisfy the experience requirements under Schedule 2 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
The list must include:
- projects that are relevant to the class of registration you’re applying for
- any relevant applications you have assessed
- a brief description of the project, your role, start and end dates, and your supervisor’s name.
Using the six most complex and/or significant projects from the list of projects above, complete the experience report template to demonstrate how you satisfy the knowledge, skills and experience requirements.
The information in your report must be verified in writing by a referee or supervisor.
Provide a written referee statement from each supervisor who can verify the information in the experience reports submitted with your application.
Each referee must be registered as a Certifier Subdivision at the time of supervising the work they signed off in the experience report.
In cases where the statements are provided by a single referee, we may ask you to nominate an additional referee.
Note: Council officers have delegated authority to carry out subdivision work without being a registered certifier.
Experience gained under the supervision of a council officer with delegated authority can be verified by providing a referee statement from the officer and your manager.
Pathway 1 applicants
You must submit a copy of your certificate of registration on the National Engineering Register as a professional engineer. Building services engineering must be listed as an area of practice as specified under Pathway 1 in Schedule 2 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
Pathway 2 applicants
What you must submit:
- Qualifications and academic transcript
A copy of a recognised qualification and official academic transcript as specified under Pathway 2 in Schedule 2 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
If you are relying on equivalent qualification, you must provide a:- copy of your qualification and official academic transcript
- letter from one of the course providers specified under Pathway 2 of Schedule 2 of the regulation that confirms the course you have completed is equivalent to the course they provide.
- List of projects
Attach a list of projects you’ve worked on over the past 3 to 5 years to demonstrate you satisfy the requirement specified under Pathway 2 of Schedule 2 of the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation.
The list must include:- projects that demonstrate your experience and show you have all the knowledge and skills required for the class you’re applying for.
- a brief description of the project, your role, start and end dates, and your supervisor’s name.
The information in your list of projects must be verified in writing by a referee or supervisor.
- Experience report
Attach a report of your experience on 6 complex or significant projects. You must provide the information relevant to the class of registration you’re applying for.
The experience report on 6 projects must include:- a narrative describing your work experience to demonstrate the breadth and depth of your knowledge, skills and experience
- only projects included in your list of projects
- verification in writing of your experience by a referee who is registered in the class you’re applying for.
- Referee's statement
You must attach 3 referee statements.
Your referees should be able to verify the information in your list of projects and experience report.
Two referees should be certifiers currently registered in the class you’re applying for.
The third should be an independent professional outside your company, such as an architect who worked on a building project with you.
- Resume
Upload the information specified in the resume template (PDF 142.92KB) (PDF 142.92KB).
Corporate registration applications
Applications for corporate or company certifier registration must be submitted via the NSW Building Commission online portal.
Working interstate and in NZ
There are several ways of working across borders.
Automatic Mutual Recognition
The Automatic Mutual Recognition scheme makes it easier for registered certifiers to work interstate without having to pay for a second registration or fee.
Find out more about eligibility requirements and registered certifiers under the scheme.
Mutual Recognition
Mutual Recognition allows registered certifiers to work interstate by having their registration for an occupation recognised across borders.
Certifiers from interstate need to apply for their registration to be recognised in NSW and pay any applicable fees.
You can submit an application for Mutual Recognition via the NSW Building Certifiers' Portal.
Conditions on your registration
If granted, conditions may be imposed on your registration under section 20(5) of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 to achieve equivalence of occupations.
To have the conditions removed or modified, you must submit an application to vary your registration via the NSW Building Certifiers' Portal.
You will need to provide evidence of the following:
- you have completed the UTS Certification Short Course
- you hold a recognised qualification
- you satisfy the knowledge, skills and experience requirements relating to the condition you are wanting to remove or modify.
Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition
Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition allows certifiers registered in New Zealand to apply for recognition of their existing registration in Australia. You can also apply to have your Australian credentials recognised in New Zealand.