Yes, you can change your principal certifier part-way through a project. NSW law does not let you simply sign up someone new, though. There are two set pathways, and the new certifier cannot act until the steps are complete.
Why owners change certifier
Most changes are routine. A property may be sold mid-build, an owner may want a certifier closer to the site, or the original certifier may be winding down. Sometimes the relationship has broken down. Whatever the reason, it is worth raising concerns with the certifier first, since many issues can be sorted out without a change.
Pathway 1: replacement by agreement
This is the quicker option. It needs agreement from three parties:
- the person entitled to appoint the certifier, usually the owner
- the current principal certifier
- the proposed replacement
Once everyone agrees, the replacement certifier gives notice to the consent authority, and to council if that is a different body, within two days of being appointed. The notice names the certifier being replaced and confirms they agreed. The change is tracked through the NSW Planning Portal, where a new post-consent application is lodged and flagged as a transfer of principal certifier.
Pathway 2: replacement without agreement
If the current certifier will not agree, the owner can ask Building Commission NSW to approve the replacement. The application has to explain the grounds, for example negligence, incompetence or conduct that breaches the certifiers' code, with details of the relevant events, dates and places.
A few points to know:
- No replacement can be appointed this way without approval from Building Commission NSW.
- Builders cannot make this application, even with the owner's agreement. The exception is an owner-builder.
- Council and the outgoing certifier must also be notified.
- The regulator publishes an average assessment time of several weeks, and incomplete applications take longer.
If the certifier can no longer practise
A certifier must tell you immediately if their registration has expired or been suspended or cancelled. In that case the owner makes an application to the regulator for a replacement. Work should pause at the next inspection point until a new certifier is in place, because no one can inspect it in the meantime.
What happens to inspections and records
Inspections already carried out still count. The outgoing certifier holds the records of each inspection, and the new certifier needs them to pick up where the job left off. If the new certifier cannot get that information, they can ask the regulator to direct the former certifier to hand it over.
Before accepting the job, a replacement certifier will usually review:
- the approval, plans and conditions
- the inspection records to date, including any outstanding directions
- photos and certificates for work already covered
- the current stage of construction, often through a site visit
If a stage was covered without an inspection and the records are thin, the new certifier may need extra evidence, such as an engineer's report, before they can be satisfied. Our guide to Critical stage inspections: what we check and when explains why each stage matters.
Pools follow a separate process
For swimming pool barrier inspections, an owner can appoint another registered certifier or ask council to inspect. The first certifier does not have to pass records to the new one, but pool inspections are logged on the state's Swimming Pool Register, which the new certifier can look up.
Before you switch
- Check what your current certification contract says about fees for work already done.
- Do not cover any work while the change is under way.
- Collect your approval documents, plans and trade certificates in one place for the new certifier.
If you need a new principal certifier for a Class 1 home or Class 10 structure, request a quote and include the stage your build has reached. You can read more about how we work on our process page.
Local help across NSW
CertifiBuild certifies Class 1 and Class 10 work in 39 council areas. Local rules on these council pages are a good place to start: Shellharbour City Council, Blacktown City Council, City of Canada Bay, Hawkesbury City Council, Fairfield City Council, Camden Council.
Suburb pages with local planning notes: Calderwood, Canley Heights, Gregory Hills, Lansvale, Marsden Park, Meadowbank, Mortlake, North Sydney, Pitt Town, Riverstone. You can also browse every service area.
Sources
- Replacing a certifier, nsw.gov.au
- Changing your principal certifier on the Planning Portal, NSW Department of Planning
- Development Certification & Fire Safety Regulation 2021, as made (legislation.nsw.gov.au)