During construction it may be necessary to make some amendments to the design.  Keeping your assessor informed during this process and seeking their advice prior to confirming any changes will help to ensure that your finished building will comply with the regulations.

Once construction is complete an air pressure test (sometimes called an air tightness test or air leakage test) may be required.  This test confirms the air tightness of the finished building to ensure it is energy efficient.  Once the test is complete you will need to provide details to your energy assessor.  If an air pressure test is not required you may still wish to obtain one.  If the result of a test is not available then the assessor will use a default value in the SAP calculations which is worse than most well constructed buildings will obtain.  Having a test conducted voluntarily is likely to improve your final rating and help demonstrate that you have complied with the regulations.

During this stage the assessor will edit the SAP calculation to reflect the results of the air pressure test and any variations to the specification.  The approved software is used to check that the completed dwelling still meets the requirements of the Building Regulations with regards to the conservation of fuel and power.  If for any reason the building does not meet the required standards, the assessor can advise remedial action to get your project back on track.

The assessor will also check to ensure that any new building is registered on the Government’s central database register of national property addresses.  If it is not, the assessor will arrange for the address record to be created.