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Government

Housing and Construction Standards

Letters of Assurance

Letters of Assurance

Questions and Answers

Question: What are Letters of Assurance (LoAs) and how are they used?

Answer: Letters of Assurance were introduced in the 1992 BC 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 on a project have been completed. Professionals must sign and place their seal on the required Letters, and submit them to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Question: What changes are being made to the LoAs?

Answer:There are four changes being proposed to the LoAs:

  1. The term Registered Professional of Record (RPR) is being introduced. There will be one single RPR for each discipline, and that RPR will sign the discipline’s LoA.
  2. We are merging Schedule B-1 and B-2 into a single Schedule B. There will now be four LoAs: A, B, C-A & C-B.
  3. In accordance with Green Provisions already included in Part 10 of the BC Building Code, LoAs will now explicitly reference Part 10 provisions.
  4. The scope of LoAs is being expanded for Part 9 buildings. This will require LoAs for certain fire suppression systems designs and in certain geotechnical situations.

Question: Why are these changes being made?

Answer: The Province believes these changes will help ensure a smoother LoA application process. Many of these changes clarify the original intent of the LoAs.

It is in the government’s and public’s best interest to maintain practical, effective regulation and this results in changes to the BC Building Code from time to time.

These changes to the LoAs reflect the changes and development of the BC Building Code. They also support the Modernization Strategy’s goal of clarifying the responsibilities and accountabilities of industry participants.

Question: When will these changes be available online for public review and consultation?

Answer: The public review will be available from July 22 to September 14, 2009.

Question: When will the changes be implemented?

Answer: We are committed to providing lead-in time to allow those who use the code to prepare for the changes. It’s expected the new LoAs changes will be in place by late Fall 2009.

Question: What about the Guide to the Letters of Assurance?

Answer: Once the public review has been completed, the Province will release an updated Guide to the Letters of Assurance that reflects the final changes to the LoAs.

Question: What if stakeholders, by and large, express a lack of support for this initiative?

Answer: After reviewing input from stakeholders and the general public adjustments may be made to the proposal to reflect the feedback we recieved.

Question: Will education and training be available for this change?

There are no plans to provide education and training but a revised Guide to the Letters of Assurance will be available prior to implementation.

Question: Are there any costs involved?

Answer: No.