Masterspec
01 Apr 2025
Document Referencing and Scheduling with eCert
Our editor team has updated all Masterspec work sections which have references to environmental documents. Where environmental document references...
27 Mar 2025
Update Manager New Features
The new Update Manager features are designed to boost productivity when applying changes to updated work sections. Simplify work section updates with...
03 Mar 2025
CIL is Now Accepting Product Carbon Data for the National Embodied Carbon Data Repository for Construction.
CIL Masterspec is now accepting carbon information in the form of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) or Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) from...
06 Jan 2025
Carbon 2025 and Beyond: Building a More Sustainable Future for NZ Construction
In July 2024, Construction Information Ltd (CIL) and the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) announced a partnership to develop a...
01 Nov 2024
Introducing eCert: A Game-Changing Tool for Sustainable Construction
As the New Zealand construction industry increasingly focuses on sustainability and carbon reduction, there is a growing need for tools that can help...
26 Sep 2024
Masterspec Specified: Manawa House by Cube Architecture
"Masterspec has been an indispensable tool for our project Manawa House. During the specification, Masterspec streamlined our entire specification...
26 Sep 2024
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Ligar Bay Bach by Young Architects
"Masterspec was used for providing a detailed, fully customised, specification as part of our comprehensive project documentation for the Ligar Bay...
25 Sep 2024
Masterspec Specified: Hilltop Home by Jon McAlpine Architecture
“Masterspec is a critical component in our studio. Its user-friendly platform and regular product specification updates, keep us constantly on the...
06 Aug 2024
NZ Building Code Changes: Type 1 Domestic Smoke Alarms
In Masterspec NOTES June 2024, we provided commentary around the changes to the NZ Building Code relating to domestic smoke alarms.
18 Jul 2024
New Industry Initiative to Reduce Carbon Emissions of New Zealand Buildings
A new industry-led initiative aims to reduce the environmental impact of Aotearoa New Zealand’s buildings, which contribute up to 20% of the national...
04 Jul 2024
Masterspec Announces New MasterKey4 for Revit 2025 Enhancements
Streamlined Workflows and Improved Collaboration with MasterKey4. We are excited to announce the latest update to MasterKey4 for Revit 2025, designed...
04 Jun 2024
Building Code Updates 2023-2024
This month we have published amendments in response to building code updates. The 2023-24 NZBC changes were published by MBIE on the 2 November 2023,...
04 Jun 2024
NZ Building Code Changes: Type 1 Domestic Smoke Alarms
From November 2023 the Building Code Acceptable Solutions for Protection from Fire (C/AS1 and C/AS2) have been amended to make Type 1 interconnected...
05 Apr 2024
Understanding Project Scope and How to Specify Window Systems
It is vital that Movement and Deflection criteria are correctly defined in the Specification. We cannot over emphasize the importance of correctly...
04 Apr 2024
MBIE Building Consent System Review - Overview and Update
In July 2022, MBIE commenced a review of the building consent system, as part of the Building System Reforms to improve the consenting process. The...
30 Nov 2023
NZCIC Guidelines Responsibility Schedule Goes Digital
The new online tool enables real-time collaboration among multiple stakeholders, fostering efficiency and innovation in construction processes.
10 Nov 2023
BCA Requests to Modify Manufacturers Technical Content
mDocs allows the specifier to quickly access the latest version of a document uploaded by the manufacturer or supplier. Importantly, these detailed...
27 Sep 2023
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Taharoto Lane by X Studio Architects
The development will have 19 units, including studio, office, and retail space. The residential units will have balconies with views of the city...
27 Sep 2023
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Soaring Box House by Turner Road Architecture
The house’s unique design fits into the rural landscape. The house has a cantilevered structure and a soaring angular volume. The interior design is...
13 Sep 2023
Hallmark Group Opens Up About BPIR
Recently, Hallmark Group turned to Masterspec, a trusted name in compliance solutions, for guidance on their BPIR for fire doors. In this article, we...

Masterspec: Your Partner in BPIR Product Review Compliance

18 Aug 2023

Is your BPIR compliance turning out to be more complex than you anticipated?


Are you prepared for the upcoming changes in the New Zealand building industry? From 11th December 2023, the Building Regulation Act 2022 comes into force. This will require affected building products to provide a minimum and consistent level of product information to designers, building consent authorities, tradespeople, and consumers about the supplier and the product or system itself. If you are unsure if your products are affected, click here to find out   .

MBIE has provided some examples of how to complete the building product PDF form for the industry. Click here    to view example. Your product information does not have to follow this format, but it must include the following baseline information:

  • The name of the product or system
  • The product system class (Class 1 or Class 2)
  • The name of the supplier
  • The contact details of the supplier
  • The intended use of the product or system
  • The performance of the product or system
  • The maintenance requirements for the product or system
  • The safety warnings for the product or system

This type of product data is now being referred to as Build Product Information Requirements (BPIR) by the industry. The content must be made available and accessible to the public. Product or custom systems are further defined as Class 1 or Class 2    and have slightly different disclosure information requirements. Failing to have this information available to comply could lead to issues with supplying your products to the construction industry or even financial penalties for suppliers.

Class 1 Definition

A class 1 designated building product is a building product that:

  • is mass-produced or produced in batches to a general specification; and
  • is available for wholesale or retail purchase; and
  • is new (not used); and
    • used products are excluded via the definitions of class 1 and 2 designated building products (regulations 5 and 6). Anyone using these products should do their own due diligence to ensure they are suitable for the proposed use. Sufficient evidence would need to be supplied to demonstrate Building Code compliance to council as part of the consent application
  • when it is used in building work, it may affect whether the building work complies with the Building Code; and
    • if there is a possibility that a particular Building Code clause or subclause obligation will be triggered by the use of the product, then this criteria is met
  • is not a product of a kind described in regulation 7.
    • See Building products not impacted by the regulations (exceptions) in step 1 of the guidance document below for more information.

Examples of class 1 designated building products include (without limitation):

  • cladding (eg weatherboards, profiled metal cladding)
    • Cladding is often made up of several products that work together as a system. 
    • If the cladding system meets the criteria listed above, then it is a class 1 product.
    • Some customisable cladding systems may meet the criteria for a class 2 product.
  • mechanical fixings (eg nails, nail plates, screws, bolts, fasteners)
  • insulation products (eg wall, ceiling and floor insulation)
  • internal lining products (eg plasterboard, plywood)
  • roofing products (eg profiled metal sheet, shingles, membrane roofing)
  • structural wood-based products (eg structurally graded timber, laminated veneer lumber)
  • structural steel and reinforcing products (eg reinforcing mesh)
  • sanitary plumbing and drainage products, including tapware (eg shower mixers, bath spouts, toilets)
  • low-pressure laminate and natural or engineered stone benchtops that are mass produced and contribute to compliance with the Building Code. Customised products of this kind may be class 2 designated building products
  • fire doors and windows, fire alarms and sprinkler systems, unless these are customised for an individual building design or consumer. This includes products that may be made to customised measurements, for example, where the properties and how the product contributes to code compliance remains the same as specified in the building product’s information
  • concrete (eg bagged concrete or mixes where the components and ratios are predetermined)
  • flashings, where these are “ready-made” and not customised for an individual building design or consumer
  • most timber, even if cut to specific lengths for an individual building design or consumer, as the product’s broad properties, and therefore the building product’s information, will be the same in most cases
    • If changing the dimensions of a product changes the way it contributes to building code compliance, then it may be a class 2 product.

What the law says:

Regulation 5 of the regulations prescribes the criteria for what makes a class 1 designated building product.

Class 2 Definition

A class 2 designated building product is a building product that:

  • is based on a line of products where each unit is customised to the specification of an individual client; and
  • is new (not used); and
    • used products are excluded via the definitions of class 1 and 2 designated building products (regulations 5 and 6
  • when used in building work, it may affect whether the building work complies with the Building Code; and
    • if there is a possibility that a particular Building Code clause or subclause obligation will be triggered by the use of the product, then this criteria is met
  • is not a product of a kind described in regulation 7.
    • See Building products not impacted by the regulations (exceptions) in step 1 of the guidance document below for more information.

Examples of class 2 designated building products include (without limitation):

  • external window joinery, doors, and skylights that have been customised to the specifications of individual clients (eg specifications on dimensions and glass type)
  • customised concrete mixes for a specific building or application
  • fire doors and windows (or other specialty doors), fire alarms or sprinkler systems that have been necessarily customised for an individual building design or consumer.

What the law says:

Regulation 6 of the regulations prescribes the criteria for what makes a class 2 designated building product.

Classes as defined by: Guidance: Building Product Information Requirements 2022.PDF   

Doing it Yourself vs Partnering Up with Masterspec

Fortunately, many building product suppliers with simple component stand-alone products who already possess reasonable compliance documentation should be able to meet these regulatory requirements by following the information provided by MBIE. However, some products are more complex and need to meet a range of building codes. These are normally those types of products that come as customised systems, otherwise referred to as Class 2 products   . With these systems, it is often difficult to determine which parts of the code apply and how your systems can demonstrate compliance to the code. Masterspec can help evaluate your documentation to give you peace of mind when navigating the code with the complexities of your product ranges and systems.

Masterspec, with over three decades of experience in the New Zealand building and construction industry, goes beyond simply ticking the compliance box. Our team of construction industry experts is ready to assist you in meeting your BPIR requirements. We offer this service so businesses can focus on their core competencies and that your products are project ready with your supply chain continuing seamlessly with minimal interruptions, rather than spending time and resources on researching and doing more paperwork. We understand that it isn’t just a compliance issue. It's about making sure you can sleep well through the night in the knowledge that you have the best documentation available for the sector.

Summary: Minimise Risks

With Masterspec as a partner, we can help with your BPIR compliance journey and provide guidance and advice for customised and complex construction systems that will need a level of care and attention to clearly demonstrate your BPIR obligations. Our expertise and decades of experience in preparing product specifications that need to show compliance with the NZ building code will help you review and identify gaps or areas of improvement in your BPIR documentation. We provide tailored recommendations to improve your product documentation, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

A Clear Path to Compliance

Partner with Masterspec, your trusted advisor in the industry, to ensure your BPIR compliance journey is set on the right path. Even if you just want to talk options or advice on how to navigate the changing landscape on product compliance with confidence and peace of mind, contact us today.

 

Need direction and clarity on BPIR compliance?

With over 30 years of industry knowledge and expertise, consult Masterspec today for expert guidance on BPIR compliance

BOOK FREE BPIR INITAL CONSULT
N.B.  MBIE has provided a BPIR template as an optional resource for manufacturers. Alternatively, if a manufacturer already has some or all the BPIR information and documentation on their website, they can use their website as a resource for collating the information.

REFERENCES:

  1. Refer to MBIE’s Building Performance website   for full details on what is required.
  2. Click here   for an example showing the information that needs to be provided for Class 1 building products.
  3. Click here   for an example showing the information that needs to be provided for Class 2 building products.
  4. Guidance: Building Product Information Requirements 2022.PDF