A Building Assessment Certificate (BAC) is issued by the Building Safety Regulator for an occupied higher-risk building following the Building Assessment Certificate process.
When the Building Safety Regulator directs the Principal Accountable Person to apply for a certificate, the application provides an opportunity for the regulator to assess how the building safety duties are being met.
This includes consideration of important areas such as the safety case report, how building safety risks are being managed, the arrangements for managing building information and resident engagement.
The Building Assessment Certificate should not be confused with the building safety case itself. The safety case is the ongoing process through which building safety risks are identified, understood, controlled and kept under review. The BAC is part of the regulatory oversight of those arrangements.
Obtaining the certificate is therefore an important regulatory milestone, but it should not become the objective of the organisation's building safety activity. The underlying objective remains effective management of building safety risk throughout the life of the building.
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- What information is needed for a Building Assessment Certificate application?
The regulator needs enough information to assess whether the building safety duties are being met, with the safety case report at its core.
- Does obtaining a Building Assessment Certificate mean the building is safe?
No. A certificate is a regulatory milestone, not a guarantee — building safety risk must still be managed continuously.
- What is a building safety case?
A building safety case is the structured body of information that demonstrates how building safety risks are understood, managed and kept under review in a higher-risk building.
Building safety legislation, regulation and Building Safety Regulator guidance can change. This page is general information, not legal advice — always refer to current legislation and official guidance for your building.