NHBRC Technical Requirements Best Key Review

NHBRC Review of the Technical Requirements

A major revision of the Technical Requirements and Home Building Manual will affect the home builders and may affect the rights of housing consumers and those engaged in the housing supply chain. Housing consumers and key players in the housing industry will therefore also be afforded the opportunity to have their say.

The Technical Requirements and the Home Building Manual will not contain any forms that need to be lodged to demonstrate compliance or procedures relating to the administration of the scheme. These will be issued separately by the NHBRC in terms of the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act.

The guide to the Home Building Manual will further explain the philosophy behind the manual and the content of the Technical Requirements manual; it will locate the Home Building Manual in the broader context of Sustainable Human Settlements and provide design and construction rules derived from the home building manual for typical subsidy homes.

NEW NHBRC MANUAL
The new NHBRC Home Building Manual was officially launched at Monte Casino on the 26th of
February 2016. This second edition of the NHBRC Home Building Manual comes 17 years after the
initial manual which has been in use since 1999. Several key role players from various industries
were consulted during the compilation of this publication.

The revised Home Building Manual will also set out compliance methods and procedures for home builders to satisfy performance-based methods, including the following points:

Not replicating the content of South African National Standards;
Making reference to South African National Standards wherever appropriate e.g. SANS 10400, SANS 2001, SANS 1936 and SANS 634;
Addressing gaps in the current South African National Standards;
Establishing requirements for the testing of materials and components.

Housing consumers and individuals involved in the housing supply chain are invited to provide comments on the Home Building Manual and Technical Requirements updates.

NHBRC Home Building Manual

Here is an Exerpt From the “An overview of the Home Building Manual” below:
Introduction to the Home Building Manual
The Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act of 1999 requires the NHBRC to establish a
fund for the purpose of providing assistance to housing consumers where a home builder
fails to rectify major structural defects or a roof leak attributable to workmanship, design or
materials which has manifested itself within 5 years or 12 months from the date of
occupation, respectively.
The Minister is required to prescribe Technical Requirements
relating to the warranty scheme. The NHBRC is required to publish a Home Building Manual
(HBM) which contains the Technical Requirements prescribed by the Minister and guidelines
established by the NHBRC to satisfy such requirements. Registered Home builders are
required to comply with the provisions of the Home Building Manual and to rectify at their
own cost major structural defects or roof leakage in a home caused by the non-compliance
with the scheme requirements and occurring within a stipulated period.
The Act does not exempt a person from any provision of the National Building Regulations
and Building Standards Act, 1977. Although there are many similarities in the approach
between the National Building Regulations and the NHBRC Technical Requirements, the
onus is on the owner of a building to satisfy requirements in the case of the former and on
the home builder in the case of the latter.
The Concise Guide to the Home Building Manual, which is published separately, not only
explains the Home Building Manual but also locates the manual in the broader context of
sustainable human settlements with cross references to essential publications such as the
National Housing Code, the Housing Project Process Guide (2009) and the Human
Settlements Red Book.

Technical Requirements Annexure C

NHBRC Home Building Manual

Technical Requirements Annexure D

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