Frequently Asked Questions

 

I'm an architect. Why should I choose products with BBA Certificates?

 

The BBA puts products through a thorough assessment. We check production processes, to ensure consistency of supply, we test or examine existing test data – if this is from an acceptable source – to check key performance aspects and we go out on site, to see how installers view the product and how the product is performing on existing buildings.

It is an exhaustive process and that is why BBA Certificates are accepted by Building Control personnel, clients and specifiers throughout the UK – another reason for selecting BBA approved products.

 

I’m a manufacturer. How much does it cost to get a BBA Certificate for my product and how long does it take?

 

The two classic questions. There is no price list for BBA approval and no two assessments – even for identical products – need be the same. What it costs is dependent very much on how much work we need to do. Sometimes manufacturers have lots of good data that we can use, so that means we don’t need to do so much work and the cost is lower than it would be if we had to test for every performance factor. It should be noted however, that not all data brought to us is good data from a reliable and proven source, traceable to the product we are assessing. If it is not good data, we will have to reject it and carry out our own test work and assessment.

 

I’m an importer, can I get BBA approval for my products?

 

Yes. We will look at products from any country but we have to be able to show that products comply with UK regulations and codes, so test data from the country of origin may not be easily transferable to UK requirements. Some testing and assessment is likely to be necessary.

 

I sell both in the UK and overseas. How can BBA Approval help me?

 

BBA approval will help you sell in the UK and many BBA clients use their BBA Certificates overseas as proof that their products have been approved by an organisation recognised under the building regulation arrangements in the UK. If you wish to obtain overseas approvals in your target export markets, as the UK Government’s designated representative to EOTA and UK member of the European Union of Agrément (UEAtc) we can help with that too.

 

How long does a BBA Certificate last?

 

A BBA Certificate will last as long as the manufacturer is receiving surveillance visits and the Certificate is reviewed successfully (usually every three years).

 

Certificates can be withdrawn at the request of the manufacturer if the product is no longer to be produced, or by the BBA for example, if the manufacturer fails to allow the Review to take place or a change to the product or regulations mean that it will no longer meet the requirements of the regulations .

 

If a Certificate is listed on the BBA website, it is valid. Many Certficates are also available in a downloadable form from the same website.

 

I’m a manufacturer. Why should I seek BBA approval for my product?

 

BBA approval helps manufacturers retain or gain market share. In a competitive situation you need every marketing edge you can get – and if your product has performance advantages what better way to show that than in the pages of a BBA Certificate?

 

I’m a specifier. I often get manufacturers offering test data in support of their products – should that not be enough for me?

 

Data can come from a variety of sources. If it is from a UKAS accredited laboratory it should be good, but it may not relate to the product in front of you. Products frequently change over their lifetime and small changes can make big differences in performance or durability.

 

Testing is only part of the BBA process and we check production and other data to make sure the product is as we originally approved. That’s not to say a product with a BBA Certificate can never change – we just need to make sure that proposed changes don’t compromise what we say in the Certificate. If they mean that we have to change the Certificate, we will do that.