Ask people in the industry what a BRANZ Appraisal is, and chances are the answers will range from an informative and detailed document great for helping achieve building consent to an expensive piece of paper to sell products in Aotearoa New Zealand.
So what is an Appraisal? Who would want one? And what’s the point?
This year marks 50 years since the first BRANZ Appraisal – for a building strap tensioner – was issued. It seems like the perfect time to look inside this magic box and see what it contains.
Some misconceptions
Before delving into what an Appraisal is, it’s a good idea to address what it isn’t. First, an Appraisal is not a requirement. The New Zealand Building Code does not specify that any product or system must have an Appraisal and BRANZ does not ‘approve’ products to enter the market. Nor is an Appraisal something that any manufacturer or supplier can just purchase.
Products that a manufacturer or supplier wants to have appraised are subject to detailed assessment and sometimes they’re turned down because they aren’t up to scratch. And no, it doesn’t matter if you’re Aotearoa’s largest building materials supplier or brand new to the market – every product is subject to the same level of rigour.
What is an Appraisal?
Officially, BRANZ Appraisals are ‘robust, in-depth independent evaluations for building products and systems to be deemed fit for purpose and Building Code compliant’ but what does that mean?
Basically, it’s a means by which products can be proven to work as they claim. To be awarded a BRANZ Appraisal, a product or system must be shown to comply with all relevant clauses of the New Zealand Building Code or the National Construction Code of Australia.
How do you get one?
When you come to BRANZ with something you want appraised, the first thing we do is work out which clauses of the relevant code the product needs to adhere to. This includes the obvious like stability and protection from fire as well as the less obvious like safety of users and energy efficiency.
Once we know what you must comply with, we work with you to see how you can demonstrate compliance. Sometimes, this includes testing, which you might already have done. You might even have tested your product overseas and have certification to prove it. However, a BRANZ Appraisal is a chance to demonstrate compliance with the specific and up-to-date clauses of our unique Building Code.
You might choose to get the testing done elsewhere or BRANZ might be able to do it for you. Sometimes, we visit sites where your product is being installed or already in use to see it in situ.
Alongside this testing, BRANZ will check your manufacturing and supply systems. Our team might visit your plant to watch you at work and see how you find and correct problems to make sure only top-quality products are hitting the market.
If we can demonstrate compliance to all the relevant codes and BRANZ is happy that you have good quality management systems in place, you’ll be issued with your Appraisal. You can then advertise it on your website, marketing materials and even on the side of your van if you like!
Future assurance
As far as the BRANZ Appraisal journey is concerned, however, this is only the beginning. BRANZ wants to ensure consumers are getting high-quality products every time, not just during the initial assessment. Each year, every Appraisal is revalidated to make sure the products are still up to spec. In addition, every 5 years, each Appraisal is reissued.
The reissue process involves BRANZ experts reviewing the product and making sure there haven’t been any changes to the relevant Building Code clauses. It’s a thorough check to ensure the original demonstration of compliance is still relevant.
BRANZ might request more up-to-date testing or to revisit your sites if it’s been a while. This is the point where many clients choose to add or remove products from their Appraisal to reflect changes to their range, including new colours, styles or materials.