The Builder Standard Milestone Verification Service provides an independent and evidence-based method of determining whether pre-agreed construction milestone criteria have been demonstrated as achieved.

The service is intended to provide builders, homeowners and other parties with a clear, consistent and impartial record of milestone progress.

Builder Standard does not decide whether payment is legally due.

A verification outcome confirms only whether the evidence available to the verifier demonstrates that the pre-agreed milestone criteria have been met in accordance with this Standard.

Every verification undertaken under this Standard must follow five principles.

2.1 Pre-agreed criteria

A milestone must be defined before verification takes place. The verifier assesses the work against those criteria only.

The verifier must not retrospectively introduce additional requirements because one party considers that more work should have been included within the milestone.

2.2 Evidence based

Verification decisions must be based upon identifiable evidence.

Personal opinion, general dissatisfaction, payment disputes or unsupported statements from either party are not evidence that a milestone has or has not been achieved.

2.3 Independence

The verifier must act independently of both parties.

The identity of the person commissioning or paying for the verification must have no bearing on the outcome.

2.4 Consistency

Equivalent evidence and circumstances should produce equivalent verification outcomes.

2.5 Defined scope

Milestone verification is not:

• a valuation of the works
• confirmation that a particular sum is payable
• certification under a building contract
• a comprehensive quality inspection
• a snagging inspection unless expressly included within the milestone criteria
• Building Regulations approval
• confirmation of compliance with planning permission
• an adjudication of a contractual dispute
• legal advice
• a determination of contractual entitlement to payment

Builder Standard may accept an instruction from a homeowner, builder, contractor or other party with a legitimate interest in the works.

Before accepting an instruction, the following minimum information must be recorded.

Project information

• Property or project address
• Names of the relevant parties
• Builder or contractor details
• Person requesting the verification

Milestone information

• Milestone title
• Description of the milestone
• Pre-agreed milestone criteria
• Relevant drawings, specification or contract references where applicable
• Any agreed exclusions or qualifications

Verification information

• Evidence expected to demonstrate completion
• Whether remote verification is anticipated to be sufficient
• Any circumstances already identified as requiring physical inspection

The milestone criteria must be sufficiently clear for an independent verifier to determine whether they have been achieved. For example, a Roof Watertight milestone might read: roof structure completed in accordance with the identified design information; roof covering installed; rooflights installed where included at this stage; flashings and weathering details substantially complete; openings temporarily or permanently weatherproofed.

Criteria such as "client happy with roof" or "builder considers roof complete" are not acceptable milestone criteria.

Where milestone criteria are ambiguous or incapable of objective verification, Builder Standard should request clarification before accepting the verification instruction.

Once accepted, the milestone criteria are locked for the purposes of that verification.

The verification record should identify:

• the milestone
• the agreed criteria
• the evidence required or expected
• the date the criteria were recorded
• any documents forming part of those criteria
• any exclusions

Neither party may subsequently change the criteria unilaterally.

Any agreed amendment must be recorded before it can form part of the verification assessment.

This protects both parties from the target being moved after work has been undertaken.

Evidence should be proportionate to the milestone being verified. Acceptable evidence may include:

• dated and timestamped photographs
• video and live video walkthroughs
• geolocation-supported photographs where available
• drawings, specifications and schedules
• delivery records
• test results and commissioning records
• Building Control inspection records
• certificates and manufacturers' documentation
• subcontractor installation records
• progress records
• previous Builder Standard verification records
• physical inspection by a Builder Standard verifier

Evidence must be sufficiently clear for the verifier to reasonably identify what is being shown, where it relates to, when it was recorded where that is material, and how it demonstrates the relevant milestone criterion.

The verifier may reject or give reduced weight to evidence that is unclear, incomplete, inconsistent, undated where date is material, incapable of being related to the project, or otherwise unreliable.

Remote verification should be used where the milestone can reasonably and reliably be demonstrated without a physical inspection. Examples may include:

• completion of demolition
• completion of identifiable structural stages where adequate photographic records exist
• installation of windows and external doors
• roof covering completion
• first-fix stages
• plastering
• identifiable second-fix items
• external works
• documentary milestones

Remote verification may use photographs, video, documents and live video calls individually or in combination.

Remote verification should only result in Verified where the verifier is satisfied that the available evidence provides a sufficiently reliable view of all material milestone criteria. The verifier must not assume that unseen work has been completed.

If a material criterion cannot reasonably be demonstrated remotely, the outcome should be Further Evidence Required, with either specific additional evidence requested or a site inspection recommended.

A physical inspection should be required where:

• the evidence provided is materially inconsistent
• photographs or video cannot reliably demonstrate the relevant criterion
• physical measurement is necessary to determine the criterion
• the milestone relates to work that cannot reasonably be assessed remotely
• authenticity or location of evidence cannot reasonably be established
• important elements are concealed or inadequately recorded
• contradictory evidence has been submitted by the parties
• the verifier considers that a remote decision would not be sufficiently reliable
• the pre-agreed milestone criteria specifically require inspection

A site inspection is not automatically a full condition, quality or compliance survey.

The inspection remains limited to determining whether the pre-agreed milestone criteria can be verified.

For each material milestone criterion, the verifier should record the evidence considered and determine whether that criterion has been demonstrated. The overall milestone will then receive one of three outcomes.

Verified

Issued where all material pre-agreed milestone criteria have been sufficiently demonstrated by the evidence.

On the evidence reviewed, Builder Standard considers that the pre-agreed criteria for this milestone have been demonstrated as achieved.

It does not mean that the works are free from defects or that payment is contractually due.

Further evidence required

Issued where the verifier cannot reach a reliable conclusion using the available evidence. The verification record must state which criterion cannot currently be verified and what additional evidence or inspection is required.

Once that information is supplied, the verification may continue without requiring an entirely new instruction unless circumstances justify otherwise.

Not verified

Issued where the evidence demonstrates that one or more material milestone criteria have not been achieved. The record must identify the relevant criterion and the evidence supporting the decision.

A Not Verified decision must not be issued merely because a homeowner is dissatisfied or because a dispute exists between the parties.

Builder Standard verification must remain independent of the commercial interests of either party. The verifier's sole question is:

Does the evidence sufficiently demonstrate that the pre-agreed milestone criteria have been achieved?

The verifier must not determine whether the homeowner is happy, or whether the builder deserves to be paid.

The fact that one party requested, commissioned or paid for the verification does not give that party any greater influence over the assessment or outcome.

Neither party may instruct the verifier to:

• ignore relevant evidence
• apply criteria that were not previously agreed
• alter an outcome for commercial reasons
• delay or accelerate an outcome to influence payment
• favour the party paying for the service
• determine matters outside the defined verification scope

Where inappropriate pressure or attempted influence occurs, it should be recorded on the verification file.

Builder Standard reserves the right to withdraw from an instruction where its independence cannot reasonably be maintained.

Before undertaking a verification, the verifier should disclose any known relationship or financial interest that could reasonably call their independence into question.

A verifier should not undertake an instruction where they:

• have a financial interest in the construction project
• are employed by either contracting party in relation to the project
• carried out the work being verified
• would receive a financial benefit dependent upon the verification outcome
• have another material conflict that could reasonably affect impartiality

Payment of the normal Builder Standard verification fee by either party does not itself constitute a conflict of interest.

Verification fees must never be contingent upon a particular outcome.

Either party may challenge a verification outcome. A challenge does not automatically invalidate or suspend the original outcome.

Stage 1, additional evidence

The challenging party should identify the criterion being challenged and provide any additional relevant evidence. The original verifier reviews the new evidence and may revise or uphold the original outcome. Reasons should be recorded.

Stage 2, independent review

Where the party remains dissatisfied, they may request an Independent Review. The review must be undertaken by a suitably competent person who was not responsible for the original verification decision.

The reviewer considers:

• the original milestone criteria
• the evidence originally available
• any additional evidence properly submitted
• the original verification reasoning
• whether this Standard was correctly applied

The reviewer may uphold the original outcome, revise the outcome, or return the matter for further evidence or inspection. The Independent Review decision concludes the Builder Standard verification process.

Builder Standard verifies evidence against pre-agreed milestone criteria. It does not determine contractual entitlement to payment.

A Verified milestone may be relevant evidence for the parties when administering their contract, but it does not automatically establish that a particular payment is legally due. Similarly, a Not Verified outcome does not determine liability, breach of contract, damages or any other legal entitlement.

Where a genuine dispute exists concerning matters such as:

• valuation
• variations
• contractual interpretation
• defects
• set-off and withholding
• extensions of time
• damages
• termination
• legal entitlement to payment

those matters fall outside the Builder Standard verification process. The parties should use the dispute resolution mechanism contained within their contract or otherwise available to them, which may include negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration or court proceedings as applicable. Builder Standard verification does not replace those processes.

Every completed verification should produce a permanent verification record containing:

• unique verification reference
• project
• milestone
• criteria assessed
• date of verification
• method, remote, site inspection or combined
• evidence considered
• criterion-by-criterion assessment
• overall outcome
• verifier
• qualifications or limitations
• date and time of decision
• review status where applicable

The record should be capable of being downloaded and retained by both parties.

Evidence should be retained securely in accordance with Builder Standard's applicable data retention and privacy policies.