SER CERTIFICATION
Our Structural Engineering and Design department of Building Structures can provide full SER Certification services and the guidance on the process for all projects.
Under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 a certificate of design, which confirms the building structure meets the requirements of building regulations, may accompany a building warrant application. This certificate is typically known as an SER Certificate.
Lead Structural Engineers have the resource of multiple SER Certifiers on the Scottish Registration Board.
Get in touch today to discuss your project requirements.
For more detailed information on SER certification read our guide below
This guide is written to give non-technical persons a detailed overview of the SER design certification of building structures.
We will go over the specific SER certification scheme for the certification of building structures.
The SER certification scheme is implemented by the IstructE better known as the Institution of Structural Engineers and the ICE – the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineers Registration Ltd or SER Ltd. Thus the name “SER certificate”, which is a design certificate to accompany the design and drawings of a specific project.
You can get more specific project-related advice by contacting us. We are always happy to help.
You can get more specific project-related advice by contacting us. We are always happy to help.
We are proud contributors to the upcoming user friendly not for profit SER certification website www.sercertificates.com which explains all matters on SER certification in a non-technical manner for end users to understand the concepts behind SER Certificates and SER Certification process
This SER certificates and SER certification guide 2020 applies principally to Scotland and will discuss its implementation in Scotland.
SO WHAT IS SER CERTIFICATION AND WHAT IS THE SCHEME UNDER WHICH THIS FALLS?
The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) have a scheme which is prescribed by a commercial limited company called Structural Engineer’s Registration Ltd, through which they provide certification. The company SER Ltd. is based within the Institution of Structural Engineers’ headquarters office in London.
The scheme is usually referred to as the SER scheme, and the design certificate provided under the scheme is typically known as an SER certificate. For detailed information on the scheme, one can make reference to the SER’s extensive Scheme Guide. There is also a less technical client guidance document to guide clients on the SER certification.
WHAT DOES THE SER CERTIFICATE MEAN?
It is the recognition that the certifying engineer responsible has ensured that all aspects of the structural design and drawings of a project satisfy the requirements of the Scottish Building Regulations 2004.
It is a statement of achievement of certain standards, such as the structural stability, ground conditions, compliance with the Building Regulations, Specification checks etc. as set out in the guidance on SER’s website. As this is the technical aspect of the certification itself, we shall avoid going into too much detail to avoid confusion.
HOW DOES THIS SER CERTIFICATION WORK AND WHO CAN DO THIS FOR ME?
SER Certification can only be performed by a competent and experienced engineer who meets the criteria of being an approved certifier of design and is also employed by an approved body.
The SER’s criteria to comply with the above in Scotland are as follows:
- SER Certifier Criteria – A SER certifier must be a competent engineer typically educated to a Master of Engineering Degree Level become a Charted Engineer with the respective institution either IstructE or ICE or both, then typically have a minimum of 5-year post Chartership experience and building design experience in the relevant building structures that they wish to certify. A certifier must then meet all the defined requirements for an Approved Certifier of Design as per the SER guidance, make an application for that role, and be accepted by the body. Hence it is a very experienced and heavily quality ensured process.
- SER Approved Body Criteria- The SER certifier’s employer must meet the defined requirements for an Approved Body and either make an application for that role and be accepted or already have done so at a previous time in relation to another certifier.
Upon joining the scheme the SER certifier may issue design certificates in the form permitted under the scheme.
WHO ENFORCES THIS AND HOW DOES THE QUALITY ASSURANCE OF THE SCHEME WORK?
The scheme is enforced by auditing of both certifiers who are known as approved certifiers of design and their employer's approved bodies. Although in some instances self-employed approved certifiers can be both the approved certifier of design and the approved body to provide the SER certification.
Certifiers are checked for things such as maintaining institution membership, keeping their knowledge up to date through (CPD) continued professional development, core technical knowledge, compliance with the criteria through regular auditing etc.
Approved Bodies are checked for the quality assurance procedures and completeness of the project records that they hold, SER compliant quality, training and health and safety systems, up-to-date design processes and software etc
SO WHAT IS DIFFERENT IF I SUBMIT A SER CERTIFICATE TO BUILDING CONTROL FOR THE BUILDING WARRANT THAN THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE OF CALCULATIONS?
Where a building warrant is required for works in Scotland, the structural engineering design information submitted with the application can either be:
- Design drawings and calculations
– Which are submitted to the local authority for them to check that the design complies with the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and is safe structurally by checking with inhouse engineers or
- Drawings and an SER design certificate
– Which confirms that the design complies with the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. And is safe structurally by checking by the Approved Certifier of Design (Hence the local authority may not strictly check for compliance but may request additional information if required) It should, however, be noted that there are items which still need to designed and calculation needs to be provided for e.g. Drainage Design etc.
IMPLICATIONS FOR ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS AND SER CERTIFIERS
SER Certification is a respectable and high-level responsibility and is received with mixed feelings by many busy engineering consultants who have limited resource or time required for the extensive paperwork involved in the SER certification process as a result.
SER certification also carries an element of personal liability for the SER certifiers and other involved parties.
Thus this liability needs to be insured against and many certifiers now carry their own personal PI insurance in addition to their engineering consultants PI insurance which can protect them in the event of personal liability claims.
This, however, can add to the cost of the overall process and this will be discussed in the following section.
HOW MUCH EXTRA CAN THIS COST ME?
The cost to engineering practices of running the scheme properly can be appreciated by the following example:
Most consultants typically price their fee-based on the hours it requires to carry out a certain task we shall look at two domestic projects to calculate the cost of SER certification.
- For SER Certification of saying a £30,000 Simple Home Extension project.
Typical Consultants Design fee – £1,500
The time involved in the SER certification and review can be calculated in the following manner:
Drawings and Calculations review and check by certifier – 2hrs
Comments passed back to the designer and Rechecked – 1hrs
SER certificate documentation – 1hrs
Filing of Project information and necessary project documentation by the approved body – 1hrs
Total hours – 5hrs @ £75ph = £375
- For SER Certification of saying a substantial £100,000 Home Extension project.
Typical Consultants Design fee – £3,500
The time involved in the SER certification and review can be calculated in the following manner:
Drawings and Calculations review and check by certifier – 4hrs
Comments passed back to the designer and Rechecked – 2hrs
SER certificate documentation – 2hrs
Filing of Project information and necessary project documentation by the approved body – 1hrs
Total hours – 9hrs @ £75ph = £675
For each project, this is typically an additional 15 to 25% of the fees they would normally charge depending on the complexity of the project. It should be noted some projects may not be time heavy and hence the SER certification time may actually overrule the overall design fee. For example, simple slappings in-wall takedown.
As a result, and due to this additional cost there is little actual cost incentive for certification from the client’s perspective. The benefits noted before however are far complex and we advise our clients to consider all aspects before choosing their preferred path.
SO WHAT AREAS OF ENGINEERING ARE NOT COVERED BY MY SER CERTIFICATE?
Areas not covered by the SER certification scheme typically include:
- Civils – Roads etc.
- Drainage schemes
- Flooding
- Architectural matters generally
- Fire engineering
- Contamination
- Mechanical Design – Except fixings
- Electrical Design – Except fixings
- And more…
Calculations and drawings for the above items have to be submitted in full to the local authority for checking in the traditional manner for checking and approval.
ARE THERE OTHER SCHEMES OR METHODS TO GET SER CERTIFICATION?
As mentioned, at present there is only one scheme that has been accredited for the certification of building structures by the Scottish Government.
IS A SER AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS REPORT THE SAME THING?
Due to the similarity between the SER and Structural Engineers Report. It is commonly mistaken that the abbreviated form of the Structural Engineers Registration Ltd. (SER) Is a Structural Engineers Report.
Read more about Structural Engineers Report here…
Many clients come to us with this notion asking for a Structural Engineers Report which they believe has been requested by the local authority to proceed further with their application for Building Warrant. Where, in fact, the request is related to an SER certificate and is typically listed under the building warrant points series 100.
However, sometimes for example in the case of a dangerous building or remedial works the request may require a Structural Engineers Report.
IS A SER AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS REPORT THE SAME THING?
Benefits of the SER Certification conducted by an Approved Certifier of Design:
- An SER Certifier’s comprehensive knowledge and experience reduces the risk of errors or omissions in the design drawings and hence in construction further down the line.
- An Approved SER Certifier provides greater flexibility and more efficient design and buildability due to their expertise and application of all regulations e.g. Building Standards, Design Standards, Eurocodes, British Standards etc.
- The SER Certificate reduces the load on local building authority engineering departments who are already overloaded with work.
- Use of an Approved SER Certifier can help nurture the trust between clients and building professionals.
- Use of an Approved SER Certifiers sometimes offers a higher level of protection to customers through the indemnity insurance cover held by Approved Bodies.
COSTS & FEES IMPLICATIONS
There is additional work that requires to be carried out by an SER certifier in addition to the checking of the design the time required to produce the certificate by going online onto the SER’s portal and printing certificates and reviewing and signing these can all add up.
Also considering that this time is associated with one of the highest-paid levels of engineers the cost can soon mount up and the consultant needs to consider these.
SER Ltd state has stated in their client guidance that the scheme requires additional work from the SER certifiers and the Approved Body /consultant and this will have a cost attached.
DOES A SER CERTIFICATE SPEED UP MY WARRANT APPLICATION?
SER certification can in most cases reduced the length of time it takes to get the structural aspects of a project approved. However, you should always ask your consultant that they do not have a backlog for certification as most certifiers are extremely busy. In some cases in our experience, we have seen client come to us after being delayed for 4 to 6 weeks to receive an SER certificate for a very simple project which may have been expedited if it was put o Building control.
Most local authorities now discourage the submission of structural calculations for checking by the authority for warrant purposes. This is primarily due to staffing cutbacks and the increased time required to check calculations packages compared to the largely administrative workload associated with receipt of certified drawings.
WILL A SER DESIGN CERTIFICATE SPEED UP GETTING MY BUILDING WARRANT?
The whole building warrant process timeline is not likely to be sped up but SER certification may reduce the time required for the structural element.
WHERE DOES THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AND HENCE SER CERTIFICATION FIT IN THE WARRANT PROCESS?
In the whole scheme of the process of reviewing a project by Building Control prior to granting a building warrant. Many aspects are checked by the building control officers which may comprise of review of the architectural information and drawings, and information from the various engineering disciplines involved e.g. civil, structural, for larger projects, mechanical, electrical and fire consultants etc.
Sometimes the building control authority may require to liaise with other 3rd parties to consult the proposals e.g. the fire authority to ensure the proposal can meet the capacity to firefighters in case of an emergency and impact of the proposals hence.
The above issues typically overshadow the structural engineering proportion covered under the SER certification. Hence the time gained by certification my not actually affect the project in the whole scheme of things.
It should be noted, however, that the local authority may still request further clarification on the engineering works despite the provision of a design certificate if they seem it necessary.
Local Authority timelines
The official line from the City of Edinburgh Council’s building control department is that, regardless of submission type (i.e. design certificate plus drawings, or calculations plus drawings), warrant applications are processed strictly in the order they are received and will be turned around within four weeks.
I WANT TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY DESIGN BY ALREADY HAVE SER CERTIFICATION FOR MY PROJECT WHAT DO I DO?
The SER certification carried out by your certifier may need to be revised if the proposed changes are structural. We advise you to get in touch with our office or your SER certifier to discuss this matter as each project is different and this can be complex to assess.
Areas not covered by the SER certification scheme currently
SER is not available in England and Wales and the traditional route is followed hence
WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?
We believe it is necessary to consider each project for the many aspects discussed before regarding SER certification stability.
It is always wise to have a discussion regarding your project with a professional engineer.
For a no-obligation chat and advice please contact us.
We are always happy to help.
You can get more specific project-related advice by contacting us. We are always happy to help.
We are proud contributors to the upcoming user friendly not for profit SER certification website www.sercertificates.com which explains all matters on SER certification in a non-technical manner for end users to understand the concepts behind SER Certificates and SER Certification process
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