Certificate Of Completion And Compliance (CCC) – What You Need To Know
The Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) is an important part of the property development process.
If you think of the construction process like you would a marathon, the CCC is the regulatory finish line waiting for you in the distance. So what is the CCC in practice, and what does it mean to you?
Okay, What Do I Need To Know First Of All?
Well, long story short: the CCC is a certificate which provides final sign-off on construction of a building.
It’s an assessment undertaken by industry professionals to ensure that the building has been made true to its original plans, that it’s safely constructed, AND that it’s fit for habitation.
All key questions when you’re developing a property!
Each section of the CCC process addresses different elements of a project, in order to ensure a comprehensive review of construction. Some of the factors which are taken into consideration:
Foundations
Earthworks
Plumbing
Drainage
Street lighting
Landscaping
Fire safety
The CCC is completed by an industry professional with an overview of the construction, known as the Principal Submitting Person (PSP).
This professional must be a registered industry professional operating as an engineer, architect, or building draughtsman. After all, it wouldn’t feel as safe if you got the local postman to sign off on it.
As well as being countersigned by the PSP, the CCC is also signed by individual contractors responsible for different elements of the work.
It’s often submitted with supporting documents from relevant bodies such as utility companies or public safety organisations.
That means you can be sure the toilet isn’t plumbed into the electricity supply!
[article thumbnail=”https://cdn-cms.pgimgs.com/static/2020/07/faq-ccc-mainimage.jpg” title=”9 FAQs about the CCC” category=”Read more“]https://www.propertyguru.com.my/property-guides/common-faq-about-certificate-of-completion-compliance-ccc-malaysia-29736[/article]
What’s The Difference Between CCC And CFO?
1) Certificate Of Fitness For Occupation
The CFO was the predecessor of the CCC. It was a certificate designed for the same purpose – making sure properties aren’t built so badly that they fall down like a stack of cards.
Now, the crucial difference is that, it was the responsibility of local government to sign it off.
The CFO required the local government authority (pihak berkuasa tempatan, or PBT) to visit the site and provide approval. This, as you might guess, meant a fair bit of red tape for the industry to tackle.
Malaysia’s property development industry was suffering from backlogs and delays due to the number of projects requiring sign-off, and the limited availability of resources in local authorities to complete these important technical tasks.
2) Certificate Of Completion And Compliance
In 2007, the CCC was introduced to replace the CFO, speeding up approval processes and removing delays for homebuyers looking to move into their new property.
That meant less time staring up at the shiny new building wondering when you could finally move in.
The CCC certificate is essentially self-certified by the construction industry, ensuring industry professionals with specific knowledge of a project are responsible for signing it off as SAFE for human habitation!
The CCC wasn’t an entirely untested system at that stage (which is good) because again, you wouldn’t want to see houses randomly falling down, now would you?
It was first introduced in 1999 for singly-built detached houses (like the pretty one below).
Since these houses had a far less complicated construction process than, for example, a thirty-floor condominium complex, it was deemed acceptable to have these projects self-regulated at an earlier stage.
The PBT still plays an important role in approving sign-off for completed buildings.
They are ultimately responsible for receiving, processing, and approving the CCC when it’s completed.
They also have the right to authorise a site inspection to confirm details of construction, and have the powers to impose penalties if breaches are identified.
What Is The Job Of The PSP?
[PropertyTip]In case you’ve already forgotten, the PSP is a Principal Submitting Person. And as you might imagine when it comes to checking if a building is safe in all aspects, the role of the PSP is an extremely important one.[/PropertyTip]
First off, the PSP is responsible for checking and monitoring development throughout the entire building process. That means:
Submitting plans to the PBT for approval
Informing the PBT when building works commence
Supervising construction work at a site to ensure all appropriate rules and regulations are followed
The PSP also has a responsibility to report any breach of plans or regulations to the PBT, advise why this has happened, and ensure any such breaches are rectified during construction.
As you might guess, this involves rather a lot of paperwork. And meticulous paperwork is important; it’s how you tell that the fire doors weren’t put on upside down.
Of course, there are penalties which are applied to the PSP for failure to complete their work appropriately.
Any unqualified person issuing a CCC, or a qualified PSP making fraudulent or inaccurate claims, is liable for a fine of up to RM250,000 and/or 10 years in jail.
Can the CCC be issued while the property is still under construction?
Since the CCC stands for Certificate of Completion and Compliance, it certainly wouldn’t make sense for it to be issued before the completion of a property, no?
However, you may hear of a Partial CCC (Form F1). This form essentially allows a part of a building to be opened up for occupation, even though another part of the development may still be under construction.
Of course, this is provided the completed portion satisfies all the necessary essentials such as electricity installation and water supply of course.
Note that the Partial CCC doesn’t apply to all developments, but mixed developments which may be built in phases. Think shopping complexes with residential and commercial towers above.
The bad news? What if you moved into one of those residential units, only for the developer to abandon the shopping complex a few months later?
Because of this, the HDA expressly states that Partial CCC is not acceptable for the issuance of Vacant Possession. So buyers, remember that CCC and Partial CCC are not the same things!
Is The CCC The Only Certificate Of Completion?
While the CCC is undoubtedly the primary documentation when it comes to final sign-off for completion, it’s not the only relevant document for the industry. Here are some others to take note of:
1) Form Gs
There are a lot of documents to prove a building is safe! The use of Form G comprises a 21-stage certification required for completion throughout the project.
These are the forms approving works across the elements such as earthworks and drainage as noted earlier, and are an essential part of the CCC.
2) Six Essential Services
Confirmation and clearance from six essential services are required to receive approval from a CCC, namely:
Electricity supply
Water supply
Sewage connection (JPP)
Clearance from Lifts and Machinery Department (JKKP – if applicable)
Roads and drainage
Bomba clearance from fire services
3) Partial Completion (Form F1)
The Partial Completion form is designed to allow PSPs to submit approval and notification of completion of building elements that is necessary to finish ahead of other elements.
An example of this would be a shopping mall with plans to build a residential complex above it.
4) Vacant Possession
Vacant Possession is the all-important approval for you to move in. It’s the sign-on-a-dotted-line moment of taking ownership of your new property.
With the new CCC process, Vacant Possession can be issued simultaneously at the point of CCC approval. That means fewer delays for homebuyers on the exciting move to their new property!
Is all this talk of certification making you excited for the next step in your property journey? How about some certified-fantastic design ideas? It’s time to Check Out These 7 Living Room Design Ideas to Inspire You!
