The Guide to Standards and Tolerances (the Guide) has been developed for use by builders and building owners as a convenient reference for acceptable standards of workmanship in residential building construction. It is intended to address areas that are not prescribed under legislation or under a residential building contract.

Generally, parties to a building contract can agree on the standards they consider appropriate to their building project. Preferably, that agreed scope and standards of work is comprehensively detailed in the contract documents. Where it is not, there is risk of dispute at a later stage.

While the parties can agree on applicable standards, they cannot apply standards lower than those required by building regulation.

The content of this Guide is based on technical standards and industry tolerances that describe (or refer to) what is considered an acceptable standard of finished workmanship in residential building construction.

It should be understood that this is a guide only and that all other documents prescribing statutory and contractual requirements, relevant to the contract, take precedence over this Guide.