# Forum Home Renovation General Odds & Sods  Principal Certifier fees NSW

## kenigma

Hi, looking for a PCA for our approved home Reno. Got a few quotes for fees and all seem to require payment of all fees in full upfront, right up to issue of OC.  
Is that standard practice or a regulatory requirement? Seems a bit of a risk coz who knows how long the build might take and the certifier might end up in that time...  
One PCA said it's a requirement of the NSW Planning Portal but I couldn't find any info and Google wasn't much help either. 
Thanks! 
lk

----------


## PDub

It has been the case with both certifiers I've used. I was told once its in the "rules" somewhere, don't know exaclty which regulatory instrument but the idea is that you can't hold payment over their head later on to pressure them to approve things 
EDIT: _Building & Development Certifier Regulation 2020_ clause 29

----------


## kenigma

@pdub thanks so much, good to know someone else has experienced/can verify it. There is sense to the logic but still, quite a bit of risk to the client of the certifier taking off, losing their registration, becoming bankrupt, dieing etc before the works are completed. Clause 29 just says you have to prepay before "functions are carried out" but surely that still works if you're able to make staged payments like for any other service or trade. Thanks again though. 
Se

----------


## Arron

Yep. We are doing a 2 stage build. Paid up front for stage 1. After that was completed and OC received we paid up front for stage 2 plus some extra charges from stage 1 for extra inspections they had not budgeted for.

----------

