Builders, developers and module suppliers across Australia should be planning for a change that is still some way off. As at 28 October 2026, the NCCB targets a voluntary national certification scheme for MMC manufacturers for about mid-2028. The NSW Government has also committed $1.6m for an MMC regulatory framework and national certification. The problem is that the rules are not yet written, but the projects being built now will be the track record any manufacturer points to later.
What is known
- The national scheme is voluntary and targeted for about mid-2028 (NCCB).
- NSW committed $1.6m for an MMC regulatory framework and national certification (NSW Government, 21 June 2026).
- The NSW Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Act 2026 brings the manufacture, supply, transport and installation of prefabricated buildings into the approvals system, with prefabricated building declarations and instructions to be detailed by regulation (MBA NSW, 31 August 2026).
Read our note on the NSW prefabricated building law for the NSW detail.
Why QA records matter now
Any certification scheme will ask how a factory controls quality, not just whether one module passed. That means records that show a repeat process. Builders benefit too. A clear factory record helps the building surveyor accept inspections done before the module reached site and cuts questions at the final inspection.
The records to keep
For each project
- An inspection and test plan agreed with the project engineer.
- Engineer hold points in the factory, signed off with dates.
- Photographs of frames, connections and wet area membranes before they are closed in.
For each module
- Steel and material traceability back to supplier documents.
- Weld and connection inspection records.
- Non-conformance reports and how each was closed.
- An as-built record that travels with the module.
What EcoPrestige supplies
EcoPrestige supplies engineered structural steel volumetric modules, built and inspected in an offsite factory, with the structural steel frame inspected there by the project engineer. We hand the builder a documentation pack built around these records. Our consultant brief lists what each consultant receives.
What does not fit
No supplier can claim to hold a national certification that does not yet exist. Treat any such claim with care. Records also cannot replace site work done properly. Footings, tie-downs and connections on site remain the builder’s work and are inspected on site.
The approval path
Approvals remain with each state, and the building class is typically set by use: offices are typically Class 5, student housing Class 3 and homes Class 1a, each confirmed by your building surveyor. In NSW, WA, SA, the ACT and the NT, EcoPrestige coordinates the module design with your consultants; permit drawings are issued by the registered or licensed practitioner the state requires. In Queensland, permit drawings are issued under a QBCC licensed building designer, and in Tasmania by a licensed Tasmanian building designer. The building surveyor or certifier certifies. Confirm with your building surveyor or certifier. Our guide to the building permit for modular buildings covers inspections.
The programme
Factory and site run in parallel, so time on site is shorter. Hold points sit inside the factory programme, so engineer visits are booked when frames are ready, not after the modules are closed in.
What to send us
- 1. Your project and the QA standard your client expects.
- 2. The engineer and surveyor appointed.
- 3. Any inspection hold points your surveyor wants.
- 4. Drawings or the module layout.
Bringing us in early through our early contractor involvement service lets the inspection plan be agreed before the factory starts.
MMC manufacturer certification: questions
When is the national MMC certification scheme due?
The NCCB targets the voluntary national certification scheme for MMC manufacturers for about mid-2028.
Is the scheme compulsory?
It is described as voluntary. Builders and clients may still ask for it in tenders once it exists.
Has any state funded work on it?
The NSW Government committed $1.6m for an MMC regulatory framework and national certification on 21 June 2026.
Does certification replace the building surveyor?
No. A building surveyor or certifier still certifies each building under the state’s rules.
What records should a builder ask a module supplier for now?
Inspection and test plans, material traceability, weld and connection records, engineer hold point sign-offs and as-built module records.
Want to see the factory QA records for your project?
Send the site, the use and any drawings to prebuilt@ecoprestige.com.au or download our technical brochures.