Combustible cladding · Rectification
The combustible cladding rectification process in Victoria: step by step.
Rectification is a structured, sequenced project — not an emergency trade call-out. Six distinct phases, each with its own professionals and its own deliverable. Understanding the sequence is the difference between a project that lands on time and budget and one that doesn't.
Overview
What rectification actually involves.
Combustible cladding rectification breaks down into six distinct phases: assessment, engineering specification, procurement, access planning, panel removal and replacement, and compliance sign-off. Each has its own professionals and its own deliverable. The most common project failure is not technical — it is treating the works as a single trade contract rather than a sequenced project with distinct disciplines at each step.
The six steps
From assessment to sign-off.
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01
Accredited assessment and defect report
An accredited facade specialist identifies panel type, maps extent across the building, and classifies fire risk under the NCC. The defect report is the foundation document for everything that follows — it defines scope, enables engineering input, and is the evidence base for OC resolutions and insurer engagement.
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02
Engineering review and NCC compliance specification
A structural or facade engineer reviews the defect report and specifies the compliant replacement system. The engineer considers building height, separation distances, structural framing, and the specific certified products available under current NCC provisions. Summit works alongside this step, not in place of it — engineering specification is a distinct discipline.
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03
Procurement and contractor selection
The specified system goes to tender or single-source procurement, depending on scope. OCs typically go to tender with at least three quotes; building owners with established contractor relationships may single-source. The procurement document is the engineering spec plus the defect-report scope — without those, quotes are not directly comparable.
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04
Access planning and site management
Access method (rope access, EWP, or scaffold) is determined by building geometry and works scope. Rope access is fast and low-disruption for targeted works on high-rise; EWP suits mid-rise; scaffold is warranted for full-building re-clad. Site management covers traffic control, resident communications, deliveries and waste removal.
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05
Panel removal and replacement
The works themselves: panel-by-panel removal, substrate inspection, new compliant system installation, fire-stopping at penetrations, weather-tightness detailing at junctions and openings. Time on site depends on extent and access method — small-scope works run in weeks; a full-building re-clad runs in months.
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06
Inspection, documentation and compliance sign-off
Works must be signed off by a registered building practitioner. This is what distinguishes builder-grade delivery from a trade contractor doing facade work — the practitioner takes accountability for compliance, not just installation. The sign-off documentation becomes part of the building's permanent compliance record.
Timeline
How long does rectification take?
Honest ranges depend entirely on scope. Assessment: 1–3 days on site, defect report delivered within 1–2 weeks. Engineering specification: 2–4 weeks. Procurement: variable (2–8 weeks depending on tender approach and decision pace). Works: weeks to months — a small-scope rectification might be 4–6 weeks; a full-building re-clad of a high-rise can run 6–12 months. The single biggest variable in the timeline is not the technical work but the OC decision cycle — committee resolution, owner vote, levy collection — which often takes longer than the works themselves.
Questions
The rectification process, answered.
Need a rectification quote?
Summit Facades carries out the full sequence — accredited assessment, defect report, engineering coordination and builder-grade rectification, with a registered practitioner accountable.
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