Act 14, Act 15 and Act 16 are official documents that reflect the main stages of the construction of a building in Bulgaria.
They control the construction process and monitor whether the performance of construction and installation activities is in accordance with the current regulations.
The issuance of the three documents is described in an ordinance to the Regional Development Act, and the requirements for each of them differ depending on the category of the construction site.
According to Art. 137 of the Regional Development Act, the constructions on the territory of Bulgaria are grouped into six categories, which are determined according to the characteristics of the building, its complexity and its purpose. Potential operational risks are also taken into account.
Modern residential construction usually goes to the 4th and 5th construction category, which requires the issuance of a Certificate of Habitation/Certificate of Commissioning (Act 16), and if the construction is larger, then it can go into the 3rd category.
Act 14 or the "Act for the approval of the building’s structure" is the first mechanism by which the supervision of construction activities is exercised. It is issued when the building reaches a shell stage.
This means that the construction of the building’s structure is completed, including the surrounding walls and the roof of the building, while the completion of the additional construction works, including plaster, flooring, installations and others, is forthcoming.
Act 14 is extremely important and the signature of the investor, the designer and the construction supervision representative means that the building already has the status of a building site and it also certifies the right of ownership over the separate units in the building.
Along with Act 14 is issued also the Certificates for the degree of completion under Art. 181, para. 2 of the Regional Development Act.
After receiving Act 14, it could proceed to the notary transfer of the property and the buyer will receive a notarial act - the document certifying his ownership.
Act 15, or “Statutory act establishing the suitability for acceptance of the construction”, is the next normative document, which establishes and certifies that the building has been completed, defining its readiness to be put into operation.
Act 15 certifies the completion of the construction and installation activities and ensures that the implementation of the project meets the pre-approved investment plans. It is signed by the competent officials (investor, designer, builder, construction supervisor) and the property owners in the building.
The signed document must include:
- description of contracts for the execution of the construction process;
- construction papers: protocols, acts, and diaries;
- declaration of accordance with the applied construction materials;
- documentation that proves that the project was completed correctly.
Based on Act 15 is created the last of the three normative documents - Act 16 or “Certificate of Habitation/Certificate of Commissioning”. It is issued by the mayor of the municipality or by the chief architect authorized by him.
Act 16 marks the end of the construction process and its role is to determine the suitability of the building for its commissioning, which in practice means determining whether it is habitable.
A commission is formed to sign Act 16, which tests the facilities such as installations, etc., after which a protocol is drawn up. If deviations from the standards and requirements are not found, the Certificate of Commissioning (Act 16) is issued, which is probably the most important step for the property owners in the building.
The construction site receives Act 16 when:
- Property rights are established in terms of the legality of the building.
- A complete check is made in order to understand if the construction has been completed in accordance with the approved design.
- The correspondence between the approved project and its actual implementation has been fully established.
In the event of nonconformity on any of the listed points, Act 16 shall not be issued in accordance with Art. 178 of the Regional Development Act.
For more information on this topic, please contact Atlantis Estates Consultants: 0700 11 222
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