Luxury fittings: A guide to compliance

Handmade or artisanal products almost always hit the mark when it comes to a luxury look and feel. Often custom-made, these elements are usually one of the defining characteristics of an interior, adding an often unique, considered touch. But in the aesthetic design and selection of these items, has compliance been considered? What obstacles from a regulatory point of view may you encounter if the fittings aren’t compliant? Andrew Paulson, Partner at Lees Associates gives some insight.

Andrew Paulson - LA London Partner

Compliance is king

Compliance with regulations and standards is one of the top considerations in the construction industry. It ensures that the buildings we create are fit for purpose, both operationally and in terms of ensuring occupants are safe.

All manufacturers, whatever their size, have to ensure their products are compliant with relevant international, European, British or sector-specific regulations and standards. However, if you want something bespoke that isn’t off-the-shelf, that hasn’t been tested and certified, how can you ensure compliance?

You have to be mindful that some unique products made overseas still have to comply with the relevant UK regulations. Whilst many specified, off-the-shelf fittings have been through the certification process, some of the more bespoke products may not have.

If a bespoke product has been specified, the client may need to be prepared to pay a high fee for it to pass through a rigorous and lengthy testing process. This might seem overkill for a one-off product but it is essential if a building is to be certified as safe for its occupants. And that is why, fundamentally, regulations exist; to protect all future users.

Bespoke fittings must adhere to current regulations at installation

Water regulations

Let’s take the water regulations as an example. In the UK, these are the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014 and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009. These regulations impose a legal duty not to install water fittings unless they satisfy the requirements specified.

An advisory group was set up after the 1999 regulations were released to help navigate the compliance process. Mass manufacturers tend to use this service, known as the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS). However, if you aren’t a mass manufacturer but plan on specifying a bespoke product, you may find that you have to pursue this avenue too.

Are your fittings Water Regulations Advisory Scheme compliant?

These regulations are in place to keep people safe. They ensure there isn’t anything that could jeopardise the quality of water, or include components that could degrade over time.

But it isn’t solely about protecting an individual user – it further applies to the physical building and beyond. If there is a risk of water contamination anywhere in the system then there is a risk of back-contamination to the entire mains supply! It’s no surprise that, if you can’t show compliance, your chosen fitting cannot be installed. In fact, water suppliers have the authority to actually disconnect the water supply if they aren’t satisfied with any of the installed fittings. This fate can apply to anyone, anywhere, and can be a huge cost to a project and its client, both in money and time.

Whilst many plumbers, if suitably qualified, are allowed to self-certify that a product and its installation is in accordance with water regulations, for any large new development, especially one where more bespoke products might feature, an application needs to be made to the mains water supplier to verify and confirm they are happy that all sanitary fittings are compliant. 

Self-certification from a qualified plumber might not be suitable for larger developments.

Any fitting, be that a tap, shower, douche spray or even wet massage, must be compliant to eliminate the likelihood of any perilous contamination. Mass-market products will have already been through the WRAS approval process, but any non-UK or unique fittings, or ones that deviate from an approved model in any way, will need to be tested and approved before they can be installed. In this case, it is vital to ensure the client is aware of the Water Regulations and the need for compliance from the outset; if non-approved fittings are preferred then they need to accept the cost and programme implications of having to privately go through the approval process during the course of their project.

Factor in the extra cost and time for compliance approval with bespoke fittings

As you might be able to tell, I speak from experience. Lees Associates had one super-prime residential project where the interior designer specified a range of different taps custom-made by hand in the US for the various bathrooms around the property and we had to arrange for a mock-up of each one to go through a series of performance and durability tests (to destruction!) in order to be approved for use in the UK. Each test cost the client many thousands of pounds and the overall process took over six months to conclude.

Custom design can have a hidden price tag

It is therefore incumbent on all designers and specifiers to satisfy themselves that the sanitary fittings they want to use on a scheme in the UK carry the necessary certification, or, if they do not, that the client is prepared to go to the lengths of arranging that certification themselves, if the manufacturer is unwilling to. The regulations exist to protect us all and, as the water suppliers will tell you, nobody is above the law.