Building ConfirmationandInspection Services
Current Situation in Japan

By ERI Holdings Co., Ltd.
8-5-26 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052,
JapanAugust 2014

1Opening Up of Building
Confirmation and Inspection
Services to the Private Sector
BackgroundUp until 1998, the public sector did not provide building confirmation,
inspection and other required services efficiently or in a way that gave
client satisfaction.
It was necessary to create a competent and efficient system for theexecution of building confirmation and inspection services based on
improved role sharing between the public and private sectors.

Prior status of public-sector building confirmation andinspection services
In the fiscal year ended March 1996, for each public-sector building
official who carried out building confirmations in Japan, there were
770 construction starts.
･Number of construction starts: 1,400,000 per year
･Number of building officials: approx. 1,800･Japan’s number of public-sector employees involved withconstruction is small compared to other countries.
(per 100,000 of population, there are 5.8 in Japan, 25.7 in the US and23.0 in Australia)

Major points of the 1998 amendment to the BuildingStandard Law
For the first time, the Japanese Government allowed independent andimpartial private-sector bodies to engage in the provision of building
confirmation and inspection services, which had previously been
exclusively conducted by public-sector building officials.
Creating of provisions for introduction of building confirmationand inspection services by private-sector bodies
The building confirmation and inspection services provided bydesignated confirmation and inspection bodies have the samelegal force as the confirmation and inspection services carriedout by public-sector building officials.
Details of designated confirmation and inspection bodies
Eligibility:
Both profit and non-profit corporations are eligible to become
designated confirmation and inspection bodies.
Designations:
There are three types of designation.
1. The Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
designates corporations that are allowed to provide building
confirmation and inspection services across Japan.
2. Regional bureaus designate corporations that are allowed toprovide building confirmation and inspection services in a
specific region within Japan.
3. Prefectural governors designate corporations that are allowed toprovide building confirmation and inspection services in therespective prefecture.

Criteria for designation･The employment of a certain number of private-sector building
inspectors who are qualified in the assessment of conformity
with building standards.
･None of the body’s executives are able to influence the fairrunning of building confirmation and inspection services.
･The body has no other services that could lead to building
confirmation and inspection services being ran in an unfair
manner.
Relationship between designated administrative agencies anddesignated confirmation and inspection bodies･A designated confirmation and inspection body may makeinquiries as necessary to designated administrative agencies,
and a designated administrative agency may give
instructions as necessary to designated confirmation andinspection bodies and may revoke confirmation-related
decisions made by such bodies.
･Designated confirmation and inspection bodies may
independently make decisions regarding examination
procedures.

Effect on the public sector
The amendment to the Building Standard Law made it possible toprovide building confirmation and inspection services that meetthe needs of building owners. The effective participation by
designated confirmation and inspection bodies has allowed
public-sector offices to focus on indirect control activities that willserve to maintain an efficient system. These activities include
auditing, policing violations and imposing penalties on violators.

2Market for Building
Confirmation and Inspection
Services
Changes in the number of designated administrative
agencies and designated confirmation and inspection
bodiesDesignated administrative agencies
Designated confirmation and inspection bodies

As of April 1 each year

700
600

No. of org.

500
400

02757

70

80

89

397

407

408

411

108

125

125

125

123126123120

121125419

421431436441

444

446

448

451

452

300
200

376

388

100
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Breakdown of designated administrative agencies as of April 1, 2014
Under Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Law: 47 prefectures and 88 cities
Under Article 4, paragraph 2, of the Law: 143 cities
Under Article 97-2 of the Law: 174 cities and Tokyo 23 wards

Changes in the breakdown of designated confirmationand inspection bodies by jurisdiction
As of April 1 each year
200220032004

2005

2006

20072008

2009

2010

20112012

2013

2014

708089108125

125125123126123120121125

Minister for Land,Infrastructure,
Transport andTourism

9131314171617182020212223

Regional bureau

581328343634353635

33

33

35

Prefecturalgovernor

56

59

6366

747374

7070

6866

66

67

By jurisdiction

Breakdown of designated confirmation and inspection agencies by corporate
type as of April 1, 2014.
40 incorporated foundations, 3 incorporated associations,
79 corporations, 2 limited liability companies, 1 non-profit corporation

Number of buildings receiving building confirmations
Approx. 630,000 annually in 2013 (15% by public bodies, and85% by private bodies)

Designated administrative agency
Designated confirmation and inspection body
900110,000 cases

808701523603350403020838441474939735949104134262418391638444448

1210109053101998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
* This fiscal year begins on April 1 of each year and ends on March 31of the following year.

3
Process for Building
Confirmation and Inspection
Services
Partial amendment in 2007 to laws including the BuildingStandard Law to ensure building safety
In 2005, after incidents involving the forging of structural
calculations, the Building Standard Law was partially revised toensure building safety. Key points in this amendment include theadding of a new process for the verification of structural
calculations at the direction of prefectural governors anddesignated structural calculation review bodies in order tostrengthen the supervision of designated confirmation andinspection bodies.

More stringent building confirmations and inspections･A designated body must carry out a verification of structural
calculations for buildings that exceed a specified height*.
* For wooden buildings: roof height of 13 m, or eaves
height of 9 m
For reinforced concrete buildings: height of 20 m
･For apartment houses that are at least three stories tall, at least
one interim (i.e., mid-construction) inspection is required bylaw.

Process for Building Confirmation and Inspection

Preparation of building plans

Building
Confirmation

DesignatedConfirmation andInspection Body

Public-sector
Building Official

Prefectural governor ordesignated structural
calculation review bodyThis process is for the buildings
above a certain size.

Construction starts

InterimInspection

DesignatedConfirmation andInspection Body

Public-sector
Building Official* The number of interim
inspections depends onthe building type.

FinalInspection

DesignatedConfirmation andInspection Body

Public-sector
Building Official

Use of building by occupants commences* After the designated confirmation andinspection body completes the building
confirmation and inspection, it informs therelevant designated administrative agencyof the results.