Independent commissioning of a newly constructed multifamily building identified HVAC performance deficiencies and ventilation failures before delivery — while they were still the builder’s responsibility.
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This narrative describes a common engagement pattern in new construction commissioning. It is presented as a representative scenario illustrating the diagnostic and contractual value of independent commissioning at delivery. Specific client and property details are confidential.
A developer was preparing to deliver a newly completed multifamily building. Standard inspections had been completed and certificates were in progress. The developer engaged Building Science Advisors to conduct independent commissioning of the building’s mechanical systems and envelope before the certificate of occupancy was issued and residents moved in.
No visible failures. The building was newly constructed, recently inspected, and presented no observable deficiencies. The decision to commission independently was proactive — driven by the developer’s recognition that inspection and performance are not the same thing. A building can pass every standard inspection and still fail to perform as designed.
In newly constructed multifamily buildings, undetected performance deficiencies at delivery generate warranty disputes, callback costs, and in some cases litigation — particularly when the warranty period expires before the failure becomes visible to occupants. Tightly sealed modern buildings are especially vulnerable: higher insulation levels and reduced natural infiltration mean that HVAC oversizing, ventilation shortfalls, and pressure imbalances have more pronounced effects than in older, leakier construction.
Building Science Advisors conducted blower door testing to verify envelope tightness against the design specification, duct leakage testing to ACCA QI standards, HVAC system performance measurement including airflow, static pressure, and temperature differential by zone, ventilation rate verification against design intent, dehumidification performance assessment under design conditions, and a moisture baseline survey to identify any condensation risk present at delivery.
Self-certification by the installing contractor is not independent commissioning. A contractor verifying their own installation has a financial interest in a clean result. Independent testing consistently identifies discrepancies between design intent and installed performance that contractor self-certification does not surface — including HVAC systems that meet nameplate specifications but do not perform correctly under actual building load conditions.
Where deficiencies are identified at commissioning, Building Science Advisors issues a corrective specification identifying what needs to be adjusted, replaced, or redesigned, and by what performance standard the correction will be verified. The developer uses this specification to hold subcontractors accountable under the warranty and construction contract — with an independent technical basis that is not subject to the subcontractor’s interpretation.
Commissioning is not complete when the testing is done. It is complete when the building performs to specification and that performance is documented. Building Science Advisors returns after corrective work is completed to confirm that every identified deficiency has been resolved. The developer receives a commissioning certificate and a performance record that documents the building’s condition at delivery.
The window in which new construction deficiencies are the builder’s financial responsibility is narrow. Independent commissioning before delivery is the only way to identify deficiencies while that window is open. Every deficiency found before the certificate of occupancy is a warranty claim. Every deficiency found after occupancy is an owner expense.
Contact Building Science Advisors to discuss commissioning services for your next delivery.
