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Accreditation – sampling and testing laboratories - KBCN1337

Accreditation of organisations performing laboratory analysis and testing of emissions: NC 2016 or newer All organisations conducting indoor air analysis or emissions testing of building products must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, with specific accreditation covering all applicable chemical analysis and emission testing methods relevant to their scope. The accreditation must be carried out: either

By a national accreditation body e.g. UKAS.
By an accreditation body that is a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA).

Accreditation of organisations performing sampling: If sampling and analysis is carried out by two separate organisations, then sampling organisation does not need to be accredited to the above. However, they must provide a brief report justifying:

The sampling methodology used.
Appropriate environmental conditions during the sampling.
The number and location of samples taken

This report is provided to the BREEAM assessor and submitted as supporting evidence for this issue

30-Oct-2025 Applicable to HQM V6
06-May-2025 Comprehensively updated to clarify the requirements.
31-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
24-May-2022 Updated to differentiate between sampling and analysis requirements. 
07-May-2021 Added clarification regarding alternative qualifications. 
10-May-2021 Updated scheme applicability.

Alternative certification schemes LZCTs options - KBCN1314

Where Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or CHPQA certification is not available, the design team must investigate the availability of alternative accreditation schemes in line with the Directives listed in the LZCT definition of the Decentralised Energy issue, or an equivalent country or regional directive or standard. Where an alternative accreditation scheme exists it should be used for the purpose of verifying compliance of the specified LZCT. If no alternative accreditation scheme exists, the design team must demonstrate they have investigated the competence of the installer selected to install the LZCT and are confident that they have the skill and competence to install the technology appropriately.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Bamboo, cork and other non-timber forest products – Responsible sourcing - KBCN1768

Non-timber forest products, such as bamboo and cork should be responsibly sourced to minimise the environmental impacts and protect local ecosystems. However, as they are not timber or timber-based products, these fall outside the scope of the Prerequisite. Where such products are integrated into a building, they should, nonetheless, be assessed and included in the calculator under ‘Other materials’.

Broken chain of custody for legally harvested timber - KBCN1321

The Government website referred to in the ‘Legally harvested and traded timber’ definition in the Responsible sourcing issue, provides the necessary guidance for demonstrating compliance with the prerequisite for this issue, which follows the Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) report on the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy. The ‘Timber Procurement Advice Note (TPAN)’ provides a checklist (Annex E) for evidence of certified timber (category A evidence). You can find this here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timber-procurement-advice-note-tpan-comply-with-tpp Annex F of this document gives further guidance if the supplier isn’t directly certified and there is a broken chain of custody. It notes that ‘As soon as ownership of products is taken by a non-CoC-certificate holder, the products cease to be 'certified'. However, if the evidence is credible, you can make a claim of legal or sustainably sourced products.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Building assessed as part of a larger development - KBCN1313

Where the building under assessment forms part of a larger development and either a new or existing low or zero Carbon technology (LZCT) installation is provided for the whole site, then the amount of LZCT energy generation counted for in this issue, and subsequent CO₂ emissions saved, should be proportional to the building’s energy consumption compared to the total energy consumption for the site.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Communal refuse chutes – Apartments over five storeys - KBCN1108

For apartments over five storeys where communal chutes are being used, these should be compliant with BS 1703:2005 Refuse chutes and hoppers – waste should be carried no more than 30m from the home entrance (excluding vertical distance).

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Communal ventilation system - KBCN1388

A communal ventilation system is acceptable as long as it meets the requirements in the HQM manual. In terms of maintenance, if it is not possible for the home occupants to carry out system maintenance themselves due to the type of system installed we would need a statement from the professional designing the system stating this. Instead, any specified ventilation system requiring maintenance must be designed to allow building services engineers to easily complete the work in a safe manner in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and any other safety regulations, to prevent systems becoming redundant or being unable to function to their designed intention.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Compliant test body – alternative compliance route using a Suitably Qualified Acoustician - KBCN1412

Where acoustic testing and measurement has not been performed by an organisation or individual that meets the definition of a compliant test body, compliance with this requirement can still be demonstrated where a Suitably Qualified Acoustician has reviewed the relevant test report(s). The test report must: a) Be countersigned or authorised by a Suitably Qualified Acoustician b) Include a clear statement that the acoustic testing and measurements have been carried out in accordance with the BREEAM or HQM testing requirements AND c) Include evidence that the verifier meets the definition for a Suitably Qualified Acoustician within the relevant BREEAM or HQM technical manual

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Decorative gas/ethanol fires - KBCN1301

Although fires may be decorative, if they are permanent features of the home that burn fuel to produce heat, they will have an impact on local air quality. They should be assessed in the Impact on Local Air Quality issue.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Design stage evidence – Responsible sourcing of construction products - KBCN0831

At design stage, a letter of commitment from the design team confirming that the products shall be procured from suppliers capable of supplying products covered by the required responsible sourcing certification scheme is acceptable. The letter must confirm the responsible sourcing certification schemes of the proposed products.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

District heating connected after post-construction stage - KBCN1312

For HQM, at design stage, it may be acceptable to assume a network will be implemented and used by the assessed home, at completion if appropriate design-stage evidence demonstrates this, even if the system is not implemented at the time of the design-stage assessment. At post-construction, evidence would need to be revised and re-submitted based on what has happened in practice. In most cases the district heating network would need to have been installed and connected to, in order to use this system as part of the home’s energy calculations for the Energy and Cost issue, and to demonstrate installation of LZCTs in the Decentralised Energy issue. However, there is a possibility that time-frames could be flexible depending on the specific scenario being considered, which are judged on a case by case basis. To be considered, a technical query needs to be raised, with detailed information about the project including: location, size, whether it’s mixed-use or a phased development, type of network being connected to, time-frames of the connection and justifications for these, and the assurances that will be in place to ensure this happens in-practice. If it is not possible to provide this information during the design stage, this can be raised later but please be aware that there is a risk that credits achieved at design stage may be lost at post-construction stage, if the network is not connected to as planned. If this does happen, the ‘infrastructure’ criteria in the Decentralised energy issue may still be applicable if adequate infrastructure is installed by post-construction stage, which can be used to connect the home to LZCTs in the future, in line with any relevant criteria (e.g. feasibility study, CN4 etc.). In terms of how this works for BREEAM, it is possible that connection after post-construction could be acceptable, if the development is part of a larger or mixed-use project where the centralised services provision only becomes viable at a later phase and there are robust, legally enforceable routes to ensuring delivery of them to a set timeline. Evidence would need to be reviewed at post-construction stage on a case by case basis, in line with KBCN0267.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1 Issue 5.2

Early product procurement policy - KBCN1309

A documented product procurement policy and procedure needs to be in place by RIBA stage 2, which sets out the requirements for all suppliers and trades to adhere to in relation to responsible sourcing of products. However, this policy and procedure can be fairly high-level at RIBA stage 2, as long as all other criteria are met, including dissemination and the encouragement of products that have responsible sourcing certification over products that don’t. At this early stage, the policy is likely to contain overarching principles and policies that later feed into a more detailed plan or strategy, further into the design stage. BS8903:2010 and BS8900-1:2013, provide guidance on what is considered good practice. Our experience with BREEAM has shown that considering the potential for responsibly sourced products early on makes procurement of these products more achievable, which in turn makes the associated credits for this more likely to achieve. This principal extends to the other issues in the Materials category as well.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Emissions from products – Building materials for M&E purposes - KBCN1740

All M&E materials are excluded from VOC assessment requirements. However, from V7 onward, while finished M&E products may be excluded, all on-site applications of paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants used for M&E purposes must be included in VOC assessments under their relevant material categories.

02 July 2025 - Inclusion of duct insulation removed

Emissions from products – scope of assessment - KBCN0212

General This issue covers any product installed or applied inside the inner surface of the building’s infiltration, vapour or waterproof membrane. Where this membrane is not present, it applies to the inside of the building envelope’s interior-facing thermal insulation layer. Only products that are installed or applied in parts of the building where their emissions are likely to affect indoor air quality need to be assessed. Paints and coatings Any decorative paints and varnishes that occupants are exposed to should be assessed. This is likely to include paints and coatings applied to walls, ceilings, floors, doors, etc. Whole products A finish applied to a product in the factory is assessed as a whole product, and not separately as a paint or coating. For instance, a wood panel has a finish applied in the factory. The whole panel, including all the elements that make up that panel, would need to comply with the requirements set for wood panel products in this issue. The finished product as a whole must meet the performance requirements / emission limits set in the manual.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Content merged with KBCN0871.
10-Oct-2022 - Wording simplified. Scheme applicability updated.
16-Jun-2017 - Title and general principle amended to extend the applicability of the KBCN to all finishes. Paints specified for specialist applications covered in KBCN0872.

Emissions from products – specialist paints and coatings - KBCN0872

Where a paint or coating falls within:

A category in Annex II of the EU Directive 2004/42/CE or,
A category in the relevant product emission table of the technical manual,

then the paint or coating must be assessed. Specialist paints and coatings are exempted from meeting the VOC content and emission limits where there are no alternative products available that can perform the function, and still meet the emission limits. This must be clearly evidenced.

30-Oct-2025 Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
02-Oct-2025 Reference to 'VOC content' added and KBCN applied to UKNC V7 and INC V7 to clarify CN2.1 
27-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. New compliance principle added from UKNC V6.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
13-Mar-2020 KBCN amended to clarify exceptions and applicability.
16-Jun-2017 Content merged with KBCN0212.

Evidence requirements – responsible sourcing of materials at post-construction - KBCN1599

Whilst the UK BREEAM manuals are less prescriptive in the evidential requirements to allow flexibility, to ensure consistency across the schemes, it is expected that robust evidence should be provided to verify the source of any certified materials and how the assessor has confirmed the products and manufacturers used. Evidence supplied at post construction stage must reflect the completed building and confirm the responsibly sourced materials that have been procured and installed on the project. Supporting documentation is required to validate letters of confirmation or schedules of materials. Evidence provided could include proof of purchase, for example, invoices, delivery tickets, purchase orders or correspondence from suppliers. This may be an example for each material sourced, rather than every delivery ticket for instance. Alternatively, evidence of the use of the responsibly sourced materials may include as-built drawings, O&M documentation or site photographs.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

FSC and PEFC Mixed Sources certified timber - KBCN00091

Products labelled:

FSC Mix or
PEFC Mixed Sources

Meet the BREEAM responsible sourcing requirements. This means any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: can be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

Products carrying the FSC Mix label contain at least 70% FSC certified and recycled material. These products may contain a small proportion of FSC Controlled Wood (KBCN00054). However for BREEAM compliance, the FSC Mix label is sufficient to meet our requirements.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

FSC Controlled Wood - KBCN00054

The FSC Controlled Wood label minimises the risk that wood comes from illegal or controversial sources, however it does not eliminate this risk. Therefore, products which are:

Labelled as FSC Controlled Wood or,
Where the majority of material in a product is comprised of FSC Controlled Wood,

Do not meet the BREEAM definition of responsibly sourced. Where FSC Mix labelled products contain FSC Controlled Wood, see KBCN00091. This means that any such products:

In HQM, and in BREEAM NC 2016 or older schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legally harvested and traded timber.
In BREEAM NC 2018 or newer schemes: do not meet the prerequisite for legal and sustainable timber.
In all schemes: cannot be used to demonstrate responsible sourcing.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
14-Mar-2024 - Wording clarified and expanded. Relevant prerequisites and requirements clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

GN18 BREEAM Recognised Responsible Sourcing Certification Schemes and BREEAM Scheme Applicability - KBCN0723

Latest version: v3.7, May 2023 BREEAM awards credits for responsibly sourcing construction products (typically under the Mat 03 issue) to encourage responsible product specification and procurement in construction. To achieve these credits, applicable specified products (as listed in the relevant technical manual) must be covered by an Environmental Management System (EMS) or a responsible sourcing certification scheme (RSCS) recognised by BREEAM. Guidance Note 18 lists the responsible sourcing certifications schemes recognised by BREEAM along with the relevant summary scores to be used in BREEAM assessments. Download Guidance Note 18 Download Guidance Note 18 v2.0 (licensed assessors only - optional for projects registered prior to release of v3.0 in September 2016) View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

GN22 Recognised schemes for emissions from construction products - KBCN0719

Latest version: v3.0, January 2025 Within the Health and Wellbeing category of several BREEAM schemes, credits are awarded for specifying materials that minimise emissions from building products of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The criteria involve meeting emission level performance requirements in accordance with compliant performance and testing standards. Guidance Note 22 (GN22) lists schemes that show equivalent or better performance than the current BREEAM and HQM criteria, and therefore can be used to demonstrate compliance with the criteria. This document should be read in conjunction with the relevant assessment issue guidance provided in the appropriate BREEAM or HQM technical manual. The guidance note contains two tables:

Table 1 is for use with BREEAM schemes that were first released before December 2015.
Table 2 is for use with BREEAM (and HQM) schemes that were first released from December 2015 onwards (post-November 2015).

Download Guidance Note 22 View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only) Applying for inclusion in GN22 The list of approved schemes is based on those which have made a successful application to BREEAM. As such, there may be other operational schemes that could potentially be recognised. To be considered for inclusion, the scheme operator must complete an application form, providing full details of the scheme, and submit this to BRE Global for technical approval. A flat rate charge is payable to cover the costs of administering and reviewing the application. GN22 will be updated following the approval of any schemes via this process. The application form (BF1648) provides full details of the application process, and licensed BREEAM assessors can request a copy by submitting a technical query using the webform. Other parties may request a copy by contacting: breeam@bregroup.com

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
25-Sep-2025 - Updated to provide details of the approval process and title updated.
30-Jan-2025 - Updated for release of GN22 3.0
30-Sep-2024 - Updated for release of GN22 2.9
01-Feb-2024 - Updated for release of GN22 2.8
31-Jan-2023 - Updated for release of GN22 2.7
10-Oct-2022 - This KBCN merged with KBCN0646. Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
25-Jan-2019 - Link to Guidance Note updated
12-Mar-2018 - Link to Guidance Note updated

GN24 Demonstrating compliance with Responsible Sourcing requirements in BREEAM - KBCN0721

Latest version: v1.1, May 2022 Guidance Note 24 provides additional guidance to assessors and specifiers on demonstrating compliance with the criteria set out in Mat 03. It should be read in conjunction with the Technical Manual for the relevant assessment scheme. It covers:

How to deal with constituent products/materials including those with certification that is different from the overall product.
The precision required in estimating quantities:
- For the cut-off volume
- Of products/materials in the building (route 2 only)
- Of different material categories in products/materials.
An example route 2 calculation.
‘Broken chain’ situations.
How to treat building services.

Download Guidance Note 24 (licensed assessors only) View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

30-Oct-2025 - Title updated. Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Heat pumps - KBCN1316

Heat pumps can only be considered as a renewable technology when used in heating mode. Refer to Annex VII of Directive 2009/28/EC for more detail on accounting for energy from heat pumps.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Heated common areas for homes - KBCN1390

A BRUKL is only required for the HQM calculation if it is already required by building control. If heated common areas are not applicable to the assessment but the assessment tool is requesting inputs for them, please check your inputs for shared common areas in the 'Home details' and 'Energy and cost' parts of the tool.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

HQM Life Cycle Assessment – Methodology update - KBCN1743

From 6 July 2025, all HQM assessments (beta, ONE & V6) have the option to apply the new BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential (UKNCR) V6.1, Issue 6.2 LCA methodology. UKNCR V6.1 updated issue ‘6.2 Environmental Impact of Materials’ by:

Requiring LCA to be completed at building level
Recognising and encouraging the completion of LCAs at early design, technical design and post-construction stages
Providing scoring against embodied carbon benchmarks
Rewarding projects that submit embodied carbon data to a public database

Please refer to issue 6.2 in the UKNCR V6.1 technical manual for full details of the updated methodology. Please refer to the HQM Life Cycle Assessment – methodology update for further details on how to apply the UKNCR Issue 6.2 LCA methodology, and how this applies to each of the HQM scheme versions. Please be aware that applying the UKNCR issue 6.2 LCA methodology will not change your HQM registration or certificate.

Insulation – Responsible sourcing - KBCN0907

Insulation is within the scope of the responsible sourcing of construction products.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Internal composting waste storage - KBCN0829

Internal composting waste storage facilities are not required to be fixed. Fixed units are only required for recyclable waste.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Internal waste storage – food waste requirement - KBCN1516

The specific requirement to provide food waste storage under crit 4c applies, regardless of whether the 'Composting facilities and management' credits are sought or whether the local authority currently collects food waste. The provision of space for food waste storage must be met, to account for current or future food waste collection by the relevant authority.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

LCC – Competent person or Suitably Qualified Cost Consultant (SQCC) - KBCN1803

The definition of a competent person, or SQCC as named within HQM or BREEAM New Construction Residential, has been updated to provide further clarification and is now defined as set out below: An individual achieving all the following items can be considered to be ‘suitably qualified’ for the purpose of completing the LCC credits:

Holds a recognised qualification for undertaking life cycle costing studies and/or a degree/postgraduate diploma or equivalent qualification in quantity surveying, construction economics or other construction-related subject.
Has acquired substantial expertise through a minimum of three years relevant experience (within the last five years). The experience must clearly demonstrate a practical understanding of life cycle costing in construction and the built environment and show an ability to identify and demonstrate cost and performance enhancement measures.
Is not professionally connected to a single manufacturer

A CV should be provided demonstrating their experience and knowledge against the above requirements.

Legally harvested and traded timber – Examples - KBCN0956

The following examples are considered compliant for BREEAM: Legally harvested:

Evidence of compliance with the UK government Timber Procurement Policy (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
FSC, PEFC, SFI or GiB certification
Evidence of compliance with the EUTR (timber bought inside the EU only)
Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally harvested’ requirements given in the manual.

Legally traded:

Evidence of compliance with the UK government Timber Procurement Policy (see here, timber bought inside the UK only)
FSC, PEFC, SFI or GiB certification
Risk assessment/due diligence documentation demonstrating a low risk of non-compliance with the ‘legally traded’ requirements given in the manual.

04-Dec-2025 - Examples updated to include Grown in Britain (GiB) certification. Previous reference to 'CPET' clarified as 'UK government Timber Procurement Policy'.
KBCN applied more widely to all relevant scheme issues in BREEAM and HQM

Meeting the minimum standard requirement – compliance when chain of custody is broken - KBCN1816

Where there is a broken chain in the last link between the purchase and delivery of certified timber from the supplier and the forwarding distribution of the timber to the site under assessment, such as where the timber has been delivered to a subcontractor or fabricator’s premises instead of direct to site (e.g. as part of a bulk order or where limited storage is available on site), compliance can still be achieved if a documented risk assessment confirms that there is low risk of mixing or substitution of certified and non-certified timber. Ways to demonstrate compliance: A. Verification that the subcontractor or fabricator only purchases and uses certified timber. There must be robust mechanisms in place to verify that all timber materials purchased and delivered originate from sustainably managed sources. This includes maintaining documented timber procurement policies and procedures that mandate certified timber orders and delivery checks. Comprehensive supplier details should be readily accessible for review upon request to demonstrate that all timber is certified. B. Where non-certified timber is handled/stored or sourced, that there are robust control measures in place to prevent any substitution or mixing of certified and non-certified timber at every stage of the process. Documentation demonstrating compliance should be maintained and made available upon request. Examples of appropriate control measures are listed below:

Control	Evidence required
Purchasing records	All purchase orders, requisition notes, and contracts must explicitly specify the product details and confirm that materials are to originate from legal and sustainable sources.
Segregated storage of timber	Site layout map, stock control processes and records to confirm that certified timber is stored away from non-certified timber.
Segregated delivery of timber to site	- All timber must be thoroughly inspected and verified before shipment to confirm that it is correctly marked/labelled as FSC/PEFC-certified. - Delivery notes must be accurately maintained. - A second-party verification process to check tickets and stock, must be carried out upon site delivery to confirm certified status of timber.
Documentation	Comprehensive documentation must enable independent assessors to trace any timber back to its sustainable source. This includes maintaining purchase records, goods-inward notices, stock records, and sales documentation such as orders and invoices.

The above is guidance and should not replace any local or national requirements for the sourcing of legally traded and harvested timber.

Minimum ventilation rate above boost flow rate - KBCN1364

Where a ventilation system has the capacity to meet the minimum ventilation rate (Criteria '03 Ventilation rates') and where this is above the boost flow rate, then the boost flow rate can be deemed to have been met by default.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Oil-fired boilers benchmarks - KBCN1293

It has come to our attention that there is an error in Table 35, relating to the NOx emission benchmarks for oil-fired boilers. The table below confirms the correct benchmarks.

Appliance type and unit	Fuel	7 credits (Low pollution location)	7 credits (High pollution location)	10 credits (Low pollution location)	10 credits (High pollution location)
Boiler (mg/kWh)	Oil	56 73	56	55 67	50

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
This will be confirmed in the next update of the technical manual, but can be applied immediately to HQM ONE projects.

Post-collection waste sorting - KBCN1109

Where there is post-collection sorting, individual bins for each waste stream would not be required, but must meet the required minimum volume and reflect the number of recyclable waste streams collected by the waste collection authority.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Product procurement policy after RIBA stage 2 - KBCN0994

Where a product procurement policy is put together at a later stage than RIBA stage 2, ‘02 Product procurement policy and product environmental information’ credits may still be achievable. If it can be confirmed by the person responsible for the policy that the policy will not restrict procurement of responsible sourced construction products due to its late production and implementation, then the credits can still be awarded (provided all other compliance requirements are met).

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Raised access floors – Responsible sourcing - KBCN00018

For the purposes of responsible sourcing, raised access floors should be considered as part of the floor structure.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM Beta, HQM One, HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Responsible Sourcing – Scope when a BREEAM assessment covers only part of the new building - KBCN1217

To give reliable results, the assessment of responsible sourcing must capture the interactions that occur across an entire design (the system). A design decision in one part of the design will, in many cases, cause knock-on effects to other parts of the design. If only part of a building being designed is included in the assessment the designer may choose a design option that optimises responsible sourcing performance for the limited part analysed, but will be unaware of potential detrimental effects to the overall responsible sourcing performance of the building. In addition, if a responsible sourcing assessment only includes the construction products that form the BREEAM assessment area, inconsistencies arise with regards to construction products that serve all areas of the building in common. For example, an assessment on a central floor that excludes the roof, compared with an assessment on the (otherwise identical) top floor that does include the roof. This approach would be unfair. Therefore, notwithstanding the exception below for internal finishes, the responsible sourcing scope must include the whole building design (as defined in Mat 03, 'Scope of assessment') even if the area covered by BREEAM assessment is only part of the design. The exception to this is any construction products classified as '3. Internal finishes'. Internal finishes are specific to each part of the building with little or no functional relationship with other parts. Therefore, the scope of the assessment of internal finishes shall be limited to the assessed area only.

08 October 2025-made applicable to HQM and UK NCR

Responsible sourcing certification – validity - KBCN1693

Where it can be demonstrated that the responsible sourcing certificates were valid either at the time of specification, or at the time of purchase, they may contribute to the awarding of the credits. BREEAM is primarily trying to encourage designers to take responsible sourcing into consideration when specifying or selecting products and as such it is not necessary for certification to be valid at the time of design or post-construction stage submissions.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Sound Insulation testing for Cupboards - KBCN1299

A cupboard (even built in) does not constitute a room and does not need to be assessed for the 'Sound insulation levels for internal walls and floors' credits as it is not permanent (part of the home's fabric) and also non-habitable.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Sound testing between rooms - KBCN1303

Only lab tests carried out in accordance with Part E of the building regulations are accepted as evidence to show compliance with the requirements sound insulation between rooms ( 02 Sound insulation levels for internal walls and floors - HQM ONE). In-situ testing and software calculations are not acceptable ways of showing compliance.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

Ventilation air intakes CIBSE TM21 compliance - KBCN0669

As TM21 largely contains general guidance, rather that strict rules, it is expected that the designer or services engineer would be familiar with the requirements within TM21 and be able to determine which sections are relevant for the development in question. The main areas to consider in relation to TM21 are: • Provision of filtration • Positioning inlets to minimise impacts of traffic pollution • Positioning inlets to minimise impacts of other local sources of pollution • Positioning inlets to minimise recirculation from ventilation exhausts Confirmation is required that each of these items (and anything else the designer/engineer deems relevant) has been considered in determining the location of air intakes. Suitable evidence may for example be in the form of a short report with diagrams indicating the proposed location of intakes, with respect to sources of pollution and with reference to the relevant parts of TM21.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

VOC product emission certificates – validity - KBCN1689

Where it can be demonstrated that construction product emission certificates were valid either at the time of specification, or at time of purchase, they may contribute to awarding credits.

BREEAM is primarily trying to encourage designers to take construction product emissions into consideration when specifying or selecting products and as such it is not necessary for certification to be valid at the time of design or post-construction stage submissions.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to UKNCR V6.1

Water fittings – Categories present - KBCN1455

Where only 6 water fittings categories are present in a home, 5 of the 6 must meet the optional fittings standard for 5 credits.
Where only 5 water fittings categories are present in a home, 4 of the 5 must meet the optional fittings standard for 5 credits.
Where only 4 water fittings categories are present in a home, 3 of the 4 must meet the optional fittings standard for 5 credits.
Where Criterion 1 says 'All water fitting categories...' for 8 and 11 credits, this means 'all water fitting categories present'.

Note that the modelled water consumption benchmark in Criterion 1 must also be met to award credits.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

When PV is connected to the communal landlord areas in a block of flats - KBCN1444

In terms of crit 4.a (There is a direct supply of energy produced to the home under assessment), where PV is connected to the communal landlord areas in a block of flats, instead of directly to individual flats, this criteria can be deemed to be met because PV wired to each individual flat would conflict from a material efficiency point of view.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1

UKNC: Residential (HQM) / HQM V6 /

01 Occupant’s life cycle cost report: crit 2 - KBCN1656