Firm Certification: Bringing Clarity to Compliance Requirements

By NEBB’s Chapter Affairs Committee, on July 28, 2018, The NEBB Professional – Q3 2018 Edition

What does the term “DCP” mean?

The term “DCP” stands for “Designated Certified Professional” and is required for each discipline for which firm certification is sought.

How do you maintain NEBB firm certification requirements?

• Employ a designated certified professional (DCP) in each discipline for which certification is sought.
• The DCP may serve for more than one (1) discipline, but not more than one (1) applicant firm, or more than one (1) office of the firm.
• The DCP shall be a full-time, management level employee of the firm, located and primarily working at the firm address listed with NEBB.
• NEBB defines full-time employment as a minimum average of thirty (30) hours per week.
• The DCP is responsible for ensuring the NEBB certified firm and all other NEBB CPs and CTs working in the office where the DCP serves, perform services in accordance with all NEBB Procedural Standards and NEBB Operational Procedures.
• A NEBB firm must be in good standing with their local chapter.

When are NEBB firm annual fees and recertification due?

• A NEBB firm must pay its annual fees by December 31 of every year.
• Failure to pay by December 31 will result in late fee assessments.
• A NEBB firm must submit an instrument recertification package through the DCP’s online portal every two (2) years.
• If the chapter-approved submission is not sent to NEBB by December 31, late fees will be assessed beginning in January through March for each month until the requirements are met.

What happens if a firm fails to pay the annual fee and/or recertify by March 31?

• Failure to meet these requirements by March 31 will result in suspension with additional late fees being assessed.
• Failure to meet these requirements by June 30 will result in automatic decertification.

What should a NEBB firm do when a NEBB CP or CT employee leaves the firm?

• The certified firm must report any change in the CPs/ CT’s employment to the NEBB Chapter and to NEBB within fifteen (15) days of a change in employment status.
• The stamp that was issued to the firm, in the CP’s name must be returned to NEBB within 15 days of the employment change.
• CPs and CTs must also apply for a certification transfer from one (1) certified firm to another certified firm or applicant firm.
• The CP/CT and the certified/applicant firm shall submit a certification transfer application and pay a transfer fee within thirty (30) days of the change.
• The certification transfer will not be official until approved by NEBB.
• The CP/CT cannot perform work in accordance with NEBB Procedural Standards during the certification transfer process and will be reinstated only when the transfer is approved by NEBB.
• A CP/CT not employed by a certified firm cannot perform work in accordance with NEBB Procedural
  Standards.
• A certified firm cannot publish or claim the CP’s/CT’s NEBB certification until the CP’s/CT’s transter application is approved by NEBB.

Who owns the certification stamp?

• The stamp and certificate issued to a certified firm with the certified professional’s name included are the property of NEBB.
• Each stamp is discipline, firm and certification specific.
• A NEBB stamp may not be used to validate work in a discipline/certification other than the one (1) embossed on the stamp itself or for firms or professionals not embossed on the stamp.
• Obsolete or expired stamps may not be used for any purpose.

If a NEBB certified firm has one certified location, are any additional locations of the firm considered certified?

• No, each location must obtain NEBB firm certification and meet the following requirements:
  • Certification by NEBB of one (1) or more offices of a NEBB certified firm, each in accordance with 2.5.2, does not constitute certification of other offices of the firm, for which there has not been full compliance with 2.5.2.
    NEBB certified services performed by the certified office must be done in accordance with the applicable NEBB discipline Procedural Standard.
  • After the certification of the first office of a NEBB certified firm, any other office of the firm that is publicly held out or promoted as an office through which NEBB certified services are performed must comply with the following requirements:
  • For each NEBB discipline as to which an office is publicly held out or promoted as providing NEBB services, a NEBB Designated Certified Professional (as established in the Operational Procedures) must be employed in a full-time management level position and primarily serve the office. The same professional certified in more than one (1) discipline may satisfy this requirement for the disciplines in which the professional is certified.
  • Each office must comply with the instrumentation requirements set forth in the applicable Procedural Standards for each discipline as to which an office is publicly held out or promoted as providing NEBB services.
  • Each office must affiliate with the NEBB chapter having jurisdiction in the geographical area in which the office is located, including payment of chapter and NEBB dues and fees.
  • Certified firms found to be holding out or promoting an additional office without complying with the letter and spirit of the requirements of 2.5 will be subject to administrative or disciplinary actions by NEBB, including decertification.

Can a NEBB certified firm in one state work in another state and still be compliant with NEBB procedures?

Yes, any certified firm may complete NEBB certified projects anywhere. It isn’t until a firm holds out a location publicly (via business cards, website, social media, reports or proposals showing a local address, etc.) that a firm needs to certify a branch office.