Why moisture compliance matters

Moisture is one of the most common and costly sources of building failure. It is also one of the least visible. Excess moisture may not appear immediately, but once it takes hold it can weaken structures, cause material deterioration and lead to mould growth that harms occupant health.

Across global markets, moisture-related failures cost billions every year. In the United States alone, industry research estimates that moisture damage costs construction around ‍$1 billion  annually. And that figure doesn’t include the indirect costs: litigation, insurance claims, delays, reputational damage, re-work and replacement.

What has changed in recent years is not the physics of moisture, it's the legal and regulatory framework surrounding it.

Moisture is now recognised as a foreseeable and preventable building risk. And where a risk is foreseeable, the law demands reasonable action. That means moisture management is no longer just technical best practice, it is a compliance, insurance and duty-of-care issue.

Moisture is legal, financial and operational exposure

In many jurisdictions, building law and the law of tort (negligence) create a duty of care to prevent foreseeable harm from building defects. Moisture is treated the same way as fire safety or structural failures. Contractors, designers, landlords and owners are all expected to take reasonable steps to manage moisture and prevent mould and damage.

The insurance industry treats moisture as a material underwriting issue for the same reason: moisture damage is highly predictable. It is one of the biggest causes of building claims globally.

Typical consequences include:

• invalidated warranties and green building certifications
• failed inspections and handover delays
• legal claims and negligence actions
• insurance disputes and increased premiums
• significant remediation, reputational damage and operational disruption

Waiting for a single moisture standard or future regulation is no longer safe. The legal obligation already exists.

Practical conclusion: teams need documented processes and evidence that moisture has been managed proactively.

How moisture compliance works across global markets

Building standards around moisture are becoming more rigorous worldwide. While regulations differ between countries, the trend is consistent: codes are strengthening, inspection regimes are tightening, and moisture resilience is now a recognised requirement in high-performance buildings.

United Kingdom & European Union: Standards and Regulations

The UK and EU take a comparable approach through national regulations and Europe-wide standards. International standards like ISO 22185 (2021) define “moisture damage” and outline sources and transport mechanisms of water in buildings, aiding common understanding. The EU’s EN 15026 standard specifies the components of a hygrothermal simulation for heat and moisture transfer, enabling reliable durability analysis. 

In the UK, moisture control is embedded in Building Regulations Part C and referenced British Standards: BS 5250:2021 (“Management of moisture in buildings – Code of practice”) is explicitly cited as the main compliance method. Part C mandates continuous damp-proof courses and waterproofing details so that walls, floors and roofs protect against ground moisture, rain/snow, condensation and internal leaks. In practice, UK designers follow BS 5250 guidance for ventilation and vapour barriers to satisfy these legal requirements. 

Extended limitation periods under the Building Safety Act 2022 allow claims for latent defects, including moisture-related failures, up to 15 years post-construction. This amplifies long-term liability for contractors and designers.

Awaab’s Law: moisture as a public-health hazard

The death of two-year-old due to prolonged mould exposure in social housing catalysed Awaab’s Law (2023). This law obliges social landlords to act swiftly on moisture hazards, and its requirements are already mandatory as of October 2025:

• investigate reported damp or mould hazards within 10 working days
• provide a written summary within 3 working days of investigation
• remediate serious hazards within 5 working days (or 24 hours for emergencies)
• begin remediation within 12 weeks if immediate full resolution is impossible

Practical implications for building teams:

• Moisture is a health and safety risk, not just maintenance
• Teams must have documented moisture management and inspection processes
• Real-time monitoring provides evidence to meet statutory deadlines
• Design must proactively prevent mould and condensation
• Quick response plans are essential to comply with legal timeframes

Denmark

Danish building regulations (BR18) explicitly require moisture control and healthy indoor environments. Practitioners are expected to:

• assess moisture conditions
• document calculations and compliance
• ensure moisture limits are not exceeded at handover

Monitoring and evidence are standard practice.

Australia: NCC, Standards, and Green Ratings

Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC) now includes stringent condensation and moisture provisions. For example, NCC 2022 requires vapour-permeable wall wraps in cooler climate zones to let moisture escape and improve durability. NCC Part F8 explicitly targets indoor moisture: its objective is to “safeguard occupants from illness or loss of amenity as a result of excessive internal moisture”. These code requirements work hand-in-hand with AS/NZS standards (for example, waterproofing and vapour barrier standards) to prevent leaks and condensation. 

Even Australia’s voluntary green ratings emphasise moisture control. Green Star Homes, for instance, mandates a ventilated, moisture-resistant design to “prevent the growth of mould”, listing Moisture Management among its healthy home criteria. This combination of code mandates (NCC) and sustainability benchmarks (Green Star, NABERS) makes moisture control an industry standard in Australia. 

United States & Canada: Model Codes and Local Enforcement

North America relies on model building codes and standards for moisture control. The International Building/Residential Codes (IBC/IRC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) include moisture provisions and ventilation requirements. For example, the IECC specifies that building design “shall not create conditions of accelerated deterioration from moisture condensation” and mandates vapour retarders on framed walls, floors and ceilings not otherwise ventilated. 

Canadian building codes (National Building Code of Canada) have similar requirements for vapour barriers and drainage planes in cold climates. Enforcement in both the U.S. and Canada is typically local: municipalities adopt these codes into law, and building officials inspect compliance. Moisture-related code violations (e.g. missing vapour barrier, inadequate exhaust) can lead to failed inspections. And serious moisture claims (mould/damage) often end up in litigation or insurance disputes if codes weren’t followed. As mentioned in one of our webinars by Dominic Lion ACII,  Executive Director & Sustainability Champion at Gallagher:

“Water damage—not fire—is the #1 cause of insurance claims in buildings. But fire gets all the headline

Why real-rime nonitoring supports compliance and duty of care

Traditional compliance relies on design intentions and inspection. But design-stage decisions don’t always reflect real-world performance. Construction sequencing, drying times, climate, materials and building use can all affect moisture behaviour.

This is why more contractors, insurers, building owners and consultants now use real-time monitoring to provide:

• continuous moisture and humidity visibility
• alerts before mould, corrosion or material failure occurs
• objective evidence of moisture control
• audit-ready data for insurers, inspectors and clients

Monitoring transforms compliance from paperwork into verifiable performance.

Example: a flat roof monitoring project detected early condensation. Intervention prevented repairs estimated to cost 100× more at later stages.

Proactive moisture control: A strategic advantage

A proactive approach delivers measurable benefits:

• fewer building defects and code violations
• reduced insurance and warranty disputes
• protection against latent claims
• better asset performance and resilience

It is also future-proofing. Airtight, energy-efficient buildings are more vulnerable to condensation. Moisture management is now both sustainability and risk prevention.

Tector: global compliance and moisture resilience

Tector helps teams meet moisture regulations, reduce risk and simplify compliance.

With Tector you can:

• monitor moisture 24/7
• receive real-time alerts
• generate reports for audits and certifications
• document compliance and inspection processes
• support requirements in ASHRAE 160, ISO standards, NCC, Part C, BS 5250 and other major frameworks

With Tector, moisture management and compliance become effortless, verifiable, and reliable.

Learn how Tector works and explore the features that make proactive moisture management effortless.