Building Consents

What is a building consent?

A building consent is Council's written authority to carry out building work that it considers will comply with the Building Code provided it is completed in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted with the building consent application. It cannot be issued retrospectively for work already completed. In these circumstances a certificate of acceptance should be applied for.

When and how to apply for a building consent:

• must be on the prescribed application form and be completed in full,
• must be accompanied by the prescribed application fee,
• must be accompanied by plans, specifications and other information required by Council.

There are checksheets and guidance documents available to help you prepare applications and to put together the necessary information held at your local council, but in the accompanying table is a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list.  The Council will not accept incomplete applications.

NOTE: The BCA (Council) will often request additional information to that supplied and the 20-day clock will stop until that information is provided to the BCA.

Schedule 1: Exempt work

• Fences up to two metres in height (except pool fences).
• Retaining walls up to 1.5 metres in height, providing they only carry the ground load.
• Small garden sheds - they must be less than less than 10 metres2 and a single storey. They cannot include sleeping accommodation or toilets or stored drinking water, and they must be as far from the boundary as the height of the shed itself and the rain water from the roof must not cause ponding or a nuisance to the neighbouring property.
• Closing in an existing veranda or patio where the floor area does not exceed five square metres.

Note: This list is not comprehensive but covers most of the exemptions pertaining to domestic situations. If you are unsure, ask your local council before doing any work. Building work that is exempt from having a building consent must still comply with the Building Code.

Building Consent Checklist

• Proof of Ownership
• Locality plan, including building in relationship to neighbouring streets, north point, name of building and lot and DP number
• Inspections and Monitoring – details of the inspection regime, including those by council offices, other professionals such as architects, engineers, etc, and by you, the owner
• Site plan showing dimensions of all boundaries, finished floor levels, ground contours and/or levels, lot and DP number, street name and number, site area, outline of building and distances to boundaries, designated wind zone
• Foundation plan showing dimensions which provides details of footings, reinforcing sizes and layout, foundation elements, sub-floor ventilation and engineering information, reinforcing and contractions joints in concrete slabs, upgrading of existing foundations if an upper story is to be added, Subfloor bracing and Foundation details
• Drainage plan showing fixtures and fittings, hotwater system(s), upper floor sanitary fittings with isometric layout showing wastes, pipes and falls, drainage layout with inspection bends and junctions for both stormwater and sewage, other drainage on site, ventilation of sanitary rooms, calculations for sizing of downpipes.
• Floor plans – existing (for additions and alterations) and proposed providing details of floor dimensions, walls, windows, doors, stairs, barriers, handrails, floor joists, beams, fixtures and fittings, stove, plumbing, and smoke detector layout.
• Wall Bracing plans showing detail of wall layout with windows, doors, roof layout, bracing type, the location and fixing details of bracing panels and calculations for all floors, subfloor bracing for decks projecting more that 2m from the house
• Elevations showing accurate ground lines, levels, height recession planes, location of doors, windows (with opening windows clearly shown), floor levels in relation to finished ground levels, exterior claddings, roof covering, down-pipes, spouting, sub-floor ventilation and flues
• Sections and details showing details of the foundations, reinforcing, damp-proof membrane, stud heights, floor levels, wall structure (including proprietary wall-bracing element details), roof structure, roof covering, wall cladding, flashings, insulation, fire-rated systems, lintels and beams, stairs, handrails, decks and decking, barriers, truss layout
• Cladding details providing details around all penetrations, joinery and other junctions at a level appropriate to the level of risk, , e.g. roof/wall, balcony/wall, junction of different types of cladding, backflashing details for cavity systems
• Specifications providing a clear description of the materials and building elements that cannot be shown on the drawings. For example, durability issues would be shown here
• Engineer’s reports and calculations
• Producer statements - where the application is relying on a statement to certify compliance of the plans, specifications or completed works with the Building Code, a copy of that producer statement and the calculations it is based on must accompany the application
• Solid fuel heaters – these may need separate building consent application and must include the manufacturer’s specifications and installation instructions and a floor plan of the building that clearly shows the proposed location of the heater unit and adjacent rooms, doors and windows
• Water supply details - where the property will not be connected to the council reticulated water supply. The location and size of tanks, the location of bores, test results, etc must be included
• Alternative Solutions – if the proposal uses products or systems that are not covered in the Acceptable Solutions of clause E2 of the building code, provide supporting current information including independent test results (full signed reports), case studies, expert opinion (and proof of expertise) to demonstrate compliance
• List of specified systems (if applicable)

Important Information: Each BCA (Council) may have different requirements for how many sets of plans you have to submit – the list above is not exhaustive.  Some require that plans are drawn to a particular scale. Check with your BCA.

The details provided in the documents listed in the checklist must be good enough to show that what is being proposed will meet the performance requirements of the Building Code. For example, the documentation should clearly show how the house will keep water out by giving ground clearances, balcony and deck details, and information about claddings, including flashings and guttering.

Each aspect of the Building Code requirements has to be covered in detail in the documents. If the documents are not full enough, the BCA will have to come back to you for further information. When this happens the 20-day clock stops and doesn’t restart until you return with the amended documents. This delays the whole process.

Building Consent Levies.

• Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) levy assessed at $1.00 per $1,000.
• Department of Building and Housing levy assessed at $1.97 per $1,000.

Issuing a building consent

• the building consent,
• the addendum to the building consent which lists any special conditions relating to the approval,
• advice on when to call for inspections,
• copies of the approved plans and specifications.

It may also contain copies of other approvals relating to the project.

When you can start work

• the work it authorises is not commenced within twelve calendar months from the date of consent issue; or
• within such further period of time Council in its discretion allows.

Inspections and Code Compliance Certificate

A Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) is issued when a building project is finished and the Council is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the building work under the building consent complies with:

• the New Zealand Building Code at the time of issue of the building consent (for consents issued prior to 31 March 2005).
• the building consent, for consents issued from 31 March 2005.

Whether or not CCCs have been issued for building consents is recorded in any land information memorandum (LIM) and building status report for your property. A CCC cannot be issued for work carried out without a building consent.

Obtaining Your Certificate

For building consents issued from 31 March 2005, projects must be completed within two years of the granting of the building consent

If the work has been carried out in accordance with your consent and in compliance with the Building Code, the Council will issue a Code Compliance Certificate. If the work does not comply, the Council will issue a Notice to Fix identifying areas of non-compliance that you will need to address and then you request a second inspection once the items are done.

Certificate of acceptance

• work has been done as a matter of urgency,
• work that needed a building consent has been undertaken without one,
• a building certifier can no longer complete the building consent process.
• Where building work started or consented before 31 March 2005 affects public premises.

The certificate of acceptance is a statement from Council that it believes that the building work that can be inspected complies with the building code.