Building Consents FAQ

A building consent means a consent to carry out building work granted by a building consent authority under section 49.

A building consent is the formal approval issued by a BCA verifying that the work you have described in the plans, specification and other supporting information will, if built in accordance with that documentation, meet the requirements of the New Zealand Building Act, Building Regulations and Building Code. Most building work requires a building consent, but some minor work is exempt under the Act. Exempt work is listed on Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004.

A building consent is required for most work including:

• swimming pools, spa pools and fencing,
• retaining walls over 1.5 m high (no surcharge),
• retaining walls any height incurring a surcharge,
• decks over 1.5 m high,
• freestanding non-habitable buildings larger than 10 m2,
• most new plumbing and drainage work,
• relocation,
• additions and alterations to existing buildings,
• new buildings,
• heating, including fireplaces, ventilation and air-conditioning systems,
• installing or removing specified systems.

There are some exemptions. Check the Building consent exemption tool to see if your project meets the criteria.

Building consent exemptions tool

If you are unsure if your project requires a building consent, you should check with a competent designer, plumber or builder.

The Building Act requires that a building consent is granted within 20 working days of being accepted. If information is deficient, the time clock is stopped and a formal request will be made for further information. The time clock is not restarted until the requested information is received. Incomplete applications may be refused and returned to the applicant. If the consent is for a national multi-use approval (Multiproof), the statutory clock is 10 working days.

The period between 20 December and 10 January each year is classified as non-working days with regards to the 20 day clock.

You will need to fully complete an application form and provide the information that is relevant to your building project. If you are unsure how to complete a form, you should seek the help of a competent design professional or refer to the application guide. Where the work involves restricted building work, you must provide a Memorandum (Certificate of Design Work) from the design licensed building practitioner (LBP). Council is unable to accept building consents with restricted work without these certificates. If you have a particularly large or complex project, we suggest that you make a time to come and see us to discuss the project to establish if any other information is required. Building consents are applied for online. Alternatively, individual forms can be download from our website.

Once you have compiled all the necessary information, you can apply:

• online: Objective Build,
• post: Building Services, Rangitīkei District Council, 46 High St, Private Bag 1102, Marton 4741
• email: building.services@rangitikei.govt.nz

the application to Building Services or deliver it to our Council Service Centre with your deposit. On receipt of your application, it will be assigned for checking by a vetting officer. Vetting is for the purposes of establishing if the required information has been provided. Vetting will be undertaken within 2 working days from the application being received.

Once your building consent has been issued and you have not started work within 12 months, your consent will lapse and be of no effect. This means that you will have to reapply for a new consent. If you cannot start work within the 12 months, please come and see us to discuss your plans and we may grant an extension of time.

Residential/Commercial Construction

It is important that all plans and specifications supplied are of a high quality and level of detail. This helpful guide to applying for a building consent is available at the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment website.

If the quality of your application does not meet the required standard it may be returned to you or may increase the cost of processing.

• Analysis of what work is required to fully comply with the Building Code
• For renovations, alterations or extensions to existing buildings a proposal for upgrade including a list of benefits and sacrifices involved in the proposal is required
• A site plan, contours, datum, floor levels nominated, with measurement to boundaries
• Dimensioned floor plan for each level showing existing and proposed building work
• An elevation plan with window ventilation and cladding detail
• Two cross sections (one for garages and one for outbuildings)
• A plumbing, drainage, storm water layout
• Horizons Regional Council’s approval of the designed onsite wastewater treatment system is required with the submitted Effluent disposal system report
• Footing, foundation details *
• Slab layout, foundation details *
• Pile plan and subfloor framing layout
• Roof framing and bracing layout
• Bracing schedule
• Roof truss layout and design certificate
• Truss, purlin fixing and location nominated
• Weather tightness matrix
• Exterior cladding and flashing details
• Smoke detectors shown on plans
• Specific engineering design calculations, details and Producer Statements identifying competence of the author
• Existing vehicle crossing details
• New crossing details
• Distances to boundaries and width of the crossing
• Record of title

Commercial Only

• Fire safety analysis
• Analysis of current degree of compliance with means of escape and access and facilities for people with disabilities. This analysis must be performed by a competent person
• Certificate of Public Use application form
• Compliance Schedule

Specified systems and compliance

Specified systems are systems or features that help a building to function fully – things like sprinklers, lifts, ventilation and air conditioning. These systems need ongoing inspection and maintenance to ensure they work as they should. If they fail to work properly they could adversely affect health or life safety, which may also affect your insurance cover. There are 16 specified systems in the Building Act. These must be identified on your building consent application form.

If your building work contains specified systems, the consent application must contain information with the application in respect to Performance Standards, proposed Inspection and Maintenance procedures and Reporting frequency for all Specified Systems.

*B1 for Foundations changed in November 2021

The 2021 MBIE changes to B1 were bought in because of the risk of liquefaction and as RDC have no mapped areas in our district for liquefaction we have now changed our requirements around ground bearing and confirming good ground.

This will need to be done by the following methods:

• Importance Level 1 buildings, e.g.; outbuildings, will need testing as per NZ3604 3.3. Penetrometer testing results are required at the time of application, any consent applied for without the report will be put on hold until it is submitted.
• Commercial and Importance Level 2 and up buildings will require a full Geotech report from a Chartered Professional Engineer who specialises in geotechnical engineering or a Professional Engineering Geologist to show ground bearing requirements in accordance with NZS 4404 as per the requirements of NZS 3604 3.1.3(G).

The exception to this is:

• Any residential or commercial additions that are less than 30sqm only require Penetrometer Testing Results, anything above 30sqm requires a full Geotech Report.
• Repiling of buildings do not require a Penetrometer Testing or a Geotech report

The Penetrometer Testing Results or Geotech report will need to be submitted for processing with the Building Consent Application. Any consent applied for without the report will be put on hold till it is submitted.

This depends on the type of application, the cost of work involved and the level of detail provided. Our charges are based on the length of time it takes to process an application and include costs, such as:

• levies payable to the Ministry of Building, Innovation & Employment (payable on all applications $65,000 and over)
• levies payable to BRANZ (payable on all applications $20,000 and over)
• time spent processing the application
• number of inspections required (type and number vary depending on the project)
• issue of code compliance certificate
• issue of compliance schedule (if applicable)
• a portion of the fees may be refunded on receipt of written confirmation that the work is not going to proceed.

All applications, regardless of how they are received, are put through a formal checking (vetting) process. The vetting process is not a technical check it is merely a check to see if all information has been provided. Your application may be rejected at this time if insufficient information has been provided. The 20 working day clock will start when the application is accepted as complete. If a request for further information (RFI) is sent, the 20 working day clock is stopped and processing is suspended until this information is provided. Once the requested information is received in full processing will recommence and the consent will be granted and issued by the BCA. An invoice is generated for the balance of the fees payable (inspections, code compliance certificate, etc).

The Ministry of Building, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) has provided a form of pre-approval for some types of building work. If you intend to use a design that has a national multiuse approval, you should explain this in your application. The BCA must process a national multiuse approval within 10 working days. You must provide copies of the certificates issued by MBIE with your application.

Who can apply for a MultiProof?

To find out how to apply for a MultiProof, please contact MBIE.

BuiltReady scheme as complying with the New Zealand Building Code when it is used in building work, as long as the component is designed and manufactured and used in accordance with the scope of their certification.

BuiltReady is currently the only deemed to comply modular component certification scheme in New Zealand.

BuiltReady is only one way that you can show that a modular component complies with the requirements of the Building Code. MBIE administers other schemes within New Zealand that may be more relevant to you such as CodeMark. Modular components can also be approved through the traditional Building Consent process without a manufacturers certificate.

BuiltReady

CodeMark is a voluntary product certification scheme that provides an easy-to-understand and robust way to show a building product or building method meets the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code (the Building code).

CodeMark is suitable for any building product or method but is particularly beneficial to manufacturers and suppliers of products that are innovative, new to the market or would have serious consequences if they failed.

CodeMark certified products are 'deemed to comply' with the Building Code. Building consent authorities (BCAs) must accept a CodeMark certificate as evidence of compliance with the Building Code, provided the certificate is current and valid, and the product or method is used in accordance with the scope and limitations as defined on the certificate.

CodeMark

When your application is issued (or refused issue) and all fees are paid, the nominated contact person from your application form will be notified that your building consent is available in the Portal. If your application has been refused, a notification to the nominated contact person from your application form, will be available in the portal advising you the reason/s why your application has been refused.

There may be conditions imposed on your building consent that are deemed necessary to ensure compliance.

Once your Building Consent has been issued, please read the document’s content, especially the conditions and advisory notes.

Conditions are requirements imposed on your Building Consent, these are deemed necessary to ensure the compliance of the proposed building. The conditions are listed on the building consent and you must comply with these conditions. The following are allowable conditions under the Building Act 2004 and regulations:

• Section 67(2) RE: Waivers and modification
• Section 73 RE: Natural Hazards
• Section 75(2) RE: Building on 2 or more allotments
• Section 90 RE: Inspections by building consent authorities
  NOTE: This can also include any third party certification that the building work complies with the plans and specifications, for example, Producer statements or memoranda.
• Section 113 (2) RE: buildings with specified intended lives

Advice or advisory notes may also be attached to the Building Consent. This information is provided to assist you. It is important that you read and understand all these requirements prior to commencing work. If you do not understand any requirement imposed, please contact your Building Officer.The owner or their agent needs to book the inspections required by the Building Consent at the appropriate stages of the project and ensure that a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) is applied for and obtained.