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Required Plans

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
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.