If you need any assistance with your application, please phone 07 3760899.
Use the relevant checklist to help determine what information you need to supply with your application:
Residential building checklist (PDF, 459KB)
Multi-residential, industrial and commercial building checklist (PDF, 465KB)
Simple buildings checklist (garage, carport, deck, retaining wall, farm building or temporary structure) (PDF, 456KB)
Minor build checklist (fireplace, demolition, swimming pool, solar, drainage or wet area shower) (PDF, 448KB)
Marquee checklist (PDF, 471KB)
See more information on what is required when applying for consents involving restricted building work.
Restricted building work
Once you submit your application
Initial application check
All applications are put through a vetting process to check that we have the basic information required to start processing your application.
Your application will either be:
- returned as incomplete with a checklist identifying the missing information, or
- accepted for processing.
Processing
After your application has been accepted, it will be allocated to one of our building management officers to process.
The officer will check your application complies with the requirements of the Building Act, the associated regulations and the Building Code.
We have 20 working days to process your application. If we need to ask you for further information then the 20 working day clock will be paused until that information has been received in full.
If the consent is for a National Multiple-Use Approval (Multiproof) certificate, the timeframe for processing a consent is 10 working days.
You can check up on the status of your application by searching for the building consent number: Search for your building consent
Other reviews of your application
Fire and Emergency New Zealand: There is a requirement (by law) for some applications to be sent to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) for review. For details of which applications are required to be sent to FENZ, please click here. This review provides feedback on the compliance of the proposed design and the ability for people to escape fire safely. There will be additional fees to pay if your application needs to be reviewed by FENZ.
Development Engineer: Your application will be checked by our development engineer for hazards on the site, consent notices, resource consent conditions, soil conditions, geotechnical and stormwater reports, stormwater control design, public services and other site related issues.
Resource Consents Planner: A planner will check whether your application complies with the District Plan and Resource Management Act, whether you need to apply for a resource consent or that you are complying with the conditions of an existing resource consent.
If you're advised that you need to apply for a resource consent or you have a related resource consent that is not granted yet, a section 37 certificate will be attached to your building consent preventing you from starting work until a resource consent is obtained.
Development Contributions: An assessment of your proposed works will be undertaken to determine if a development contribution is applicable.
More information
Development Contributions
Decision
Once your application has been assessed and we are satisfied on reasonable grounds, under section 49 of the Building Act 2004, that your proposal complies with the Building Code, the application will be granted.
This means the Building Consent Authority is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the provisions of the building code would be met if the building work were properly completed in accordance with the plans and specifications that accompanied the application.
We will advise the decision by email along with an invoice for the relevant consent fees.
Fees
Fees will be calculated based on the time taken to process your application and can include costs such as:
- levies payable to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (payable on all applications with an estimated value of $20,444 or more)
- levies payable to BRANZ (payable on all applications with an estimated value of $20,444 or more)
- administration time spent processing the application
- building officer time spent processing the application
- project or council information memorandum
- inspections (number vary depending on application)
- building consent authority administration fee
- water connection (if applicable)
- notifications made under section 73 of the Act
- registration of a condition made under section 75 of the Act.
Depending on the type of application, other fees not listed above may also be applicable.
Building consent fees and charges
Making payment
Payments for a building consent can be made online by credit card or by using internet banking.
*Make sure to quote your building consent number (e.g. BCXXXXXX) when paying by internet banking to ensure your payment is allocated to the correct account. Payments made without a suitable reference may result in a delay issuing your approved consent.
If your application is declined, we will tell you the reasons why. If you do not agree with the outcome you may request a review of the decision.
