How we assess your building consent application

Find out what happens after you're applied for a building consent.

What happens after you've applied for a building consent

  • We check your application form, the plans and accompanying required documents (e.g. specifications and certificate of work)  to make sure we have all the information we need, and calculate the initial invoice fee. For more information go to about applying for building consent
  • When we send you your invoice, your application continues on to processing with the working day clock running.
  • Your application is received and our statutory working day clock starts the following working day.
  • We check your application to make sure it complies with the New Zealand Building Code, Building Act 2004 and associated Building Regulations. We may ask a specialist consultant to help with this. For information go to how the building code works
  • If the proposed building work meets the requirements of the Building Act 2004 for consents required to be referred to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) then these will be sent to FENZ for comment.
  • We may contact you or your agent with any questions during the assessment process. For information about the request for information (RFI) process please see here
  • A building consent authority must grant a building consent if it 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 specification that accompanied the application. A building consent authority is not required to grant a building consent until it receives the appropriate fees/charges and any levies payable.
  • A building consent will be granted subject to the condition that Council may inspect the work on site, or off site where the building work is being undertaken elsewhere, during working hours.
  • You will be notified if a resource consent is required for the proposed work.
  • Conditions related to hazard notification (this means that we will notify the relevant people about natural hazard when we issue the building consent), building over two or more allotments certificate or (this means that we will put a condition on the building consent that stops particular sections of land being sold or leased separately) and/or the limited life of the building may be also included if applicable (this means that we will put a condition on the building consent that requires you to altered, removed or demolished the building before the end its the specified intended life which is less than 50 years)

When we grant a building consent subject to a waiver or modification of building code, we will put this as a condition of the building consent. Please note we cannot grant building code waivers or modifications regarding disable access and facilities, gas fitting and prescribed electrical work.

If we approve your application

If we approve your application the time clock stops and we get in touch to let you know. We will also tell you if there are any more fees to pay.

Once you’ve paid any required fees, you can receive your consent documents either:

  • via Objective Build or
  • in person, by collecting them at the Council offices. (At the discretion of the Building Team, a hard copy fee will apply)

For more information about the content of a building consent including any specific conditions that may be applicable please go to MBIE website.

If we refuse your application

We occasionally refuse applications for building consent. This is usually because:

  • information that we’ve asked for hasn’t been supplied in a reasonable timeframe, or
  • there’s not enough detail to prove that the work will comply with the New Zealand Building Code.

If this is the case we’ll write to you and explain why we’ve refused your application.

Determinations

If you believe this decision is wrong you can ask the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for a determination. Determinations are legally binding decisions on disputes or questions about the rules that apply to buildings.

To find out more about determinations, go to MBIE website. Check the ‘previous determinations’ on the website – some of them might be about situations like yours. A determination can be appealed to the District Court.

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