Kitchen and bathroom renovations

Find out if what consents you need when doing kitchen and bathroom renovations.

The rules around kitchen and bathroom renovations

You need a building consent when installing new drains, sinks, toilets and showers, or tiled wet areas.

This includes:

  • digging new drains
  • installing a new fixture (e.g. shower, toilet, sink, washing machine etc.) in an existing bathroom or laundry where a fixture wasn't there before
  • installing or replacing a tiled shower where the floor structure requires alteration, to achieve the required falls for the shower floor.

Tiled showers

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) released a determination in 2024 related to tiled showers, see MBIE Determination 2024/054. This determined that a building consent is not required to replace existing shower linings with tiled surfaces in dwellings.

As such, Hutt City Council’s perspective post-MBIE determination 2024/054 is that we encourage building owners to obtain a building consent for replacing existing shower linings with tiled surfaces in dwellings by outlining the risks associated with tiled showers and/or bathrooms and the benefits of obtained a building consent. However, the decision to whether obtain a building consent for this building work is made by the building owner.

If alterations to the floor structure are proposed to achieve the required falls for the shower floor, this work requires a building consent.

What you don't need consent for

You can do some minor plumbing and drain laying work without a building consent, like:

  • repairs and maintenance to plumbing and drains
  • minor alterations to drains
  • altering existing plumbing (except water heaters).

Note: The work must meet the Building Code and be done or supervised by a registered plumber or drainlayer.

How to apply

The process to apply is the same as a regular building consent, but with fewer fees.

When applying for a minor works drainage consent, make sure that your documentation:

  • includes the building work that requires consent
  • the cost of the work shown on the plans remains under $5,000.

When you have all of the required documentation and are ready to lodge your application, you can do so through Simpli.

Contact details