Specified systems

Find out about the systems designed to make sure buildings that are having work done are safe for the public to enter, and live and work in.

About specified systems

Buildings that contain certain safety and essential systems, known as specified systems, need a compliance schedule.

If you're the owner of a building, it's your responsibility to ensure specified systems are inspected and maintained according to the compliance schedule.

How compliance schedules work

The compliance schedule lists:

• the building’s specified systems
• the performance standards
• the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures needed to keep them in good order.

To prove you've met these responsibilities, you need to sign, issue and display a building warrant of fitness every 12 months.

Building owners get a compliance schedule at the same time as their code compliance certificate.

List of specified systems

** Note that you only need a Compliance Schedule for a single household residence that is accessed by a cable car.

Buildings that need a compliance schedule

Under the Building Act 2004, all buildings (except single residential buildings, unless they have a cable car) require a compliance schedule and annual building warrant of fitness if they contain any of the following:

1. Automatic systems for fire suppression (for example, sprinkler systems).
2. Automatic or manual emergency warning systems for fire or other dangers (other than a warning system for fire that is entirely within a household unit and serves only that unit).
3. Electromagnetic or automatic doors or windows (for example, ones that close on fire alarm activation).
4. Emergency lighting systems.
5. Escape route pressurisation systems.
6. Riser mains for use by fire services.
7. Automatic backflow preventers connected to a potable water supply.
8. Lifts, escalators, travelators, or other systems for moving people or goods within buildings.
9. Mechanical ventilation or air conditioning systems.
10. Building maintenance units providing access to exterior and interior walls of buildings.
11. Laboratory fume cupboards.
12. Audio loops or other assistive listening systems.
13. Smoke control systems.
14. Emergency power systems for, or signs relating to, a system or feature specified in any of clauses 1-13.
15. Any or all of the following systems and features, so long as they form part of a building’s means of escape from fire, and so long as those means also contain any or all of the systems or features specified in clauses 1 to 6, 9, and 13:
    1. Systems for communicating spoken information intended to facilitate evacuation; and
    2. Final exits (as defined by clause A2 of the building code); and
    3. Fire separations (as so defined); and
    4. Signs for communicating information intended to facilitate evacuation; and
    5. Smoke separations (as so defined).

Note: All buildings with a cable car, including single residential buildings, require a compliance schedule.

How to get a compliance schedule

For new buildings, an application should be made as part of the building consent application (where the new building will contain specified systems). The local council will issue the compliance schedule to the building owner with the code compliance certificate.

For existing buildings that have specified system(s) but for some reason don’t already have a compliance schedule, the building owner must apply to the local council for one. The building owner will be required to supply the same information about the specified system as if they were being installed under a building consent.

You need to provide enough information with your building consent application to enable council to compile the compliance schedule including:

• details of the design features of the specified systems
• proposed procedures for inspection, maintenance and reporting
• the performance standard each system will meet for the life of the building.

When your building consent is granted, we'll let you know what documents you need to provide when you apply for a code compliance certificate, such as:

• installation certificates from subcontractors who installed the specified systems verifying the work has been done in accordance with the building consent and the relevant standards
• evidence that specified systems are capable of performing to the performance standards set out in the building consent (such as testing or commissioning results)
• third party verification from accredited inspection bodies (for fire alarms and sprinkler systems).

If we're satisfied the building work has been built to the approved consent documents and the Building Code, we'll give you a code compliance certificate, compliance schedule and compliance schedule statement.