Building a deck

Find out whether you need building consent for building a deck on your property.

When you need a building consent for a deck

You only need a building consent for decks, platforms, bridges, boardwalks and similar structures where someone can fall more than 1.5 metres from the proposed structure.

Safety barriers

Under Building Code clause F4, you must have a safety barrier on structures where there is a fall of 1 metre or more.

What needs consent

  1. You want to build a platform with a height above ground level of 1.7 metres. You also need a safety barrier as there could be a fall of 1 meter or more. You'll need a building consent.
  2. You have an apartment complex and you want to provide outdoor decks to the apartments on the upper levels. You also need a safety barrier as there could be a fall of 1 metre or more. You'll need a building consent.

What doesn't need consent

  1. You build a low-level deck to create a level entry to your house. The deck has a maximum height of 500mm above ground level. You don't need building consent because the fall would be less than 1.5 metres.
  2. You build a 50 square meter deck attached to two sides of your house. It has a maximum height of 900mm above ground so even if it were to collapse, the fall would be less than 1.5 metres.
  3. You want to build a boardwalk across some rough ground to give your tenants access to a garden. The highest point of the boardwalk is 1.5 metres above the ground, with a safety barrier installed on both sides.

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