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What we do
We;
- Process building consent applications
- Issue Project Information Memorandums
- Inspect building projects as they progress
- Grant approved amendments to a consent
- Issue Code Compliance Certificates for completed building projects which comply with the building consent
- Keep and maintain property information records and make them available to the public
- Enforce provisions of the Building Act and Regulations, and the New Zealand Building Code
What we ask you to do
You;
- Accept responsibility under the Building Act as owner of a property for building work, site works, plumbing and drainage on your property. This includes responsibility for your contractors.
The Basics
What is a Building Consent?
A building consent is Council approval for you to carry out work at a specified site and will guarantee that the work detailed in the consent is compliant with the New Zealand Building Code.
What is the New Zealand Building Code?
The New Zealand Building Code is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructions such buildings and other structures. The main purpose of the Code is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of building and structures. The code also sets out other requirementsfor building such as meeting minimum requirements for durability, energy efficiency achieving performance standards for “usability” in some areas.
All proposed buildings and structures must meet the requirements of the Code.
Why do I Need a Building Consent?
If you undertake building work that requires a building consent without the required consent, you commit an offence under the Building Act and Council is empowered to take legal action against those who undertake such illegal work. The unconsented work may also prove to be very costly to put right as well as possibly impacting on people’s safety and welfare.
Building work in New Zealand is governed by legislation, primarily the Building Act 2004. You are required under that Act to obtain a building consent to carry out building work (there are a few exceptions).
Building work that requires a Building Consent
You will probably need a building consent if you intend to:
- carry out any construction and/or alterations to the structure or envelope of a building
- retaining walls over 2metres, garages and carports
- carry out plumbing and drainage work other than minor work (see Building work that does not require a Consent below)
- make additions or alterations to a building used by the public
- install a solid fuel heater, new or second-hand
- demolish a building
- relocate an old building
- erect a marquee of more than 100m2 where they are for private use and above 50m2 where they are intended for public use.
If you are planning a building project you are strongly advised to make an appointment with a Building Inspector to discuss your plans. Inspectors are available for appointments between 8.30am and 10.30am on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The appointments are free and can be arranged by ringing Council’s Customer Service Unit on 03 433 0300
Building work that does not require a Building Consent
Building work that does not require a building consent is detailed in Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 and the major items are given below (this list is not exhaustive). You are strongly advised to make an appointment with a building inspector to discuss your work to determine whether it needs a consent or not (Appointments, which are free, can be made between 8.30am and 10.30am Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays by ringing Council’s Customer Service Unit on 03 433 0300).
- Removal/alteration of a wall that is non load-bearing and not a bracing element.
- Awnings, pergolas or a verandah over a deck
- Installation or replacement of windows, or exterior doors or roof windows, provided structural elements are not modified
- Alterations of dwellings for access purposes including doorway modifications and access ramps but excluding wet area accessible showers.
- Internal shop or office fit out where the work does not modify, or require modifications to, any specified system or means of escape from fire.
- Alterations to existing plumbing in bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, toilets, including minor drainage alterations (e.g. shifting a gulley trap), but excluding new connections to services, where work is carried out by a registered plumber in accordance with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers acts 1976 and 2006.
- Erecting tents and marquees of up to 100m2 where they are for private use and up to 50m2 when they are intended for public assembly.
Good idea – To find out in detail what building work does not require a building consent go to http://www.dbh.govt.nz/publications-about-the-building-act-2004
Do I Need a Resource Consent?
You may need a Resource Consent as well as a Building Consent for your building project .This may depend on the location (zoning) of the building site, the nature of the proposed project, and whether or not it complies with the Waitaki District Plan. If the proposed building works are not permitted by our District Plan a Resource Consent would be required.
Depending on the zone of the property, some common examples of building projects requiring resource consent include:
- building in close proximity to property boundaries
- changing the use of a residential or commercial building
- building over an area that covers more land than existing buildings
If resource consent is required you cannot start any building work until a Resource Consent has been granted.
All Building Consent applications are passed through Council’s Planning unit to see if a Resource Consent is required. You are strongly advised, however, to contact Council’s Planning unit prior to making a Building Consent application to ascertain if a Resource Consent is necessary. The Planning unit can be contacted on 03 433 0300 to make an appointment. Clarifying the Resource Consent situation is a wise precaution before going too far down the planning for your building project.
The Process
How do I apply for a Building Consent and what is needed?
An application form is available from Council’s Customer Service Unit and can also be downloaded from Council’s web page.
Plans and specifications are required which show what you intend to do and the methods you intend to use. Your plans and specifications must be sufficiently detailed to show how you will comply with the building code. In most cases a person experienced with building design will have to have an input into the plans.
Before submitting an application you are strongly advised to make an appointment with a Building Inspector to discuss your plans. Inspectors are available for appointments between 8.30am and 10.30am on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The appointments are free and can be arranged by ringing Council’s Customer Service Unit on 03 433 0300. For the Palmerston area, a Building Control officer will normally be in the Waihemo Service Centre at 54 Tiverton Street, Palmerston every Tuesday afternoon. Please ring the Waihemo Service Centre 03 465 1106 to make an appointment. The inspector will advise you how to complete the application and what supporting information is required.
- Submit your building consent application to Council’s Customer Services Unit and you will be advised of the non-refundable deposit required. Your application will not be considered until the deposit is paid. You cannot start work until your application has been approved and you have paid the balance of the amount owing. A Building Consent will not be issued until your final invoice has been paid.
- Your application is pre-assessed. If you have had an appointment with an Inspector and you have provided all the information required, your application will proceed from pre-assessment to being logged into Council’s computer system. If you have not provided sufficient information or the application form is incomplete it will be returned to you. A letter will advise what is missing.
- Once logged into the computer system you will receive a letter advising you that the application has been accepted and is being circulated around Council departments for input. If further information is required from you, you will be requested by letter to provide that information. Council is required to process an application within 20 working days. If further information is requested, the “clock” may be stopped waiting on the information.
- You will be advised by letter that your application has been approved or if Council is unable to approve the application. If approval is granted an invoice will be attached to the letter. The consent will not be issued to you until pay the invoice. Once the invoice has been paid in full, you are able to start work. Approval may lapse if the invoice is not paid and the consent issued within 6 months of the approval. In such a circumstance, the proposal may require to be re-assessed.
- Your consent will lapse if your building work does not commence within 12 months after the date of issue of the consent. The building work is required to be considered by Council for a Code Compliance Certificate within a two year period from the date of issuing your consent. An extension of time may in some cases be granted by Council.
- To ensure that your building project is progressing in accordance with your consent, the work will be inspected by Council’s building inspectors. The number and type of inspections required for your project is contained within your consent document. It is your responsibility to advise the inspectors when a particular item of work has been completed so that it can be inspected. At least 24 hours notice is required for an inspection to take place.
- Once you have completed the building project, you should apply for a final inspection. A Building Inspector will check that all the work has been completed to the approved plans and meets the building code. You will be advised of any outstanding issues. Once all the work is completed satisfactorily, you should apply for a Code Compliance Certificate to be issued.
A Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) is an official document from your Council that your building work has been completed in accordance with your consent and the Building Code.
Solid fuel burner
All solid fuel burners whether new or secondhand require a building consent.
All wood burners, installed in properties smaller than 2 hectares, after the 1st of September 2005 must meet the new standards set by the Ministry for the Environment which require that emissions must be less than 1.5 grams of particles per kilogram of dry wood burnt and a thermal efficiency of great than 65%. Refer to the sites shown below for a list of approved wood burners.
Related sites.
Good idea – To find out more about applying for a building consent and various other matters relating to buildings go to http://www.dbh.govt.nz/publications-about-the-building-act-2004
Other Building Stuff
Changes to a Building Consent
If you want to make changes to a building project after it has received a Building Consent, you need to make an appointment with a Building Inspector to see if your proposed changes can be achieved under the Consent as a variation or are of a significant nature that an amendment, which is virtually a new consent, is required. You will be charged for any changes you wish to make to a Consent.
Building Consent Fees
The fee for a Building Consent is based on the value of the work to be done.
Work out below what your estimated fee will be. Please note this is for a standard project. If your building work requires additional inspections the total fee may well vary from that indicated below. The fee shown is an indication only.
Producer Statement
You may be required to provide a Producer Statement for part or parts of your building work that have a specialised element. A Producer Statement from a reputable firm and a professional within that firm will provide reasonable certainty to Council that construction complies with the building code or that construction has proceeded in compliance with the approved design. The use of Producer Statements allows Councils to issue Building Consents or Code Compliance Certificates without having to undertake rigorous design or construction checking through use of our own resources. The Building Inspector handling your application will be able to advise you on obtaining a Producer Statement.
Project Information Memorandum
A Project Information Memorandum (PIM) is a detailed report relating to a specific project on a property. It discloses information that may affect approval for a proposed building project, such as:
- need for an evacuation plan approved by the New Zealand Fire Service
- potential erosion, slippage or flooding
- the presence of any hazardous contaminants known to the Council
- details on stormwater and sewerage systems
- any development contributions payable
- other relevant authorisation requirements (resource consents and bylaw approvals)
The Council issues a PIM for every building project, either authorising or prohibiting work to proceed. It’s a good idea to request a PIM in the planning stages of your project so you can anticipate any potential problem.
Compliance Schedule
A Compliance Schedule (CS) is a document issued by Council for a public and commercial building if it contains any specified systems. These are systems relating to the safe us of the building by the occupants and the public. The CS will contain the systems and features including the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures needed to keep them in good working order. A Compliance Schedule must be kept on site and made available to Council Officers, IQP’s/Licensed Building Practitioner’s (LBP) and authorised agents.
You are strongly recommended to discuss your proposed Compliance Schedule with a Building Control officer who can explain the steps that are required to obtain one. In brief those steps are
- A Compliance Schedule Statement is issued by Council at the same time as a CCC for a building as a temporary public notification of Compliance Schedule requirements and is to be replaced in 12 months time and every 12 months thereafter by the Building Warrant Of Fitness. The owner must display the document in a public area within the building.
- A Building Warrant of Fitness is a building owners signed statement (on a prescribed form available from Council) that the requirements of the Compliance Schedule have been fully met and has attached to it, all of the Certificate Of Compliance (COC) documents, issued by the IQP/ Licensed Building Practitioner, (LBP)
- An IQP (Independently Qualified Person) or LBP (Licensed Building Practitioner) is a tradesperson who is registered or issued with a class of licence relative to a specified system and or feature and is therefore qualified to carry out any performance inspection, maintenance, reporting or recommendation for an amendment to the CS. (Note the LBP registration system does not take effect until November 2009).
- Failure to obtain a Compliance Schedule or to renew a Building Warrant of Fitness can result in legal action being taken on the alleged offence with fines ranging between 420,000 and $200,000.
Good idea – To find out more about compliance schedules and various other matters relating to buildings go to http://www.dbh.govt.nz/publications-about-the-building-act-2004
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