A Guide to Building and

Building Consents
 Introduction
This is a guide to building work and building consents. It is designed to assist building
owners to ensure that any work being planned on their property is done properly and in
accordance with the law. The guide provides answers to commonly asked questions such
as “what is building work?”, “do I need a building consent?” and “what do I need to do to
get a building consent?”.

Building Work
Building work is governed and controlled by the Building Act 2004 and unless
specifically exempt (under the First Schedule of the Act) requires building consent.
Building work is defined in the Building Act as:

“Work for, or in connection with, the construction, alteration, demolition, or removal of a

building and includes site work and building design…”

The definition also includes plumbing and drainage work.

It is quite apparent that the definition is a very broad one and therefore covers almost
anything a home owner could wish to do.

Building Consents
A building consent is Councils’ written authority to carry out building work that it
considers will comply with the requirements set out in the Building Code, provided, it is
completed in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted with the building
consent application. A building consent can not be issued retrospectively, after work
has been done, and it is an offence to carry out building work without
consent in all but a few exceptional circumstances. These circumstances, for example
urgent work, are set out in the Building Act.

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 Planning Rules
Planning rules apply to all building work. Hand in hand with building goes the
requirement to comply with the local District or Town Plan. In general terms these
rules set out or govern such things as how close a building can be built to a legal
boundary, how much of an owners property can be covered with building work and the
number of dwellings that can be built on a single property.

While this guide is not intended to deal with the planning aspects of building work
it is important to note that even though some work may be exempt from building
consent there may be planning requirements that must be considered and adhered to.
For further information about planning requirements check with your local Council or
Planning Officer.

Exempt Building Work

Exempt building work is set out in the First Schedule of the Building Act and where
proposed work meets all of the criteria in the schedule, it does not require building
consent. Note that even though building work may be exempt from building consent
the work must be carried out in accordance with the Building Code.

What Needs Consent?

Converting a garage to a sleep out, closing in a carport, removing an internal load
bearing or bracing wall, or installing a fire place or wood burner are all examples of
work requiring a Building Consent. It is the policy of the Palmerston North City
Council and Manawatu District Council that no information or exemption will be
given by telephone and without written information or plans detailing the work that is
proposed including siting, and, that the information will be recorded so that owners are
assured that they do not face difficulty at a later date, for example when they wish to
sell the property.

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Maintenance, or repair work, does not require building consent however care must be
taken to ensure that maintenance is not confused with new work. Maintenance is the
repair or replacement of damaged, decayed or unserviceable material in a building with
the same material. An example of maintenance is the replacement of a section of
rotten
weather board or roofing iron. Replacing the whole or even part of the cladding with a
different product or material is new work and as such requires building consent.

Obtaining Consent
In order to apply for building consent an owner must obtain a Project Information
Memorandum (PIM). A PIM is the “vehicle” by which any information held by the
Council (that may affect the building project) is provided to owners so they can plan
and design their project effectively and with all the information available. This can be
done prior to submitting a building consent application or at the same time.

Applying for a PIM

To apply for a PIM the owner does not need to provide the level of documentation
required for a building consent, but, must provide sufficient information so that Council
can fully assess the project and issue a PIM in terms of the Building Act.

In order to do this the following is a guide to the minimum information that must be
included with a PIM application but is not a full list and more information may be requested:
• The application must be on the approved application form (which is completed in all
detail)
• The intended use of the proposed building (floor plan with rooms identified)
• The location and external dimensions of the proposed building (plans and
elevations)
• Provisions to be made for access for vehicles
• Provisions for disposal of stormwater and waste water
• Precautions to be taken if building is to be carried out over any existing drains or
sewers, or in close proximity to wells or water mains.

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 Applying for Building Consent
An owner wishing to carry out building work must, before starting work, obtain a
building consent from Council.

To apply for building consent an owner must provide full detail of the proposed work,
together with a completed application form, which includes as a minimum:
• A PIM, where one has been previously obtained for the project
• Application form completed in full for a Building Consent, and a PIM where a PIM
has not been previously obtained
• Proof of ownership of the site (certificate of title, sale and purchase agreement were
property has been recently purchased, letter from a lawyer on letterhead stating
detail of ownership) – rating information is not sufficient
• 2 full sets of plans and specifications
• Plans must be drawn to architectural standard, to scale and include all dimensions
• Deposit (a Fees and Charges pamphlet is available at the Customer Service Centre).

Application Forms
Building Consent/PIM Application forms are available from the Palmerston North City
Council or Manawatu District Council or they may be downloaded from the PNCC
web site at www.pncc.govt.nz or the MDC web site at www.mdc.govt.nz.

Application checklists designed to check information being submitted with PIMs and or
building consents may be obtained from the Customer Service Centre also.

As is the case with the other information provided in this guide this is by no means a
full or all encompassing list and other information may be requested.

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 If you have any questions or require further
information please contact:

Palmerston North City Council

Phone 06 356 8199 or visit www.pncc.govt.nz

Manawatu District Council

Phone 06 323 0000 or visit www.mdc.govt.nz

General information can be obtained from

Department of Building and Housing – www.dbh.govt.nz