Applying for a Building Consent step by step

Before you begin

• Know where the property is - If your property subdivision is not fully complete, you must lodge your consent under the parent parcel and provide details of the pending Lot and DP numbers
• Know the owner and have proof of ownership - The owner is listed on the Certificate of Title (Certificate is to be no more than 3 months old); or on the rates valuation
• Plans - Indicate the scale and the sheet size on each plan
• Specifications must be merged into one document in PDF format
• Supporting documents must be merged into two documents in PDF format (Council's system does not accept PDF Portfolios)
• Ensure you have read Platform Level Advice (PDF, 591KB) as you are required to submit a Platform Level form with all building consent applications. For builds not in Waiotahi Drifts or Ōpōtiki Township you must also provide a letter from the Regional Council confirming the applicable AEP level
• If your building will require a new or updated compliance schedule you need to complete a Compliance Schedule Information for a Building Consent Application (DOCX) to upload with your application.

Other reviews of your application

Fire and Emergency New Zealand: There is a requirement (by law) for some applications to be sent to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) for review. For details of which applications are required to be sent to FENZ, please click here. This review provides feedback on the compliance of the proposed design and the ability for people to escape fire safely. There may be additional fees to pay if your application needs to be reviewed by FENZ.

Development Engineer: Your application will be checked by our development engineer for hazards on the site, consent notices, resource consent conditions, soil conditions, geotechnical and stormwater reports, stormwater control design, public services and other site related issues.

Resource Consents Planner: A planner will check whether your application complies with the District Plan and Resource Management Act, whether you need to apply for a resource consent or that you are complying with the conditions of an existing resource consent.

If you're advised that you need to apply for a resource consent or you have a related resource consent that is not granted yet, a section 37 certificate will be attached to your building consent preventing you from starting work until a resource consent is obtained.

Development Contributions: An assessment of your proposed works will be undertaken to determine if a development contribution is applicable.

Registering as a new user

Go to the online services page, click on New Users / Register and complete the details. You will receive a confirmation email, click on the link provided, log in and complete your profile and you are good to go!

Submit the application

• An agent or owner can lodge the application
• The application can be shared with other interested parties (see below)
• The applicant is responsible for identifying which clauses of the building code the project complies with
• The applicant will receive an email and reference number confirming the application has been received.

Sharing the application with others

1. Log in and choose the application you wish to share in the My Forms section
2. Click on the reference number to open the application
3. Click on 'Sharing'
4. Click on 'Invite'
5. This will open the sharing screen
6. Enter email address and your message
7. Add the permissions you wish to share and click send - make sure you click 'manage files' if you want the shared user to be able to access and download documents
8. The person being sent this invite will receive an email from the applicant saying they have been invited to view this information
9. They simply click on the link and register
10. Once registered, the information above will appear on both the applicant's account and the invited persons account.

Manage required documents

• Upload files to the correct folder (e.g. Certificate of Title [no more than 3 months old] into the Certificate of Title folder)
• Plans and specifications must be PDF and uploaded as one document each
• Supporting documents must be PDF, Doc or DOCX and you may upload two separate documents
• Supporting documents are to include:
• Bracing calculations
• H1 calculations
• Truss design
• Lintel/beam design
• Engineering
• Geotechnical report
• A copy of the building consent and approved plans must be held on site at all times. This is the applicant's responsibility
• Please clearly indicate the scale and the sheet size on each plan.

If your application is refused

If your application is found to be incomplete, you will receive an email informing you of this and the reasons for refusal. If this is the case, you will need to submit a new application. You can either:

• Duplicate the application and update as required. To duplicate click on the three elipses (dots) on the right of the application and select duplicate; or complete a new application.

Restricted building work and Licensed Building Practitioners

For information on this topic, see our website here.