All questions relating to building consents, resource consent, building inspections, project information memorandums (PIMs) and land information memorandums (LIMs) should be referred to the Council's Planning and Environment Department 03 440 0615.

Building Consents
What is a Building Consent?
Why do I need a Building Consent?
How do I Apply for a Building Consent?
How Much will my Building Consent Cost?
How is my Building Consent Application Processed?
How Long does it take to get a Building Consent?
Checking Resource Consent Requirements and Other Permissions
Now I have my Consent What Happens?
Prepare for On-site Inspections
How long is my Building Consent Valid For?
Amendments/Changes During Construction
Code Compliance Certificates (CCC)
Compliance Schedules
Determinations
What if I Have More Questions?

Building Consents

A building consent is required for most building work, including:

• Swimming pools, retaining walls, garages and carports, alterations and extensions, new buildings and some decks and fences
• Plumbing and drainage work
• Heating, including fireplaces, ventilation and air conditioning systems
• Demolition works
• Relocation of existing buildings
• Change of use of buildings

What is a Building Consent?

A building consent is approval from the Council to carry out building works at a specific site, ensuring that there is sanitary plumbing and drainage, that minimum fire safety standards have been met and that works are structurally sound.

Why do I need Building Consent?

Works undertaken without building consent, excluding those specifically identified in the Building Act, are illegal; they are often costly to set right and may put people's safety or property at risk.  Illegal building works may also affect your insurance cover and/or house sale negotiations.  If you are doing some work and do not know whether you need a building consent the best thing to do is ask.  Call one of our Building Control Officers on 03 440 0056 to find out.

How do I Apply for Building Consent?

Completing the application form in full and providing all the information listed in the use guide will ensure you submit everything needed for the Council to accept your application.  When you are ready to lodge your application please phone 03 440 0056 (Alexandra) or 03 445 0211 (Cromwell) and make a PAC appointment.  A Building Control Officer and a Planning Officer will be allocated to review your application for completeness and compliance.  Applications will not be accepted if any information is missing.  Mailed applications will be returned by mail if not accepted.  This initial check is in regard to content of the application only.  A more detailed check of the information during processing may result in delays if the information submitted is incomplete or does not provide the level of detail required.  Application forms and user guides are available at all Council Service Centres or by ringing 03 440 0056.

A large number of building consent applications are delayed or rejected because of insufficient information relating to the engineering aspects of a proposal.  This information may include (but is not limited to) a geotechnical report, a flood risk assessment and/or drainage and stormwater reports.  We recommend that you appoint an architect, draughtsperson, builder, engineer and/or other qualified consultant to assist you in preparing your application.

Click here to download the Building Consent Application Form

Building consent user guides:

• New and Altered Commercial Buildings
• Minor Alterations to Dwellings
• Farm Sheds/Garages/Carports
• Heating Appliance
• Relocating Domestic Buildings
• New Dwellings and Major Alterations to Domestic Buildings
• Marquees CU7A
• Certificate of Acceptance
• Drainage
• Swimming Pool and Spa Fencing
• Solar Water Heating
• Retaining Wall/Deck/Verandah

How Much will my Building Consent Cost?

The cost varies depending on the complexity and dollar value of your building project.  The Council's Building Control Officers can provide a fee estimate for your project in advance, but an invoice will not be provided until you submit your application.  Please do not write out cheques in advance based on the fee estimate - this is a guide only.  Fee invoices must be paid (by cheque, cash, EFTPOS) when you submit your application.

CO30 Fees and Charges

If you cancel your consent application, some fees may still apply.

How is my Building Consent Application Processed?

Once accepted and entered into the Council’s computer system, a building Control Officer (usually the officer who checked your application with you before it was lodged) will check the plans, specifications and any other documentation supplied with the application. This is to ensure that the building work, if carried out in accordance with the documentation will comply with the building code.

If the work has specific design that is particularly complex or unfamiliar the to Officer it will be referred to another Officer with specialist knowledge or occasionally for peer review by a suitably qualified professional. If peer review is required it will be ata cost to the applicant.

If any further information is needed you will be notified and no further work will be done on processing your consent until the information is received. Once the Officer is satisfied that the work will comply with the Building Code consentwill be granted and sent to you along with the Project Information Memorandum.

How Long does it Take to Obtain a Building Consent

Once we receive an application and have completed the pre-application consultation check we enter your information into the Council’s database, if the application is complete. Once it is entered, we then have 20 working days togrant the building consent.

If more information is needed in the consent application, we will stop the clock on the 20 working days requirement to process building consents and send the owner or agent a letter outlining the information that is needed. We can’t guarantee that there will be no delays, but the chance of this occurring is significantly less if your application is thoroughly completed [with professional input where needed.] Once we receive all the correct information, the ‘20 working day’ clock can restart and the building consent can be granted and issued.

Checking Resource Consent Requirements and Other Permissions

About half of all people applying for a building consent in Central Otago District also require a resource consent. This depends on the location (zoning) of the building site, the nature of the proposed project, and whether or not it complies with the Central Otago District Plan. If the proposed building works are not permitted by the District Plan, resource consent is required.

Depending on the location of the property, some common examples of building projects requiring resource consent include:

• building in close proximity to property boundaries
• excavating to a depth of1m or more within 2m of a boundary
• changing the use of a residential or commercial building (for example, you may require more car parks)
• building over an area that covers more land than existing buildings

If resource consent is required building work cannot commence until a resource consent has been granted (Building Act 2004, Section 37).

Contact the Council’s Planning and Environment Department helpdesk (telephone 03 440 0615) for further information about resource consents.

We also check for compliance with the Council’s bylaws and other legislation such as vehicle access, earthworks, water reticulation, public drainage and, in the case of commercial premises, areas such as health, trade waste, building warrant of fitness and back flow prevention.

Now I have my Consent What Happens?

Once your building consent is issued and you have obtained any other approvals required [such as Resource Consent] you may then commence work on your project. It is very important that you [and your contractors] read the building consent documentation to ensure you are clear about the requirements.

Prepare for On-site Inspections

Building consent
We will send you the building consent in a convenient pack for storage on-site. It contains valuable information in addition to the building consent, such as the list of inspections that will be needed for your project.

Book an inspection
Give us at least 1 working day’s notice to book the inspections. (However, there may be times when our Building Inspectors may not be able to do an inspection when requested, because of heavy workloads.)

Documents required
Make sure you have all your approved building consent documents on-site for the inspection otherwise we can not do an inspection.

Inspection process
The Building Control Officer will check that the building work is in accordance with the building consent documents and the requirements of the Building Act 2004 and Building Code.

Each inspection must be passed by the Building Control Officer before the work can continue. The owner/agent is responsible to ensure that all inspections identified on the site inspection sheet are approved.

What happens next?
The Building Control Officer can either pass or fail the on-site inspection.

For a pass – this will be recorded on both the on-site inspection sheet and the Building Control Officer’s inspection sheet and then entered into Council’s computer records.

For a fail – this will mean a re-inspection is needed once the work in question has been rectified. A letter will also be sent confirming what re-work is required. If additional inspections are required we may have to charge a fee, as re-inspections are not provided for in the initial building consent fees.

Specialist inspections
In addition to the inspections by Council officers, inspections may be required by specialists including structural, geotechnical and fire engineers.  You will need to liaise directly with your specialist about the inspections he/she will need to make.  Your specialist may not be able to give you the required Producer Statement if you have failed to arrange for inspections at the appropriate times.

How Long is my Building Consent Valid for?

To keep your building consent valid you must start building work within 12 months from the date the consent was issued.

Amendments/Changes During Construction

The Building Act 2004 requires work to be carried out in accordance with the building consent.  However, changes often occur during construction either to the design, materials or proprietary system which require an amendment to the building consent.

Changes should be discussed with the Building Officer to agree on the best way of dealing with them.

There are two ways that these amendments can be dealt with;

1. For minor amendments/changes the Council officer may simply note the plans, record their decision for acceptance and work can carry on.  Examples of a minor amendment would be; change in insulation R value, change in building wrap, change to window position [not affecting wall bracing] etc.
2. For major amendments/changes you will be required to apply to the Council for an amendment [on the approved form] which may result in work being held up until the amendment has been approved.  This may not necessarily require the entire building project to stop, but it will certainly stop work on the area covered by the amendment.  Examples of a major amendment would be; structural changes [including trusses,] cladding change, change to foundation details etc.

CU11A Application for Building Consent Amendment

Code Compliance Certificates [CCC or Final Sign Off]

What is a Code Compliance Certificate?

The Council issues a code compliance certificate for consented building work when it is satisfied that the building work complies with the New Zealand Building Code and the building consent.

The owner is responsible for notifying the Council as soon as practicable that the building work has been completed according to the building consent.

Before you apply for your code compliance certificate you need to ensure that the final inspection of your building work has been passed.  When notifying the Council of completed work, allowances should be made for time to arrange an inspection and to rectify any work that does not comply with the building code.

We may be unable to issue the Code of Compliance Certificate if any of the required inspections have been missed or the required Producer Statements cannot be provided.  Without a CCC you may experience difficulties insuring your property or selling it in future.

A review of the fees paid for inspections will be made when the CCC is being approved for issue.  Additional inspection fees will be charged if the inspection fee paid when the application was lodged is not enough to cover the inspection time actually used.  You will be invoiced for any inspections not covered in the initial fee and payment is required before the CCC can be issued.

If an application for CCC has not been received within two years of the building consent being granted, Council is obliged to undertake an inspection and decide whether or not to issue a Code of Compliance Certificate.  A reminder letter will be sent out to alert you to this.

If you apply in writing for an extension of time to complete your building project an officer may grant an extension after reviewing the file.

How do I get my Code Compliance Certificate?

The CCC application form will have been sent to you in the building consent pack, but if you need a new one you can contact us and have one sent out.The building control officer will have you complete this application at the approved final inspection.

The Building Act requires us to process your application for CCC within 20 working days.  The ‘clock’ starts when we received your application.  As with building consent applications, the ‘clock’ will stop if your application is suspended awaiting additional inspections, documentation or fees and will restart when the issue has been resolved.

When you apply for a Code of Compliance Certificate you will need to confirm the names and contact details for all the people involved in your project e.g. builders, plumbers, engineers etc.

You may also need to supply supporting documentation such as energy works certificates or Producer Statements. Your building consent lists the documentation required before a Code of Compliance Certificate can be issued and additional documentation may also be requested during inspections [e.g. as-built drainage plan, amendment etc.].

Compliance Schedule

A Compliance Schedule will be issued with the Code of Compliance Certificate where the building has specified systems [e.g. alarm systems, emergency lighting etc] that have been added, removed or altered.  Where the compliance schedule is new, a statement will be issued which must be displayed in the building.

Determinations

If you disagree with a decision we make during the processing or inspecting of your building work, you can request a determination from the Department of Building and Housing.  To find out more please go to www.dbh.govt.nz/determinations

What if I have more Questions?

For more information or advice on preparing building consent applications contact our Planning and Environment Department helpdesk (telephone 03 440 0056).