Apply for a building consent

We will not accept drawings or specifications with crossed out sections, photocopies of old plans relating to other consents or drawings that are not to the correct scale and font.

All relevant information must be included with your application.  Relevant information includes project-specific specifications, fire reports, engineering reports and calculations, bracing calculations, energy efficiency calculations, etc.

Incomplete or poor-quality applications will be refused and returned to the applicant.

One complete set of drawings, reports, specifications and plans, as noted: 

• Site plan: Drawn to a suitable scale; 1:100 is preferred although 1:200 may suffice for rural areas. It should include a datum point, contours, finished floor level, siting dimensions, location of all existing and proposed buildings and services. Photos may also be provided.
  
• Floor plan: For each level of the building a floor plan is required; the use of the room and overall floor areas must be denoted. For applications involving additions, the floor area of existing and new areas shall be shown.
• Elevations: A minimum of four elevations is required, one for each aspect of the building.
  
• E2 Risk matrix: The E2/AS1 risk matrix is used to identify any weathertightness features and risks. An E2 risk matrix must accompany all residential applications.
  
• Cross-section: A minimum of one cross-section and one long-section is recommended.
  
• Construction details: to illustrate and describe visual, structural and weatherproof design. They should be drawn at a scale sufficient to clearly show the details.
  
• Roof framing plans (truss manufacturer’s layout): This will identify the method of construction (pitched or trussed), and framing / truss members and any associated roof bracing.
  
• Foundation plan: This must include dimensions and components of construction identified.
  
• A sub-floor plan: Identify the position, treatment level and size of piles, spacing, size and treatment level of bearers and floor joists, insulation, and finished floor-to-ground levels for each corner of the building.
  
• Floor framing plan: Where not otherwise clearly shown a floor framing or joist layout plan for each additional floor level.
  
• A plumbing and drainage layout (schematic): This is required for all applications. It should identify fixtures, waste and vent pipe sizes, fixings, materials, and the standard used (e.g. NZS/AS 3500).
  
• Wall or subfloor bracing calculations: Where the works require bracing, calculations for bracing shall be provided.
  
• Energy services plan: This includes electrical, gas, mechanical ventilation, etc. Where not otherwise clearly shown an energy services plan shall be provided showing the location of fixtures such as hot water supply, heat pumps, meter boards, smoke detectors.
  
• An accessibility plan:  This is required for all commercial applications denoting the location of all accessible features. and signage.
  
• Geotechnical report: This is required on all new builds from a GEOPENG engineer.
  
• Fire report: This is required for commercial and industrial applications from a CPENG specialising in fire design.
  
• Gap Analysis: For alterations to existing buildings / change of use.
  
• Emergency services plan: Plans showing escape routes for premises intended for public use (for fire-fighting purposes) are required. The fire designer must declare whether the application must be forwarded.
  
• Producer statements for design: These are statements from suitably qualified and experienced designers or building professionals involved in specific design. Calculations and drawings (where applicable) must accompany producer statements. Architectural drawings must be signed by the engineer verifying specific design details.
  
• Project-specific design calculations: Design calculations must accompany the documentation (where applicable). Calculations should include a title, designer’s name, and owner’s name and project address.
• Design reports must accompany the application to support the design. Design reports could include fire, air-conditioning, mechanical ventilation, geotechnical, etc.
  
• Fire engineering brief (FEB): MBIE guidance suggests that a FEB is a useful mechanism where fire designs rely on the verification method or are specific design solutions.  The FEB is a documented process that defines the scope of work for a fire engineering analysis and the basis of the analysis. The purpose of this process is to identify and discuss at a high-level, the fire-safety design parameters and to communicate the outline at an early stage with all relevant stakeholders. Verification of the detail or design is NOT expected or required at this stage. Fire engineers should refer to the International Fire Engineering Guidelines or other recognised standards for further information regarding the content of an FEB please refer to MBIE's website.to Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) for their review. If your application needs to go to FENZ, Council will action this on your behalf.
• Specified systems: These help ensure a building is safe and healthy for people to enter, occupy or work in. If they fail to operate properly, they have the potential to affect health or life safety. The applicant must provide details of all specified systems, their performance standards and the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures needed to keep them in good order

Trade waste discharge

Trade waste is any liquid which is discharged from industrial or business premises to the Council wastewater system.  Any business which discharges trade waste into our wastewater system will need to apply for a trade waste consent.

View more information about trade waste.

Building over or near a public drain

If you are considering building close to (within 5m) or over existing water, wastewater or stormwater networks, you will have to go through the build over process.

View more information about building over or near our assets.

Building in Tuakau or Pookeno

If you are planning to undertake new building work in these areas, that increases the load on Councils system, you need a capacity assessment. However, if you have an approved subdivision consent granted prior to 1 February 2025 this assessment is not required.

View more information about the waters capacity assessment.

New connections

If you want to connect to the Councils reticulated water supply, wastewater or stormwater system you will need to apply for a connection.

View more information about service connections.

Vehicle entranceway

If you're adding or altering a driveway or vehicle entranceway for your property or development, you need to apply for a vehicle entranceway first.

Every section must be completed in full including details of how your design complies with the Building Code and a list of all professionals involved in the project must be provided at the time of lodgement. If the applicant does not know who trades-people will be, this information can be provided at a later stage.

Means of compliance: This section of the application form is the most difficult to complete but it is important and must be completed. It provides information to Council about how compliance with the Building Code has been established. Compliance may be established in several ways; by using the acceptable solutions, alternative solutions, producer statements, product certification, energy works certificates or determinations. Waivers and modification of the Building Code may also be requested and should be noted here.

Year first constructed: This applies to applications for additions and alterations.  The date applies to the year the building was first constructed i.e. does not apply to the new work.

Specified systems: Specified systems are lifesaving systems or features that contribute to the functioning of the building. Specified systems require ongoing inspection and maintenance to ensure they function as required, because if they fail to operate properly, they have the potential to adversely affect health or life safety. If you are altering, installing or removing a specified system the applicant/designer must provide detailed information for each specified system.

Please either provide the details on Form 2 or complete a form for each specified system.  Specified system forms can be found here -  Compliance Schedule Detail Forms - Co-Lab Build Waikato. 

Ensure you identify and describe the system; its location in the building; the made & model; the performance standard for design and the inspection & maintenance procedures.

The documents listed in the groups below should be supplied as one single PDF document (per group). The PDF for each group should be bookmarked.

These groups are: 

• Group A: Application and supporting documents includes detail forms for specified systems. 
  • Application
  • Applicant's checklist
  • Certificate of Title
  • Lease agreement and/or sale and purchase and/or rates demand
  • Letter of authority
  • Certificate of design.
• Group B: Reports
  • Geotechnical report
  • Wastewater Design report
  • Wastewater Design PS1
  • Stormwater Design report
  • Stormwater Design PS1
  • Fire report
  • Accessibility report
  • Acoustic report.
• Group C: Plans
  • Plan index
  • Engineering plans
  • <<name of plan>>
    A  plan index is required for each set of plans. All plans are to be earmarked with the relevant plan title. For example, site plan, floor plan, elevation plan etc. No other information is required in the bookmark. To assist with inspections, please show the lintels and fixings on one plan and bracing on a separate plan.
• Group D: Specifications
  • Specifications
  • HI Calculations
  • Bracing Design
  • Truss Design
  • Risk Matrix
  • Producer Statement (PS1 & Calculations)
  • CodeMark Certificates.
• Group E: Material and Product Specifications
  • <<name of product manuals, catalogues, installation guides etc>>
    Please make sure you include and bookmark all relevant product manuals with your application.

All application attachments must be in PDF or PDF/A format. Vector images are preferred.  Do not submit documents in other formats such as Microsoft Word, AutoCAD etc.

The documents listed in the groups above should be supplied as one single PDF document (per group). The PDF for each group should be bookmarked.

Individual PDF files should not be more than a maximum file size of 20MB. If a file is above 20MB then please split the document in a logical place and name accordingly.  For example, Specifications part 1 & Specifications part 2.

Remember:

• Remove any mark-ups and comments
• Disable all security features in the PDF document.
• Leave a blank space in the same place on each page to allow for electronic stamping. For example, top left or top right hand corner of all plans. This allows us to apply the approval stamps without covering important information.
  

Applications can be emailed to building.applications@waidc.govt.nz.

Auto-generated acknowledgement is sent once received. 

Once payment is received, we will start assessing your application.

Your application is assessed for compliance with the Building Code and the Building Act. The Council has 20 working days to complete this assessment.

The clock only pauses if some aspect of the plans and specifications fails to prove compliance and further information is sought from the applicant (or designer). The clock starts again when the officer is satisfied that they have been provided with the all information requested.

We will contact you to confirm that your application has been received and provide you with a tracking number so you can track your consent online. 

We have 20-working days to process the consent. If further information is required, we will stop the clock. The clock will not restart until all the required information has been provided.

If your application is for a Multi-Proof, we have 10-working days to process it.

You will receive a request for information (RFI) letter if further information is required once your application is underway.

Your application will be suspended while you get the information, and the suspension period will not count as part of the 20 days (it’s sometimes referred to as “stopping the clock”).

Owners should commence building work within 12 months of a building consent being issued.  If building work has not commenced within 12 months, the building consent will lapse under section 52 of the Building Act 2004. If your Building Consent lapses a new building consent is required for the work to take place.

If delays are anticipated you can apply for an extension, BUT you must do so BEFORE the building consent lapses.  Wunder the Building Act, we do not have any discretion to waive this requirement.

Generally, where the work is outside the scope of the original building consent (for example, additional footprint or increases in floor area, construction method, or significant changes to the layout), this would be considered a major change. In this instance a formal amendment is required for the new work to be undertaken.

Examples of amendments include:

• A deck or carport shown on the building consent drawings is no longer to be built.
• The applicant wants an ensuite bathroom to be installed instead of a walk-in wardrobe shown on the building consent drawings.
• A change to the assembly (for example, acrylic shower unit to a tiled shower unit)
• Timber joists complying with NZS 3604 are shown on the building consent drawings, but the applicant is advised by the builder to change to a manufactured proprietary joist system.
• The applicant wants to change part, or all, of the proposed cladding system from that approved in the original consent.
• A new house is approved with a perimeter foundation wall and ordinary internal piles, but it is decided instead to construct a complete timber pile foundation.
  

An amendment must be applied for in the same manner as a building consent. The plans should clearly identify the changes (using a cloud to show the changes is helpful).

Note: You will be charged a fee to review or assess the amended plan.

Minor variations

A variation that is minor is a change that does not usually affect compliance with the Building Code – for example, the type of taps used, the position of kitchen joinery or bathroom fixtures, installation of non-structural walls or doors.

Most often the minor variation does not affect the level of Building Code compliance; it simply achieves the same outcome in a different way.

Examples of variations that are minor to building consents include:

• substituting one internal lining for a similar internal lining
• substituting the type of timber treatment
• minor wall bracing changes
• a change to a component e.g. a fixing bracket
• changing construction details e.g. the framing method around a window when the window is changed to a door
• changing a room’s layout (for example, the position of fixtures in a bathroom or kitchen)
• changing one brand of insulation for another

If you change your plans, you must seek approval from the BCA.  All minor variations that are approved must be recorded in writing.  To seek approval please complete the minor variation application and email to: building.enquiries@waidc.govt.nz.  

A producer statement is a professional opinion based on sound judgment and specialist expertise. It is not a product warranty or guarantee of compliance.

The producer statement system is intended to provide Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) with reasonable grounds for the issue of a Building Consent or a Code Compliance Certificate, without having to duplicate design or construction checking undertaken by others.

While producer statements are well-established and widely used, they have no status under the Building Act 2004. They are used as one source of information which the council may rely upon to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to conclude that building work complies with the Building Code.

In considering whether to accept a producer statement, we will assess the credentials of the author to ensure that person has the appropriate experience and competence in their particular field of expertise.

Producer statements are typically used for specialist work, such as engineering, (fire, structural, civil, etc) or where there is a proprietary product which is installed by appointed contractors. Aspects of this work will be outside the council’s in-house expertise, and a producer statement can assist the council when they are determining whether the building work complies with the Building Code. Councils will use their judgement and internal processes when considering producer statements and how much weight to give them.

There are currently four types of producer statements, they are: 

• PS 1 – Design
• PS 2 – Design Review
• PS 3 – Construction (often used by the installers of proprietary systems / tradespeople)
• PS 4 – Construction Review.

Engineers typically identify the need to undertake construction monitoring when undertaking design work. If construction monitoring is required, we will ask for a PS4.   If your application is complex, high risk or high value we may request a PS2. The use of producer statements reduces costs.

Engineering NZ (ENZ) has useful information about what to include in a producer statement.

The need for a producer statement is determined at time of building consent and will be noted on your building consent if one is required. Producer statements will only be accepted from suitably qualified persons. 

As an organisation, Waikato District Council must manage risk as effectively as possible - not only for the Council, but also for our communities and current and future ratepayers. This responsibility is increasingly important as the engineering, environmental, and regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

What we mean by a “Suitably Qualified Engineer”

For Waikato District Council, a suitably qualified engineer defined as someone who:

• Holds a recognised engineering qualification in the relevant discipline in which they practise; and
• Has an active professional membership with Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) in the relevant discipline in which they practise – Stormwater, Geotechnical, Structural, Fire, etc.
  

Council relies on ENZ to assess engineer competency. ENZ provides assurance that engineers meet a recognised standard of competence, have appropriate experience, and are capable of addressing complex engineering problems that require expert technical knowledge.

Engineering design and report sign-off requirements

All engineering designs and reports submitted to Council must be reviewed and signed off by a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) in the relevant discipline.

For clarity:

• Sign-off must align with the engineer’s specific area of expertise.
  (For example, a structural engineer cannot sign off a hydraulic flood assessment.)
  

This requirement is particularly important where sites or properties are subject to natural hazards, such as flooding or liquefaction. As weather patterns change and heavy rainfall events become more frequent, it is critical that technical experts design and assess developments to help minimise risks to our communities.

Council has the discretion to refuse sign-off where an engineer’s area of practice does not align with the relevant engineering discipline, especially when hazard identification and mitigation is required.

Grant a building consent

The granting of a building consent means that the building consent authority (BCA) has approved your application for building consent. The approval is formal acknowledgement that the proposed building work complies with the Building Code. 

Issue of a building consent

Only a building consent authority (BCA) that is authorised within the scope of its accreditation and registration to grant a building consent can issue a building consent.

Under s.49 the BCA must grant the consent if it is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the provisions of the Building Code will be met if the building work is completed in accordance with the plans and specifications.

The BCA is not required to grant the consent until the charge fixed for the consent and the building levy are both paid.

Conditions of consent

It is important that you review your consent documentation to identify the inspections and supporting documentation that is required. The building consent will also advise if there are any conditions that have been applied. There are only five conditions that can be attached to a building consent, and they relate to the following specific sections of the Building Act:

• S67 Waivers or modifications of Building Code
• S72 Building on land subject to natural hazards
• S75 Construction of building on 2 or more allotments
• S90 Inspections by building consent authorities
• S113 Buildings with specified intended lives.

If the building consent is refused, the BCA must write to the applicant and state the reasons.