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When is a Building Consent Not Required?

The summary of Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 below lists what building work can proceed without the owner first obtaining a building consent. Don’t guess whether building work requires a consent or not, check Schedule 1 to make sure. Illegal building work is just not worth it. It may invalidate your insurance cover and put your family’s safety at risk.

Please note, all building work must comply with the Building Code. Please consult Schedule 1 of the Building Act for the complete list.

Activity (Schedule 1 reference)	Building consent required	No building consent required
Plumbing and drainage (ac) (ad)	Any complete or substantial replacement of plumbing and drainage. Change in water supply system.	Very minor work e.g. shifting gully trap. If minor work does not involve new connection to reticulation.
Homes (ae) (af) (jd)	New dwellings, additions or alterations. Changing the use of a building (e.g. a garage to sleepout, a deck to a conservatory or a carport to garage). See note. Recladding with different materials and/or method.	Recladding with the same materials and/or method. Installation, replacement or removal of a window or doorway. Construction, alteration or removal of a pergola. Verandas: no more than 20m² over existing deck or patio, and at maximum first floor height above ground.
NOTE: District Plan. The District Plan has rules that control the siting and amount of building. A covered deck or patio needs to meet these rules.
Dams and culverts (da) (b)		Contact Taranaki Regional Council (06-765 7127) if you intend to build a dam or culvert and read the Stream crossings brochure (Two pages 2MB PDF).
Retaining walls (c) (db) (n) (ii)	Retains more than 1.5m depth of ground. Retains a load in addition to the load of the ground (i.e. the weight of vehicles).	Retains 1.5m or less and does not support any load additional to that of the ground. The removal of a retaining wall.
Freestanding walls and fences (daa)	More than 2.5m in height. Forming part of a swimming pool fence.	Less than 2.5m in height. See note.
NOTE: District Plan. Fences higher than 2m are defined as 'buildings' under the District Plan and specific rules apply. You will need to meet these rules.
Pools (e)	All in-ground pools. Any alterations to pool fencing and barriers. The building consent needs to be approved prior to construction.	Spa pools (portable or fixed, complying with NZS 8500:2006), inflatable pools and above ground proprietary pools may not require a building consent but will need to be assessed on a case by case basis. However, all pools must be registered.
Tanks (e)	All tanks other than those listed in the column to the right.	Tanks up to 35,000L capacity on the ground. Tanks up to 16,000L capacity, 0.25m or less above the ground. Tanks up to 8,000L capacity, 0.5m or less above the ground. Tanks up to 4,000L capacity, 1m or less above the ground. Tanks up to 2,000L capacity, 2m or less above the ground. Tanks up to 1,000L capacity, 3m or less above the ground. Tanks up to 500L capacity, 4m or less above the ground.
Tents and marquees (fa) (fb)	Floor area of tent/marquee larger than 100m² for public and private use, and in place for longer than one month.	The construction, alteration, or removal of any tent or marquee that has a floor area not exceeding 100m² if that tent or marquee is to be, or has been, used for public assembly for a period of not more than one month.
Platforms, decks and bridges (ga)	Higher than 1.5m from the ground (if over water, ‘ground’ means the bed of the water body).	Where it is not possible for a person to fall more than 1.5m, even if the structure collapses.
NOTE: Platforms, decks and bridges more than 1m high will need to comply with “Safety from falling” and handrails/barriers will be required as per NZBC F4/AS1.
Sheds and outbuildings (i) (l) (m)	If any conditions in the column to the right are not met. If the building is designed to contain hazardous substances	Has a floor area of 10m² or less. SEE NOTE. Is single-storied. Contains no sanitary or cooking facilities. Is at least its own height away from a residential building or boundary. The demolition of all or part of a damaged building that is detached (stand-alone) and is no more than 3 storeys high. The repair or replacement of all or part of a damagedoutbuilding.
NOTE: District Plan. The District Plan has rules that control the siting and amount of buildings.
Closing in existing veranda or patio to make a porch (j)	Floor area larger than 5m².	Floor area of 5m² or less. See note.
Fireplaces and heaters (a) (iv)	All solid and liquid fuel burners such as wood and diesel burners.	Permanently fixed gas heaters (must be certified by a registered gas fitter). Fixed electric heaters (must be certified by a registered electrician).
Earthworks (excavation and fill)	Site works associated with building work. Earthworks associated with retaining walls that retain more than 1.5m depth of ground.
NOTE: District Plan. The District Plan has rules controlling the quantity and types of earthworks including filling. You will need to meet these rules.
Lifts, cable cars, travelators and escalators	Install, remove or alter any lift, cable car, escalator, travelator or any other compliance schedule item.

Exemptions

If you wish to clarify whether a project fits within Schedule 1 please talk to one of our building officers. If a building consent is not required for building works you may wish to register your project with us anyway. Reasons for registering building work exempt under Schedule 1 include:

You can be certain that your proposed work falls within the scope of Schedule 1 (and a building consent is not required).
It is a means of providing a report on file for future reference and property enquiries. (This may be useful when you sell your house.)
You may receive advice on how to comply with the Building Code.
NPDC registration of exempt works form has a full copy of Schedule 1 on it. It can be found on our Building Forms page (below).

Exempt works must still comply with the New Zealand Building Code.

Before You Start

When is a Building Consent Not Required?

Exemptions

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