Exemptions from building consent

The Building Act 2004 allows for some types of building work to be carried out without obtaining a building consent. We explain how to apply for an exemption from a building consent from the Council.

All building work must comply with the building code and any other legislation, in particular the District Plan,  even if a building consent is not required.

Exemptions from building consent fall into two categories:

• Building work that is automatically exempted by the Building Act 2004(external link). Refer to MBIE’s 'Can I build it' tool developed by MBIE for additional guidance. It allows homeowners to answer a few questions about an upcoming project and see if it needs building consent, or if it could qualify as automatically exempt building work.
• Other building work where the Council can decide to exempt the building work [PDF, 245 KB] under Schedule 1(2) of the Building Act as a discretionary exemption.

The Council considers applications for discretionary exemption on a case-by-case basis where the building work is:

• Carried out by suitably qualified and experienced persons with a proven record of competence in doing similar building work.
• A clear understanding of the Building Act and building code is demonstrated in the application.
• Assurances are given to show how compliance with the building code will be achieved.

A team dedicated to processing exemption applications will carefully consider each application.

Before making an application, please refer to the information sheet B-391 Guidance on presenting high-quality applications for exemption [PDF, 37 KB].

Alternatively, you can download and complete an application for an exemption from building consent - Form B-004 [PDF, 88 KB]. 

You can also pick up an application form from any Council Customer Service Hub, or we can post one to you if you call us on 03 941 8999.

We encourage you to submit your application using Online Services. You will need to register to use this service, however, using it minimises Council administration time and can lead to faster processing times. Also, the B-004 application form is not needed if you complete the online application form as part of submitting your application through Online Services.

For further information on the Council's process, refer to information sheet B-390 Building work that does not require a building consent.

Fees

Refer to the Building Consents Fee Schedule for information on exemptions from building consent.

Fixed fees and minimum application fees do not always cover all of the consent-related costs of an application.