Building consent process

The building consent process is designed to ensure your project meets all criteria under the Building Act 2004.

Applying for building consent

Make sure you have all the necessary documentation, including a PIM, which you can apply for at the same time. For a complete list of what you need to submit, it is useful to talk with us before applying. We can be reached at:

Visit: Building Enquiries Desk, 1st Floor, Civic Centre
Call: Customer Service Agency on 03 477 4000
Email: Building Control - dcc@dcc.govt.nz

What happens after you submit your application?

We have 20 working days to process your application. If we need further information within this timeframe, the 20 working day period is suspended until you provide the required information.

Issuing a building consent

We will issue your building consent when we are satisfied that your planned work will meet all provisions of the Building Code. All fees and charges must be paid. Your building consent will include the issued building consent information and a list of inspection requirements.

Issued building consent information (PDF, 33.3kb, new window)

When you have received your building consent

Don't forget to book your inspections as they come up. They must be booked with at least two working days' notice. To book each inspection, call the Customer Services Agency on 03 477 4000 or 0800 DCC INSPECT (322 467).

Lapsed Consents:

Section 52 of the Building Act 2004 requires that a building consent shall lapse and be of no further effect if work has not commenced within 12 months after the date of issue, or any further period allowed by the Building Consent Authority.

For this reason, we send out a monitoring letter at 11 months advising the nominated contact person that this point is nearing and that we have no record of the work commencing. The letter asks the contact person to either advise that work has commenced or alternatively apply for an extension to the 12 month period. If no response is received, the consent will be given a status of "Lapsed" and shall have no effect meaning that a new consent will be required if the work were to take place in the future.

Archived Consents

In accordance with section 93(2) of the Building Act 2004, any building consent that is two years old requires the Building Consent Authority to decide if a Code Compliance Certificate can be issued. Section 92(1) states “that the owner must apply for a Code Compliance Certificate after all work has been completed under a current building consent.

For this reason, we send out a monitoring letter at 21 months advising the nominated contact person that this point is nearing and that we are yet to receive an application for a Code Compliance Certificate. The letter asks the contact person to either apply for a Code Compliance Certificate or request an extension of time to this period. If no response is received or the request for an extension of time is rejected, the consent will be given a status of "Archived". This means that future inspections and administrative time will be charged for and that we will take issues such as durability into account when deciding if we can issue a Code Compliance Certificate for the project.

Please note: All monitoring letters (and any other correspondence) will be sent to the “First point of contact” as nominated on the building consent application. If the contact person is to be changed, the applicant should inform us of this to ensure they receive all necessary information.

When and How to Request an Extension of Time for a Building Consent

You are unable to commence work 12 months from issue date of the building consent or
You are unable to request a Code Compliance Certificate two years after grant date of the building consent

An extension of time request to commence/complete work should be made in writing to Team Leader Inspections Building Control PO Box 5045 Dunedin 9054 And include the following information:

Building consent application number
Project location
Progress to date
Anticipated completion date

Your final inspection

When all planned work is completed and inspections are complete, book your final inspection. Make sure you have copies of all the documents that were supplied with your application. They must be on site at the time of your final inspection. Copies can be obtained for a fee from the Building Control Desk, 1st Floor Civic Centre.

Code Compliance Certificate

When you have passed your final inspection, you can apply for your Code Compliance Certificate. You can have the application form filled out and ready to hand to the inspector. The Certificate will be issued within 20 working days of receipt of your application.

Last reviewed: 21 Aug 2009 4:52pm