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Dunedin City Council – Kaunihera-a-rohe o Otepoti

Making an application for building consent

Last updated: 28 Apr 2026 3:35pm

This page contains information on how to get a building consent, the costs, how to pay and how to avoid unnecessary delays.

Providing a good application will avoid unnecessary delays. Everyone involved benefits from a complete, accurate, easily understood application as it becomes the plan everyone has to follow.

  1. Apply for building consent
  2. How do I submit my building consent application?
  3. Speed up the consent process and reduce costs

Application checksheets and guidance are available on the Building forms and guidance page.

The Building Act requires that all sections of the application form are completed in full. Guidance on how to complete an application form is available on the How to complete an application form page.

All applicable information specified in the application checksheet must be provided. It is important that your application is as detailed as possible to enable us to be satisfied the proposed building work when constructed meets the requirements of the Building Act and building code.

Additional guidance and supporting information to help people understand the building consent process is available on the MBIE website.

Once you have all the required information and documentation, you can submit your application using one of the following methods:

  • Online: The online form is the application form (see application link below).
  • In person/paper application: Building Services Enquiries Desk, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin

We encourage customers to submit applications through the online portal (see application link below). Please make sure you register first.

A digitisation fee applies to all paper-based applications to cover the additional time required to scan and upload documents into our system.

More information about submitting applications online can be found here (new window).

Apply for a building consent, amendment, or PIM

A recent amendment to the Building (Forms) Regulations enables the pre-approval of alternative products, plans and/or specifications as part of the building consent application process.

Applicants should be aware of both the risks and benefits of submitting alternative product information for pre-approval. The more alternative documentation submitted (as part of the consent process) the longer it will take the processing officer to assess the application and the more requests for information are likely to be generated. This could add time and cost to your application.

Applicants should also consider how this alternative documentation is presented to ensure the document sets do not dramatically increase in size and are still easy for the processing officer to manage when assessing the consent and when inspecting construction on site.

Reducing the number of requests for further information (RFI) in a building consent application means we can process your consent faster and cheaper.

Recent analysis of building consents identified the most common RFI questions we ask for.

The commonest RFI related to commercial consents and can be summarised as “Incorrect performance standards quoted for specified systems or information conflicting between the fire report, specification, producer statements and specified systems forms”.

If you are not familiar with building plans and compliance with the building code, we recommend engaging an experienced professional to supply the required drawings and information, and to apply for a building consent on your behalf.

The links below show the top three RFI questions in each area:

  • Initial Check

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    No Record of Title (RT) provided or requested, or the RT provided is out of date.

    You can request Building Services to provide a RT during building consent application. If you wish to provide it yourself, the copy date must be less than 6 months old.

    The Application Check Sheet not fully completed or has not been provided.

    Application Check Sheets should accompany the building consent application. They can be found here.

    The applicant or owner information is not correct.

    Often applicants list individual owners, when the property is owned by their business or family trust. The record of title and sale/purchase agreement are reliable sources of information.

  • Residential Building/Construction

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    Structural fixing information is missing, non-compliant or conflicting across the document set.

    Follow uplift and live load paths through the structure. Provide fixing details in accordance with your chosen compliance path or proprietary system.

    Certificate of Design Work (CoDW) errors.  Decks, retaining walls etc nominated when they are not restricted building work (RBW).

    Certain types of fire design in apartment buildings not nominated when it is restricted building work.

    CoDW provided by architect and engineer conflict or cover the same items.

    The following flow chart will help you identify the restricted building work. https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/570767/Restricted-Building-Work-Guidance.pdf

    Where more than one CoDW is provided, ensure it is clear who has designed the various elements and that all the RBW is covered.

    The site plan is missing the property address, legal description, north point, boundary location or dimensions.

    Refer to the application check sheet for requirements.

  • Residential Plumbing and Drainage

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    Pipe sizes, materials or gradients have not been stated or are conflicting across the document set.

    Suggest taking advice from Plumbing and Drainage professional before submitting the application.

    The stormwater outfall; has not been shown, is not appropriate, or requires third party approval.  An example of third-party approval is approval by Otago Regional Council for discharge of stormwater into a stream, DCC Transport or Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for discharges to water table or kerb and channel.

    We suggest applying for a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) before applying for Building Consent.  This will identify the appropriate outfalls and any third-party approvals required.

    The stormwater drain, sump, pump or pump chamber is undersized for catchment area, or catchment area information is not provided.

    Suggest taking advice from Plumbing and Drainage professional before submitting application.

    Issues around the right to drain stormwater over other property. This includes drainage structures such as drains, drain coil or sumps shown to be outside of the property boundary.

    You must have a legal right of way or easement to convey water over another property (other than road reserve).

  • Commercial Building/Construction

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    Incorrect performance standards quoted for specified systems, or information conflicting between the fire report, specifications, producer statements and specified systems forms.

    This applies mainly to commercial buildings. The description and performance standards should be consistent across all documents.

    See our website guidance for assistance.

    Fire rated construction or penetrations not clearly detailed or not compliant.

    This applies mainly to apartment buildings and other commercial buildings.  Please pay particular attention to fire reports, the handling of penetrations and continuation of fire walls through sub floor spaces and ceiling spaces.

    Site barrier for protecting the public from construction and demolition hazards missing or not compliant.  (Not required for domestic dwellings up to 2 stories unless specific hazard exists).

    We recommend you checking Acceptable Solution F5/AS1 for requirements.  Note, make sure you are using the current version of the acceptable solution.

    2.0 metres minimum height is required if using F5/AS1 for compliance.

  • Commercial Plumbing and Drainage

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    Backflow protection is required for potable water supply.

    Suggest taking advice from a Plumbing and Drainage professional before submitting the application.

    Specified systems and compliance schedule information for backflow prevention or ventilation not provided or is not correct.

    This applies mainly to commercial buildings.  The description and performance standards should be consistent across all documents.

    See our website guidance for assistance.

    Water containment and overflow provisions not provided for an upper household over a lower household or where bathrooms, kitchens, laundries etc are through the wall from an adjacent household.

    This is to prevent an overflow in one household flooding another. Solutions typically involve coved up and fully sealed floor surfaces, sinks, basins etc with built in overflow provision and floor waste drains. Acceptable solution E3/AS1 contains relevant design information. Note, make sure you are using the current version of the acceptable solution.

  • General

    Description of issue found
    Advice notes

    Manufacturers' specifications and/or installation instructions have not been provided for materials and products.

    Examples are drainage pipes, water tanks, claddings, waterproof membranes, extractor fans, sumps, pumps, fire collars and bracing elements.

    Building consent applications must contain enough information to determine if the work complies with the building code. Product or system specifications can be sourced from manufacturer's websites.

    Impervious surface information for kitchens, bathrooms or laundries is missing or not compliant.

    Acceptable Solution E3/AS1 lists a selection of compliant materials for water splash areas such as the walls and floors around sanitary fixtures. Note, make sure you are using the current version of the acceptable solution.

    Slip resistance of surfaces forming the entrance to building not specified or not compliant.

    Slip resistance is critical for the accessways into buildings, especially for wet surfaces, ramps and stairs. We suggest referring to Acceptable Solution D1/AS1 for further information. Note, make sure you are using the current version of the acceptable solution.

  • How much will my building consent cost?

    It depends on the complexity of the building project and the level of detail provided. Processing costs, an estimated number of inspection, drainage connections, levies and certifying the work is charged for. Costs may vary depending on the time we spend processing your application and requests for further information will impact on the cost.

    Payment for any outstanding costs is required before the consent will be issued. An invoice is sent to the payee nominated at lodgement. If building consent is refused, the applicant is required to pay any costs incurred with processing the application.

    If the amount paid is not sufficient to cover the number of inspections undertaken, additional fees will be charged and may be interim billed during the project. Before the code compliance certificate is issued, charges for the total number of inspections will be checked. Any outstanding charges must be paid before the code compliance certificate is issued.

    Inspections costs that are less than the deposit paid will be refunded when the code compliance certificate is issued.

    Fees and charges relating to building consents can be found here (new window) or in the related information area.

    More information is available in the Building Consent Charges Guide.

  • Levies

    We collect levies on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) - Building and Housing Group and Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). Projects valued at $20,000 and over are required to pay the BRANZ levy and projects valued at $65,000 and over are required to pay the MBIE levy.

    If the consent is staged or amended, the payable levy is assessed on the total project value.

    A Building Consent Authority (BCA) levy applies to all building consent applications. This levy is also payable on amended and staged building consent applications.

    A notification is sent advising you of the amount of all levies payable for your project.

  • How can I pay?

    There are several ways to pay your DCC accounts. For more information visit our Paying your DCC accounts web page (new window).

    Note, if paying by internet banking, payments are credited to our account on the next business day. To avoid delays please make sure the debtor and invoice number is included in the code and reference fields (this information is available on the invoice). You don't need to advise us payment has been made. We receive notification from the bank.

  • Will information about my building consent become public?

    The information that you provide the DCC is required so that your application can be processed under the Building Act 2004. The DCC needs to collect your personal information, such as your name and contact details in order to contact you about your application.

    You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is incorrect. If you would like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at privacy@dcc.govt.nz or phone 03 477 4000.

    Building information, including plans, documents or reports, and the personal information you have provided, or that the DCC holds about you in respect of any application, notice, form or certificate under the Building Act, is held on a publicly available register. Under the Building Act this information can be made available on request.

    The DCC is also legally required to collate and send statistical data about issued building consents to Statistics NZ.

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