Fireplaces

There are some national regulations for installing wood burners.
A building consent is required before any fireplace is installed. 

If you are planning to install a wood burner, or want to move an existing wood burner within the same house, check that the model is on the government's list of approved 'clean air' burners. Visit the Homeheat Website 

To install a new wood burner  

If the wood burner is listed as approved on the Homeheat website, then you can:

• fill in the Solid Fuel Heater application form

you need to attach the following to your application form:

• Manufactures specifications and installation instructions
• A Certificate of Safety - (for second-hand fires only)
• Floor plan - (for free standing fires only) 
• Smoke alarms must be installed - information is attached to the application form
• the fee is paid at the time the consent is submitted to council see our consent fees 

Building forms and pamphlets

Note : An inbuilt wood burner will require 2 inspections, one prior to the fire being installed and one after installation.

To install a secondhand wood burner

A secondhand wood burner can only be installed if it meets the standards or if the property is 2 hectares or more.

Check the Homeheat website to see if it is on the approved appliance list. 

You will need to get an approved installer to certify the secondhand wood burner and give you a Certificate of Safety.   Then you can submit your application to install a solid fuel heater.

Wood burners installed without a consent

If you purchase a house and realise the wood burner does not have a consent, you can legalise it for insurance purposes, but it is treated as a secondhand fireplace. 

If the wood burner is an inbuilt fire, the fire box must be removed from its cavity and thoroughly checked by an independent qualified person, who must give you a safety certificate.  The fire place will need to be inspected by a council building inspector. The appliance must comply with and be on the approved list of wood burners.     

Definition of a wood burner

A wood burner (required to meet Ministry for the Environment emission standards) is defined as a "domestic heating appliance that burns wood".

The following are excluded, but still require permits:

• A fire in the open air - (you require a fire permit)
  
• A multi-fuel burner - a coal burning heater, a pellet heater or a stove that is designed and used for cooking and heated by burning wood. You still require a building consent to install these appliances.