When you first start to design your building project, we recommend you talk to us before you apply for a building consent. This may also avoid any expensive changes to plans and unnecessary processing delays and unexpected costs.
Make an appointment with our building or planning staff and bring your plans along, even if they're only at the concept stage. You should also talk to your neighbours and any other people who may be affected by your ideas and plans.
Changes to the Building Act apply to most residential building work or renovations. Talk to our duty planner, or your own planning adviser about your building project to make sure it meets the requirements of the District Plan.
It's best to talk to us before you apply for a building consent, to avoid any expensive changes to plans.
Building consents are processed within 20 working days.
You need a building consent for building work as defined in the Building Act 2004, this may include:
- Structural building - includes new buildings, additions, alterations, accessory buildings (sheds) and repiling
- Additions or Alterations - also see minor building work
- Plumbing and drainage work
- Solid fuel fireplace, ventilation and air conditioning systems necessary for the functioning of the building
- Alterations to specified systems for commercial buildings
- Lifts
- Site works associated with the building
- Relocation of secondhand buildings
- Retaining walls higher than 1.5m
- Retaining walls less than 1.5m that provide support for buildings, driveways or sloping ground
- Swimming pools and large tanks
- Decks that are covered
- Decks that are more than 1.5m from ground level
- Any building more than 30m²
- Dams
Check building work that does not require a building consent(external link)
What you need to know
Some building projects need supporting documents from qualified professionals to be submitted with your application. If your building work is structural or affects the weather-tightness of the building you will need to employ Licensed Building Practitioners to do the work.
You'll need professional advice and information for:
If you're building or extending on a property that doesn't connect to the city’s or Te Karaka’s wastewater system, you need to install a septic tank system.
Also see pamphlet Residential wastewater systems and septic systems
See list of residential wastewater system approved assessors
Houses must be built on ground defined as ‘good ground’ (100kPa bearing strength).
There's little ‘good ground’ in the Gisborne region and testing is required on most sites.
Your building work must be designed to take your specific site into consideration.
See the pamphlet - Bearing capacity and geotechnical investigation requirements
Or talk to your designer or our staff.
This is needed if your property is on a hill slope or close to a stream.
Whether you need a geotech report depends on other specific conditions. Our staff can help you or talk to your designer.
See pamphlet - Bearing capacity and geotechnical investigation requirements
The building floor will need to be above the flood zone level, with an extra 300mm added to minimum floor levels.
Also see pamphlet - Building on a flood prone site
Or talk to us.