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Relocating a building

Information you need to know before you relocate a residential building.

Consents you may need to relocate a building
  • Resource consent
  • Building consent
  • Code Compliance Certificate

Resource consent

If you’re relocating an existing house onto a site in a residential zone you will need resource consent – unless the house is less than 10 years old when it’s moved, and has a Code Compliance Certificate under the Building Act.

The Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan (TRMP) states that relocating a house that requires resource consent is a ‘controlled activity’. This means consent must be granted before the house can be moved, but Council will limit its control to specifics such as:

  • the condition of the house exterior
  • reinstatement or construction of any fences, footpaths and vehicle crossings
  • residential amenity
  • financial contributions to works and services

Neighbours and other affected people don’t usually need to be notified for resource consent applications for relocated buildings - unless we think there may be special circumstances. Any assessment of special circumstances will take into account the:

  • age and style of the house in comparison to neighbouring sites
  • state of repair of the house and timeframe for reinstatement
  • character and amenity of the residential environment.

Relocated buildings must comply with our TRMP general rules for development in residential zones.

The rules relate to things like minimum site area, site coverage, and yard and height requirements.

If your development does not meet these requirements you'll need to discuss the non-compliance in your resource consent application.

Complete a resource consent application form and provide supporting information:

  • site plan – showing the location of the proposed relocated dwelling in relation
  • to the boundaries of the site
  • elevation drawings – of the building so that the District Plan height requirements can be assessed
  • photos – of the building
  • an assessment of environmental effects - why you think the relocated building will look acceptable on the new site. Also discuss any mitigation measures such as painting and repairs that will be done.

Complete a building consent application form and provide the following information - your application must be printed clearly and completed in full.
Attach 2 copies of the plans.

The plans must be clear, accurate and drawn on plain paper in black ink, to scale. Please do not use graph paper as we scan the plans for record storage. Your plans should include:

  • location plan – showing the location of the site in relation to known points. Doesn’t need to be to scale.
  • Site plan – showing where the relocated building would be placed in relation to site boundaries.
    Needs to be drawn to scale - 1:200. It's not always possible for buildings on rural properties - talk to our staff if this is the case with your application.
  • Drainage plans – for both sewage and stormwater. Drainage needs to be shown either on its own drainage plan or as part of the overall site plan.
    If the property is rural an onsite wastewater assessment form will need to be completed by an approved assessor. See more information
  • Ground investigation report – to confirm ground bearing capacity. These test apply to all habitable buildings. This needs to be discussed with your designer at the planning stage.
  • Elevations – provide a photo of each exterior wall. The photos must be clear as they will be used to assess the condition of the building.
  • Foundation plan – showing layout and the type of foundations, including a cross-section of footing depth. Sub-floor bracing calculations are also needed when piles are used.

The building cannot be moved to its new location until consent applications have been approved, consent fees paid and the resource and building consents has been issued.

Code of Compliance Certificate

Once your consents are granted, the final step is getting a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC). This shows that your building meets all relevant standards and regulations.

To get a CCC - all scheduled building inspections must have been carried out, with job sheets signed and returned to Council along with an application form for a code of compliance when all work is completed.

A Code Compliance Certificate can then be issued.

You may need extra information

If any of the following are involved in your project you may need to provide extra information.  If in doubt, please talk to our staff if any of the following applies:

  • you wish to add to the existing dwelling or alter the existing internal layout
  • if the relocated building is to have a change of use - such as from residential to commercial it may need additional work to comply with the Building Code.
  • if there’s a woodburner in the building being relocated please contact us as there's set rules regarding fireplaces
  • if sheds or pools are part of the plan.

Development contributions are charged on a new development that creates growth leading to additional demand on Council infrastructure.

They help to pay for roads, water supply, wastewater and stormwater disposal and reserves and community facilities needed to meet the extra demand

We'll assess your project to see if a development contribution is payable when you submit your building consent application. We will give you a calculated cost before your consent is issued.
Examples of development contribution estimates:

  • a new dwelling in the city – about $9,000
  • a new dwelling in a non-serviced rural area – about $1,000
  • a minor dwelling under 60m2 – about $4,500.

These costs are only estimates. The fee could be higher, it depends on the design of your building. Development contributions will be invoiced and are payable with either the resource consent, building consent or a service connection.

More information

Contact our duty planner or building staff if you have any questions.

Helpful pamphlets

See resource consent pamphlets and forms

  • Guide to resource consent
  • Guide to residential development

See building consent forms and pamphlets

  • Onsite wastewater systems
  • Ground bearing capacity tests