DIY dream come true: building consents for low risk projects scrapped

DIY-enthusiasts will save time and money when new rules come into force which scrap building consent requirements for low-risk projects.

Exemptions to the Building Act, which will be introduced in August, will mean that anyone can build a sleep-out, a carport, or a shed, without needing council permission.

The move will scrap as many as 9000 consents having to be reviewed by local authorities, saving an estimated $18m in fees.

Under the scheme, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will increase the number of low-risk building work that does not require pre-approval.

And Jenny Salesa, Building and Construction Minister, said the changes will mean New Zealanders save time and money, while councils can focus on higher-risk building work.

DIY enthusiasts can tackle bigger projects without needing building consent come August.

“Single-storey detached buildings up to 30 square metres — such as sleep-outs, sheds and greenhouses, carports, awnings and water storage bladders — will now not require a council-approved building consent,” she said.

“Some of the new exemptions will utilise the Licensed Builder Practitioners scheme, which recognises the competence of these building practitioners and allows them to join chartered professional engineers and certifying plumbers in having their own suite of exemptions.”

She said the move would also be a boost to the building and construction sector in the Covid-19 climate.

David Kelly, chair of the Construction Industry Council and chief executive of the Registered Master Builders Association, welcomed the move, saying it struck the right balance between "risk and allowing people to get on".

"Overall, I think it's good. The issue of delays to building consent have been a bone of contention and annoyance for many years for builders, so this is a step in the right direction," he said.

He said some of the work will still require an engineer to sign-off the design or a building practitioner to supervise some of the work.

"That's really important because it recognises the role of the engineer and the licensed building practitioners, which is what we've also been asking for," he said.

"It's not just for Do-It-Yourselfers, it’s actually good for qualified builders because a lot of them do small projects, so this will be good for them, so they can get on with them and not be delayed."