A building consent is council approval to carry out building work. What requires one, the process, and the risk of unconsented work.
A building consent is formal approval from a council confirming that proposed building work complies with the Building Code and may proceed.
Structural work, additions, decks over a certain height, plumbing and drainage changes, retaining walls above a threshold, and most alterations affecting the structure or weathertightness.
Some low-risk work is exempt under Schedule 1 of the Building Act — but the exemptions are narrower than most people assume, and the boundaries are specific. Check with the council rather than relying on what a tradesperson says.
Apply → council assesses → consent issued → work carried out with inspections at defined stages → final inspection → Code Compliance Certificate.
A consent must generally be commenced within 12 months and completed within a set period, or it lapses.
"The previous owner did it without consent" becomes your problem. Unconsented work transfers with the property. Councils can require it be consented retrospectively or removed, and the current owner carries that.
Consent and Code Compliance are different things. Getting the consent is the start. Without the CCC at the end, you have an incomplete record — see that entry.
Renovation projects: consent timelines are a real risk. Investors budgeting a renovation frequently underestimate council processing time, and holding costs accrue while you wait.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026 · ---
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