A beginner’s guide to the new Building Act

New Zealand is a nation of DIYers. While the Building Act 2004, which came into force on March 31 this year, is not about to shift our fondness for DIY, there are some crucial changes that homeowners need to be aware of.

The most important thing about a long-term DIY project is that there are new timeframes around building consents, such as:

You now need to begin your project within 12 months of your building consent being issued.

You must be able to finish the project detailed in the building consent within 24 months of the consent being granted.

Under the new regulations, inspections will be done against the original building consent. Any work that is not detailed in the consent will be considered unconsented work. This means that if you do make changes, you will need to apply for an amendment to the building consent before starting the new work.

This has obvious implications if you’re planning to work on a renovator’s delight as a do-up over several years. However, don’t despair.

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