'Restricted building work' is work that's critical to make a home structurally sound and weathertight.
You must use Licensed Building Practitioners to design and carry out this work. Licensed Building Practitioners must do or supervise this work.
Restricted building work
Restricted building work is residential design, construction or alteration work that:
- requires a building consent, and,
- involves or affects a home's:
-
- Primary structure includes – foundations, sub floors, floors, framing, walls, roof structures, columns and beams
- Weather tightness includes - damp-proofing, wall/roof cladding systems, waterproofing
- Fire safety design - applies to small and medium sized apartment buildings and includes, emergency warning systems, fire suppression systems,
Generally, you'll need to use Licensed Building Practitioners for bigger, or more complex jobs.
Licensed Building Practitioners
Only work that's covered by one of the seven licence classes is restricted building work.
The Licensed Building Practitioner designer will provide you with a Certificate of Design Work which you will need to supply with an application for building consent.
In addition to providing the certificate of design work, the building consent application will also need to identify the trade Licensed Building Practitioners who will carry out the construction of your home.
If a Licensed Building Practitioner leaves and is replaced during the build, let council know.
The Licensed Building Practitioner leaving the job will need to give you a Record of Building Work for what they have completed. The new Licensed Building Practitioner completing the work should give you a Record of Building Work from that point on (this may be in the quote or contract).
After you receive consent and construction starts, ensure your Licensed Building Practitioners (carpenter, foundation layer, roofer and tradespeople) each provide a Record of Building Work (RoW) when they finish. Records of Work are required for your application for a code compliance certificate at the end of the project.
You can do work on your own home or holiday home yourself, including restricted building work, as long as you meet the requirements of the owner builder exemption and obtain any necessary building consent or permits before starting work.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have more information on this.
Home Owner Exemptions - Ministry Guidance