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Building consents

Introduction | When is a building consent required? | Applying for a building consent | Lodge your application | Changes to Building Code Clause H1 (Energy efficiency) | Building consent process | Timeframes | Re-cladding work | Appointment booking | Does building work have the required consents? | Street damage deposits | Producer statements | Building inspections

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Re-cladding work

• New requirements for re-cladding work
• Quality assurance programme
• How does this affect you?

New requirements for re-cladding work

Auckland City Council has introduced a new process for the re-cladding of buildings.

It is important that you understand the changes that have been made because they mean that your remedial project will require additional council building inspections.

Why the change?

Throughout New Zealand, a large number of cladding systems have failed for various reasons, resulting in great loss for many homeowners.

In order to prevent further problems, Auckland City Council now requires additional inspections at the beginning of a project to ensure that all remedial building work is code compliant. These inspections ensure that council officers can visually inspect work where necessary.

Auckland City Council must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that any building work has been constructed in accordance with the Building Code prior to issuing a Code Compliance Certificate. In addition to statutory duty, the council aims to ensure that the quality of building stock is maintained and improved.

What's new?

Auckland City Council is requiring all development works incorporating re-cladding to have three additional inspections at key stages of the works. These inspections will be undertaken by specialist building officers and are known as "category one inspections".

The inspections are additional to the existing cladding and final inspections that will be completed by other inspection staff.

The three new inspections are:

1. Pre-construction - a meeting on site prior to works commencing to discuss the work programme and any key issues. The following people must attend this inspection:
   • the project manager
   • the builder
   • the owner/agent
   • relevant consultants engaged by the owner
   • council staff involved with the application.

   The council requires a minimum of three working days notice prior to this meeting to enable involved parties to attend. The pre-construction meeting must occur before any work commences.

2. Strip off - an inspection to be carried out when the original cladding and building wraps have been removed and prior to any remedial framing work being carried out. The same people involved in the pre-construction meeting must be present for this inspection also.
3. Remedial works - an inspection to be carried out when remedial action has been completed for all affected elements on the building and prior to the fixing of new building wrap and cladding.

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Quality assurance programme

Auckland City Council also requires the full and thorough use of the "quality assurance programme" to ensure a high standard of work is carried out. A sample of the programme with some guidelines can be picked up from the Auckland City Council service centre at Graham street but this is only a guide about what is required.

Your designer or quality control consultant must produce an outline of this programme specific to your project.

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How does this affect you?

You will need to request inspections at appropriate stages of your works and the person making bookings on your behalf will need to understand the requirements as set out in the quality assurance programme.

It is essential that you have the three new inspections in order for you to receive your Code Compliance Certificate.

Please note: Category one inspections are carried out by a specialist team, please try not to book any standard inspections for the same time.

Amended details for the approved building consent

By its very nature, a remedial project can mean you have to adopt a different approach to that originally intended. This is particularly so when parts of the building have been exposed.

This may result in a required change to your original consent documentation, which will mean your designer will have to provide updated plans to the council to ensure our records are completely accurate.

In some cases, this will require you to apply for an amended consent. Please ensure no changes are made to the consented plans without consultation with Auckland City Council's specialist team.

A photo of the damage caused by fixings penetrating the protective linings, into the top of a balustrade.

Published November 2007