You can refer to our handy guide, Carry Out a Building Project, to help you through the building process.
1. Prepare your application
The person completing the application should understand the application requirements and the Building Code, and also be able to provide or source the information that shows how your project will comply. That might be you or your architect, builder or project manager.
Before applying for building consent, you can apply for a Property Information Memorandum.
Project Information Memorandum
A Project Information Memorandum helps you decide whether your project is possible and practical. It will tell you what we know about the site and requirements of the Resource Management Act (including whether you need a building consent) and other Acts that might affect your proposal and require separate approvals.
We will supply the Project Information Memorandum within 20 working days.
2. Apply for building consent
Complete the application and submit it to us along with all supporting documents.
We may request more information and the application process will pause until all information is received.
3. Possible development contributions
A development contribution is a levy on a new development to cover increased demand on the city’s infrastructure.
Development contributions are assessed on water, wastewater, stormwater, reserves, community infrastructure and transport activities.
We may require a development contribution to be made when building consent is granted.
4. Processing the application.
We will process your application and decide on any conditions within 20 working days.
Outcome of your application.
There are several possible outcomes to a building consent application:
- The application can be withdrawn by the applicant prior to being granted.
- Building consent can be put on hold, awaiting further information.
- Building consent can be granted and issued.
- Building consent can be refused and the applicant can reapply.
5. Pay your fees
Pay the fee to receive your building consent documents. You can pay the fee online or in person.
Here are the fees that you might need to pay when applying for building consent.
| Project Information Memorandum | |||||||||
| Residential | |||||||||
| Minor Works | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Spa Pools | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Swimming Pools | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Garages | $420.00 | ||||||||
| Small Building Works | $420.00 | ||||||||
| Outbuilding Habitable | $420.00 | ||||||||
| Alterations and Additions | $420.00 | ||||||||
| All Dwellings | $523.00 | ||||||||
| Demolition Residential | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Commercial | |||||||||
| Commercial Demolition | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Commercial Minor Works | $317.00 | ||||||||
| Internal Fit out | $523.00 | ||||||||
| Up to 2 Storeys | $523.00 | ||||||||
| For all Other Commercial Projects | $729.00 | ||||||||
| Building Consents | ||||||||||
| Building Consent fees are excluding document management fees. Additional fees may also apply - see additional building consent related fees. Building consent fees are owed once you have submitted your application and will be required to be paid in full before granting. | ||||||||||
| Residential | ||||||||||
| Solar and retrofit insulation | Free | |||||||||
| Minor Works | $541.00 | |
| Spa pools | $1,286.00 | |
| Swimming Pools | $1,286.00 | |
| Garages | $1,397.00 | |
| Small Building Works | $1,397.00 | |
| Outbuilding Habitable | $2,382.00 | |
| Alterations and Additions | $2,587.00 | |
| Dwelling Single Storey | $5,176.00 | |
| Dwelling 2 Storey | $7,001.00 | |
| Dwelling 3 Storey or More | $10,858.00 | |
| Attached Residential Units | ||
| Attached Residential Units | plus per unit charge after 1st unit | per unit | $2,365.00 |
| Demolition Residential | $1,079.00 | |||||||||
| Commercial | ||||||||||
| Demolition Commercial | $1,286.00 | |||||||||
| Commercial Minor Works (including but not limited to installing a steel beam, installation of a sink, installation of a door) |
$1,079.00 | |||||||||
| Small Commercial building works | $2,382.00 | |||||||||
| Internal Fit out and Alterations <= $500,000 | $4,730.00 | |||||||||
| Up to 2 Storey <= $1,000,000 | $8,809.00 | |||||||||
| More than 2 storeys and/or > $1,000,000 | $12,109.00 | |
| More than 2 storeys and/or > $1,000,000 | plus additional hourly rate where applicable | per hour | $206.00 |
| Request for Further Information during processing - minimum of 1 hour charged | per hour | $206.00 |
| Photocopying and printing | |||||||||
| Photocopying and Printing - A4 | per page | $1.30 | |||||||
| Photocopying and Printing - A3 | per page | $2.40 | |||||||
| Document Management (Digitisation) | |||||||||
| Document Management (Digitisation) - A4 | per page | $2.20 | |||||||
| Document Management (Digitisation) - A3 | per page | $3.30 | |||||||
| Document Management (Digitisation) - A2 | per page | $3.30 | |||||||
| Document Management (Digitisation) - A0 | per page | $3.30 | |||||||
| Electronic Data Management | ||||||||
| Value of work less than $20,000 | Free | |||||||
| Residential | $150.00 | |||||||
| Commercial | $300.00 | |||||||
| Additional Building Consent Related Fees | |||||||||
| Building Accreditation Levy 50 cents per $1,000 of building value | per $1000 | $0.50 | |||||||
| BRANZ Levy $1.00 per $1,000 on projects $20,000 and over | per $1000 | $1.00 | |||||||
| MBIE Levy $1.75 per $1,000 on projects $20,444 and over | per $1000 | $1.75 | |||||||
| Engineering Audit Fee | $250.00 | |
| External consultancy fees | actual cost |
| Water, Stormwater and Waste Services charges Including but not limited to: Service Connections/Disconnections, CCTV Surveys, Trade waste |
Refer Wastewater, Stormwater and Water fees and charges |
| Additional Inspections | per hour | $223.00 |
| On-site Minor Variation | $223.00 | |
| Inspection of Building to be Shifted in to/within Hamilton City | $223.00 | |
| Inspection of Building to be Shifted in to/within Hamilton City | plus Mileage Outside of City | per km | $0.84 |
| Inspection of Building to be Shifted in to/within Hamilton City | plus Time for Inspector to Travel Outside of City | per hour | $223.00 |
| Inspection of Amusement Devices | $11.50 | |
| Amendments to a Building Consent Application | per hour | $206.00 |
| Application to Extend Time For Which a Building Consent is Valid | $111.00 | |
| Urgent Residential Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) | $445.00 | |
| Code Compliance Certificate | $445.00 | |
| Commercial Code Compliance Certificate | $892.00 | |
| Copy of Code Compliance Certificate | $53.00 | |||||||
| Pre-application meeting to lodge a Building Consent | $167.00 | |||||||
| Pre-inspection for a pool boundary fence | $223.00 | |||||||
| Building Warrant of Fitness and Compliance Schedule | ||||||||
| Processing annual Building Warrant of Fitness | $111.00 | |||||||
| New and amendment of a Compliance Schedule | $223.00 | |||||||
| New and amendment of a Compliance Schedule | plus charge per system or feature | per system or feature | $106.00 |
| Replacement Compliance Schedule and Warrant of Fitness Statement | $53.00 | |
| Inspection of Compliance Schedule Maintenance and Reporting Procedures | $223.00 | |
| Compliance Schedule Re-inspection | per hour | $223.00 |
| Swimming Pool & Fencing Compliance | ||||||||
| 3 yearly pool audit - first visit | $223.00 | |||||||
| Additional audit visits | per hour | $223.00 |
| Other Applications | ||||||||
| Application for Waiver or Modification to the Building Code. Additional inspection charges may also apply. |
$635.00 | |||||||
| Request for exemption from building consent | $309.00 | |||||||
| Commercial request for exemption from building consent | $515.00 | |||||||
| Certificate of Acceptance Application (COA) | $670.00 | |
| Commercial Certificate of Acceptance Application (COA) | $890.00 | |
| Change of Use Application | $525.00 | |
| Certificate of Public Use (CPU) | $668.00 | |
| Liquor Licence - Compliance with Building Code Certificate | $223.00 | |
| Section 77-83 - Building Act 2004 | $525.00 | |
| Section 73-74 Fee | $318.00 | |
| Certificate of Title | $53.00 | |
| Replacement Earthquake-Prone Building Notice | $53.00 | |
| Functions Relating to Earthquake-Prone Buildings | $206.00 | |
| Building Control Hourly Rates | |||||||||
| Building Support Officer | per hour | $111.00 | |||||||
| Building Review Officer | per hour | $206.00 | |||||||
| Building Inspector | per hour | $223.00 | |||||||
| Compliance and Monitoring Officer | per hour | $223.00 | |||||||
| Team leader | per hour | $257.00 | |||||||
| Manager | per hour | $279.00 | |||||||
6. Starting work
Building must start within 12 months of building consent being issued or consent will lapse. You may apply for an extension of this time.
7. Inspections carried out
Building inspections ensure that each stage of the building work meets the requirements of the approved plans and specifications.
Inspections happen at regular stages throughout the building process and allow our building officers to gather enough information to issue the Code Compliance Certificate when the project is completed.
Inspections must be booked by calling us. The inspecting officer may refuse to inspect if they think the site is unsafe. A site notice or notice to fix may be issued for non-compliant work.
Visit the Build Waikato website for further details on preparing for an inspection.
8. Apply for Code Compliance Certificate
You or your agent, applies to us for a Code Compliance Certificate on completion of the work. We must decide whether to issue this within 20 working days of all application paperwork and fees being submitted. We may request more information and the application process will pause until the information is received.
If there is no application for a Certificate within two years of the building consent being granted, we must decide whether to issue the Certificate within two years and 20 days from the date the building consent was granted. You may apply for an extension of time to complete the work.
9. Code Compliance Certificate fees paid then issued.
Pay any remaining fees due and receive your Code Compliance Certificate.
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Last updated 27 July 2023