Step-by-step guide for first time land developers

1. Feasibility and due diligence

Overview of feasibility and due diligence

Before you commit to a design, it’s important to understand what’s allowed on your land, whether it’s financially viable, and what’s physically possible. We recommend you engage professionals to support you through the process.

Overview of feasibility and due diligence

Feasibility and due diligence include all the work that you should do before you commit too much time and money in your development plans.

Before you break ground on your development, or even buy a property for development, taking the time to properly plan and assess feasibility can save you time, money and stress.

Understanding what’s possible on your site, and what infrastructure and approvals are needed, helps you make informed decisions, avoid costly surprises, and makes sure your project aligns with Hamilton City Council’s requirements.

Whether you’re subdividing land or intensifying housing, early planning puts you on the path to a smoother, faster development journey.

If this is your first development project, good planning is your best investment. Understanding what’s allowed on your site, where services like water and wastewater are located, and what approvals you’ll need can save you from costly mistakes. Early conversations with Council and the right professionals will help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Avoid delays and plan ahead.

Even if you’ve developed land before, every site comes with its own constraints. Confirming infrastructure capacity, zoning, and servicing requirements early helps you avoid redesigns, delays, or unexpected costs. Council’s planning and engineering teams are here to help you streamline the process and get it right the first time.

While acknowledging every development is unique, we provide some guidance for you to work with to help you consider and answer relevant questions relating to Council requirements.

Engaging a suitably qualified professional to support you through the process is highly recommended.

The guide we provide are things you need to consider from a technical development perspective, and you will still need to do your financial due diligence. Our goal is to help make sure your development does not run into unnecessary surprises, or you miss important steps on your journey. We are here to support you in a successful development project.

Below is a high level summary of things to consider when assessing the feasibility of your development. More details are provided in the following sections of the development process.

Things to consider when assessing the feasibility of your development

Check your zoning in the District Plan.

Confirm if any special site, feature, overlay or designation applies.

Confirm if your project includes a subdivision.

Check if development contributions are required.
Explore geographic data and information about Council water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure in Hamilton.
Check if your site is subject to flooding hazard.
Check requirements of the Integrated Catchment Management Plan.

Check on acceptable on-lot stormwater solutions and guidelines of required reports.

Check if the site is subject to a wastewater constraint.

Check if your development will require a Trade waste application
Check if your development will require a Water supply allocation and high-water use agreements
Waste management guideline for constructions and new development.

Check private legal agreements, title restrictions or covenants that your property may be subject to.
Review any shared service agreements, joint ventures, or existing covenants that may affect development rights or obligations.

Land title restrictions: Check for easements, encumbrances (restrictions or limitations), or consent notices registered on the property title.

Boundary and fencing issues: ensure boundary accuracy through a licensed cadastral surveyor.

Access agreements or right-of-way arrangements for shared access or landlocked sections.

If you still have questions or your plans have progressed and you’re ready to discuss with Council, please book a meeting with the Council Duty Planner.

Book a meeting with a Duty Planner

2. Planning and approvals

Overview of planning and approvals

Planning and approvals are the detailed planning stage required to get you to construction. It includes the engagement of professional services to undertaking advice, surveying, consent applications and detailed plans to make sure your development is successful.

To complete this phase you will need to engage professionals and start spending money to support you through your development journey.

For example, to gain engineering approval you will need to prepare engineering plans that are prepared by a suitably qualified professional, e.g. a qualified engineer or surveyor.

Approvals you’ll need

Depending on your development, you may need one or more of the following and we can help you understand which approvals apply to your project.

Check if development contributions are required.
If you have any queries regarding resource consent, contact the duty planner or book a pre-application meeting. Book a meeting with a Duty Planner.
Check if a resource consent is required, (e.g. subdivision, land use) and obtain one.
Confirm three waters service locations and levels. Apply for a Network Access Request to access manholes so that pipe depths and sizes can be confirmed to ensure they are accurate on the Engineering Plans.
Obtain Engineering Plan Approval (EPA). Submit your engineering plans prepared by a qualified professional for approval by Council’s Development Engineering Unit. Your designs must comply with Regional Infrastructure Technical Specifications (RITS) and other Council standards. Apply for Engineering Design Application.
Obtain a building consent for any building work.
If required obtain parks access request
Obtain approval to work around trees in public spaces and street trees. Please email us at ParksIPS@hcc.govt.nz
Talk to other service providers (power, fibre, gas) to understand where buried services are located to ensure that the Engineering Plans are accurate.
For commercial and industrial activities an application for Trade Waste may be required.
For commercial and industrial activities with proposed water demand of greater than 15m3, water allocation approval and high-water use agreement will be required. To learn more click here

3. Construction and connection to city services

Overview of construction and connection to city services

Construction is where you see your development come to life after you receive the necessary approvals.

You’ll need qualified professionals to manage your project and do the work, including connection to the three waters (water, wastewater and storm water) network and roading infrastructure to ensure it is built to the approved design and required quality.

Things to do

For developments with relevant resource consent, submit Notice of intention to commence development works.
Make sure your development contributions have been paid.
On approval of your connection application you will receive a connection certificate with details of the quality inspection hold-points that are required throughout the connection. Inspections are pre-booked based on your submitted work schedule. Please notify council if your work schedule changes for any reason.
Please note that if your project timeline changes and you do not notify council you may incur additional fees.

Apply for a three waters connection for the physical connection of your development to the three waters network. On reviewing this application, you will be issued a Connection Certificate which specifies who (pre-qualified connection contractor) can make the connection, how and when, and what quality assurance inspections are required.

Your connection certificate will have a unique Connection Application Number which you will need to reference throughout the life of your project. See some suggestions regarding engaging a contractor. Download Guide here

Your connection certificate will include details of the quality inspection hold-points that are required throughout the connection. Inspections are pre-booked based on your submitted work schedule. Please notify Council if your work schedule changes for any reason.

Advising Council of when your physical works is due to commence, and the estimated month of completion, allows us to schedule on-site visits for quality assurance – saving you time in the long run. It also helps to prepare for any complaints that may arise resulting from construction such as dust or noise.

Please note that if your project timeline changes and you do not notify Council, you may incur additional fees.

Apply for a Network Access Request. Council needs to manage access to the local water services infrastructure. Your chosen pre-qualified contractor from Council's list will support you in doing three waters connections and will understand what is required in applying for access to work on the infrastructure.
Apply for a water shutdown. Your chosen pre-qualified contractor from Council's list will support you in doing your water connections and will understand what is required in requesting and shutting down water to do your work.
Organise an on-site pre-start meeting between Council and all parties involved in your development. Contact Council on 07 838 6699 to book a meeting using your resource consent and certificate to connect reference number.

This is important because it may be the first time everyone has actually met each other, and it is valuable having direct contact with people you’re working with to ensure the success of the development.

Also, things look great on paper, however, there is often a mismatch between what is planned and designed on paper, and what exists in reality. We hope these have been discovered before you get to this point, but if they haven’t, it is important to address them before you start construction.

Your contractor must build to a certified engineering design plan and standards and not deviate without prior-written approval from Council’s Land Development Engineering Unit.

Submit minor variations / amendments to an existing certified Engineering Design Plan.
Request access through a road corridor and apply for a traffic management plan in relation to your development activity.
Book a vehicle crossing inspection.
All new three waters infrastructure within the site boundary that will be vested to Council will require inspection and sign off by the Development Auditor. Contact Council on 07 838 6699 to book an inspection using your resource consent reference number.
For three waters connection works being undertaken by the approved contractor, Council will need to check at key stages of the physical works. It is important to book inspections. Contact Council on 07 838 6699 to confirm your booking as required in your connection certificate.
On completion, Council will do a final site inspection and confirm whether we’re satisfied with reinstatement and infrastructure. Contact council on 07 838 6699 to book a final inspection using your connection application reference number.
Council will inspect building work. Request a building inspection
Complete any reinstatement of footpaths, berms, and roads to Council standards.

4. Project close and final sign-off

Overview of project close

Project close is the last step in the process where your development is completed and approved for use.

All engineering and physical works must be approved by Council to ensure compliance with relevant consent conditions and standards.

Things to do

To prepare for project close:

Ensure development contributions are fully paid.
For all three waters connection works - submit your application for certificate of acceptance by emailing the completed work pack and relevant asset information to 3waters.connection@hcc.govt.nz
Ensure all outstanding fees are paid. A certificate of acceptance will not be issued until these are paid.
Once work is complete and documentation submitted, Council will:

Confirm compliance to design standards and ensure satisfactory test results (including pressure tests, CCTV, water quality and compaction.)

Confirm as-built drawings and necessary data and documentation is submitted in correct format.

As-built data sheet. See page 50 of the Regional Infrastructure Technical Specifications.

As-built Drawings
Templates for Data Asset sheets

Ensure all outstanding fees are paid. A certificate of acceptance will not be issued until these are paid.
For three waters connection council will issue a certificate of acceptance.

For developments with relevant resource consent, we may set conditions that must be monitored and adhere to. Click here to know more about monitoring resource consent conditions
For land use consent – submit engineering works completion report. Email to: planningcompliance@hcc.govt.nz
On completion of the subdivision development submit your works clearance and subdivision certification application.
Ensure you have obtained Certificate of Acceptance for the three waters connection works to avoid delays in the works clearance process.

Apply for your Code of Compliance

Corridor Access Request (CAR) closure documentation and reinstatement sign-off. Submit your application for final inspection required in the Corridor Access Request.