Building Control

Council's Building Control department is responsible for making sure all building work in the Southland District complies with the Building Code.

What work requires a consent and what doesn't, along with the building consent process and forms, are explained and listed on the following pages.

Do you need a building consent?

Basic building jobs, such as laying a patio or installing kitchen cupboards, do not require a building consent.

But many more complicated household projects do. If you considering building or plumbing work, you need to talk to Council building control staff to be sure whether a building consent is required or not.

Work that does require a building consent is set out by the Building Act 2004 (Schedule 1).  Although your particular project may be exempt from the need for a building consent, the work must still satisfy the provisions of the Building Code.

Examples of work that require a building consent:

  • Structural - additions, alterations, re-piling, demolition
  • Plumbing and drainage (except the repair and maintenance of existing components)
  • Relocating a building
  • Installing a solid or diesel fired heating unit
  • Retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres or taking building/vehicle loading surcharge
  • Fences or walls higher than 2 metres and all swimming pool fences
  • Swimming pools
  • Decks, platforms or bridges more than 1 metre above ground level
  • Sheds greater than 10 square metres in floor area

Examples of work that don't require a building consent:

  • Decks, platforms or bridges with a fall height of less than 1 metre
  • Garden trellis or fences less than 2 metres high
  • Installing kitchen cupboards
  • Small garden ponds less than 400mm depth
  • Maintenance of homes, for example, replacing spouting or a piece of weatherboard
  • Building a garden shed or outbuilding less than 10 square metres in floor area and greater than its own height from a boundary

If you are unsure, please contact Council's Building Control Department on 0800 732 732 or email building_cs@southlanddc.govt.nz

The department is managed by Kevin O'Connor, with eight building control officers, two building consent processing officers and two customer services officers.

 

About this page

First added: 19 February 2009
Last updated: 21 January 2010

Who to contact

If you would like to discuss a matter on this page, feel free to contact us:

Building Control
P.O. Box 903
Invercargill 9840
Phone: 0800 732 732
Fax: 0800 732 329
building_cs@southlanddc.govt.nz