Building Act changes

If you're building or planning to build, there are changes to the Building Act that you need to know. 

An important change is the introduction of "Restricted Building Work" on 1 March 2012.  Restricted Building Work (RBW) is design and building work that is so critical to the integrity of a residential building.    

If your residential building work is structural or it affects the weathertightness of the building, the work may be Restricted Building Work.  This means you must employ a Licensed Building Practitioner(s) to design and carry out that work.  They must either do or supervise the work.

If you are the homeowner it is your responsibility to check the people you are using are licensed for the type of Restricted Building Work you are having done.  Ask to see their LBP card or to find a LBP visit the Department of Building and Housing website

Restricted Building Work (RBW)

RBW is the design and building work that is so critical to the integrity of a residential building.  From 1 March 2012, it can only be carried out or supervised by at LBP.  RBW seeks to do 2 things:

• ensure that critical design and building work is carried out or supervised by competent persons
• ensure that those people can be held to account if this work ends up being not up to standard

RBW only relates to residential construction, alterations and design.  Residential means houses and small to medium sized apartment buildings.  To find out if your building project is Restricted Building Work, visit Department of Building and Housing website check if it's Restricted Building Work

Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs)

LBPs are the only people allowed to supervise or carry out Restricted Building Works (RBW).  These are people who through assessment have shown to meet the standards of skill and competence in particular areas of building practice.
They include, but are not limited to:

• designers
• carpenters
• roofers
• bricklayers and blocklayers
• external plasterers
• foundations specialists

Professional engineers, architects, plumbers and gasfitters are treated as LBP and can carry out some RBW.

You and the building consent process

From 1 March 2012:

• You must ensure the people you plan to employ are Licensed Building Practitioners
• When you submit your building consent application, you will need to include a Memorandum - Certificate of Design Work (Form 2A) from a LBP certifying that the design work complies with the Building Code.
• Before work begins you must supply the names and registration numbers of the LBPs who will carry out the work. This is a LBP Notification Form (T-26.s1)
• When the building work is complete, you will need to include the Memorandum - Record of Building Work (Form 6A) from your LBPs with your application for Code Compliance Certificate (CCC).

More information

Department of Building and Housing - Restricted building work guidance
Council forms and pamphlets