Is a Building Consent required?

[Cliffy]

Hi All,

I am wanting to move an internal, non load bearing wall approx 500mm to make the bathroom bigger in our PPOR.

Is a building consent required for this sort of alteration?


I have telephoned the council and talked to someone of dubious intelligence and grasp of the english language on the helpdesk who basically said "if it involves building of course you need a building consent" which is incorrect - I could build a retaining wall under 1.5 m or a deck under 1m height and not need consent.

Anyone know the answer?

[Sapphire]

Don't know the answer to this officially but our IP in Manurewa, which was our PPOR, has had the wall removed between the upstairs bathroom and toilet to make a combined/larger bathroom, and another wall removed between two of the bedrooms to make a ginormous master bedroom with 2 dbl wardrobes.

PS - We are not guilty of doing the work as it was already done before we purchased, but the house had been raised on a full basement to become 4-brm, 2 living, 2 bthrms, etc. and may have been done at the same time as the building consent to raise the house.

[Sapphire]

PS - We did add an extra internal wall under one of the floor joists to divide a very long living room (the length of a tandem dble garage) to still have a decent sized downstairs living room, and a separate office the size of an average bedroom.

[Cliffy]

Checking out consumerbuild.org.nz :

Under the Building Act 2004, building work (relevant to alterations and renovations) which requires consent includes:

* Alterations, additions and many structural repairs to existing buildings, for example, removing or changing structural load-bearing walls. In some cases you will need consent to replace all wall linings at once as they may serve a structural purpose. Any alterations to intertenancy walls, i.e. those separating units in a multi-unit development, will need building consent.

http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/reno/renovations_consents.php

I take this to mean one is not required which saves me having to wait the 50 working days it is currently taking Auckland City Council to process one.

[dksnz]

Of interest, along the same lines...

Rodney DC have a special form to fill out - 'work not requiring a building consent'.

Fill it out & pay the fee - $90, so they can add it onto the file. Easy Money.

If they can't get you one way they will try another.....

[Balfour]

I am replacing an open fireplace in Christchurch and when te uy came to install the new "ECAN Approved" log burner today he asked if I had a permit. Did'nt know I needed one to replace and existing fireplace but as we had been waiting six weeks just to get him to come I said yes.

Can I get a permit retrospectivly for this sort of thing?

[dksnz]

Hi Balfour,
Could be pushing it on this!!???

Getting a fireplace perimt BEFORE doing the work in not hard - normally you pay a small fee, and provide basic specs about the fireplace & materials being used. If they inspect it would be after its all done finished.

However, I would go and speak to council about it as if you are doing it before installing it & see what they say, and if they want to inspect it when finished, give it a week, then arrange that.

The main issue here is the insurance - if the installed fireplace causes a fire, and its discovered no permit, its likely there would be no insurance cover either.

I am surprised the shop which sold you the fireplace did not advise about a permit being needed.

Cheers DS.

[Balfour]

Applied for the permit today and they processed it the and there, an easy $140 for Ch Ch council. And a bullet dodged for us thankfully.

[Spabath]

Quite sure you've already answered your own question here, but you do not need a building consent here. Building inspectors are not interested in non-load bearing walls, the only things you have to watch in renovations are structure, waterproofing, and new connections to public works. i.e. if you were installing a new toilet, you would then need a consent, however if you're replacing a toilet, you do not.

Any electical work you have done should be signed off by an electrician, and does not need to be done by council, so you're clear here too.

If you do do something minor, there is also a minor consent you can apply for if you want assurance. The rules are relaxed a little for these, and in most places you can just walk in with your plans and have a chat and get it all done there and then.

When you come to sell the house, if the council have records of the original plan, and you're alterations are significant enough, this may be highlighted in the LIM report, but doesnt usually have any more significance than that, (unless you've added a garage or converted a garage or something major like that)

Hope this helps!

[Cliffy]

Thanks for the response Nathan.

I have talked to others at the council and come to the same conclusion.

Technically, a BC is required for any structural or plumbing alterations - I'm moving a wall and replacing a shub with a bath and a shower cubicle so structure changes and new plumbing.

However as you say I could probably get away with no consent or a minor consent.

With new Building Act i would also need a PIM (Project Infromation Memorandum) etc, so paperwork before even starting work could be around $1500.

I might look at getting a consent and adding some other renovations we are planning in next 2 years to it.

[dksnz]

Hi Cilffy,

I might look at getting a consent and adding some other renovations we are planning in next 2 years to it.

I'm afraid the councils can have you by the goolies on that one also - the latest bldg code says all work must be finished within 2 years for a consent so they would suggest a staged [or 2] consents - more $$ for them.

Depending on the extent of the changes I would consider doing it now & then detail it on your later [major] alteration plans as existing - so long as everything is done to code requirements. Depends on a lot of things tho - age of house vs. what documentation council already have etc.

Cheers DS

[Spabath]

Technically, a BC is required for any structural or plumbing alterations - I'm moving a wall and replacing a shub with a bath and a shower cubicle so structure changes and new plumbing.
.

If the wall is non-structural, then you dont. i.e. Is the wall holding up the house? If it is, a building consent will be the least of your worries Replacing plumbing fittings and fixtures do not constitute new connections to public amenities, and therefore do not require a building consent.
i.e. you're not running additional pipework from your HWC, or making a new connection to your gully trap etc are you?

[Cliffy]

Thanks again Nathan,

That's exactly what I wanted to hear!

[AustinWong]

Consents have exoirries...so make sure you check. Also I doubt it would be $1500...that woud be excessive in my book and from what I have seen with the Hauraki District Council.

And yes, you are always better off putting a few things on the consent.

Good luck.

L

[MaryJ]

Load-bearing wall???

How does one know whether a wall is load-bearing or not?? I looked at a property today that would need the wall between kitchen and lounge taken out. Can anyone give me a tip on how I see whether the wall is load-bearing or not? Also, what's your take on the cost of taking out a non-bearing wall?
cheers
Mary