How are you handling exemptions?

Q:Building Amendment 2013 has expanded the amount of building work for which a building consent is not required. How do you think this will affect your business?

Firm: Luke Matchett Builders
Principal: Luke Matchett
Location: Morrinsville
Staff: 2 carpenters, 1 apprentice

Given the type of work we do – which is mainly residential – it hasn’t affected us that much. While there are a few bits and pieces, or smaller jobs, that now don’t require a consent, the majority of our work does.
If the Government is looking to streamline the process, I think a better option would be to reduce the number of council inspections that take place during a residential build. At the moment, there are five inspections and, because inspectors aren’t always available when it’s convenient for us, it interrupts the workflow; sometimes we need to go back and re-visit a site we’ve moved on from.

While inspections are important, I feel they’ve become a bit redundant because, as LBPs, we’re taking responsibility for the quality of the build ourselves. If we’re not confident that we can build code-complaint houses, then we shouldn’t be putting our name to the work and making ourselves liable for the next ten years – having inspections isn’t going to change that.

Firm: Quality Construction
Principal: Dan Albert
Location: Porirua
Staff: 3 carpenters, 1 apprentice

In general, I think it’s a positive move because Schedule 1 of the Building Code is not widely understood by the building fraternity. Having an amendment – and increasing fines alongside the new regulations! – forces the issue into focus and highlights the content.

The Building Code is the foundation document for all builds, as everything needs to be code-compliant, so it’s important that builders are well acquainted with its content.

However, I think having a document that stipulates what you can and can’t do without a building consent, while simultaneously reiterating that all the work must still be code-compliant, can create some confusion. Just because the council doesn’t require a consent for a type of work – say a 1.5m retaining wall – doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to comply with the Building Code.

In essence, instead of placing the burden on the council, it places it on the builder. This is fine if you’re 100% confident that your structure complies with the code, but if I have any doubts, I’m still going to get a consent. While consents might be time-consuming, in my view they’re a great way to protect everyone involved and I always think it’s better to err on the side of caution.

Firm: Able Builders
Principal: Wayne Haynes
Location: Wanganui
Staff: 1 carpenter, 1 apprentice

Since I started my own residential and alterations business in 1992, the amount of red tape has increased significantly and consents are definitely a part of that. For that reason, I think that determining which types of work can be considered low risk, and therefore exempt, is a good idea. There definitely used to be a few very simple and straightforward jobs that required a consent, so it’s good to see them realise that!

Things were fairly slow here last year and enquiries are just finally starting to pick up, so reducing the amount of paperwork is a great way to get things moving. However, it does mean that you have to rely on your own standards of quality, instead of getting that stamp of approval from the council, so it’s important builders make sure their work still complies with the building code.