Most BCAs hit inspection target

New government data shows almost all Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) are meeting mandatory inspection timeframes  

Introduced in August, BCAs are required to complete at least 80% of building inspections within three working days of the date requested by the building owner. The first release of data shows that 66 out of 67 BCAs have hit target. 

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the new requirements were designed to address one of the most frequent frustrations raised by builders and homeowners: waiting for inspections.  

“Waiting for those inspections is one of the biggest frustrations for builders. Delays add significant time and cost to a project, especially when work must stop and resources or people need to be reallocated. For every day of delay, roughly $400 is added to the cost of a construction project,” he said. 

Hitting targets 

According to the Government’s Q3 data release, 55 BCAs provided inspection wait time information and collectively carried out 67,000 inspections, with 97.3% completed within three working days. Of these, approximately 57,900 were completed on the day they were requested. 

Penk said the results reflects the impact of public performance reporting since last April.  

“We know that shining a light on system performance drives accountability and better outcomes,” he said. 

During a transition period ending in July 2026, BCAs are permitted to use one of two recording methods for inspection timeliness.  

“In place of wait times, 13 authorities reported on inspection availability, which is measured from the date the booking system is accessed to the date of the next available inspection appointment,” said Penk. 

“This includes Queenstown Lakes District Council, which is also counted in the 55 BCAs that provided inspection wait time data. The council switched methods partway through Q3, demonstrating that BCAs can successfully make the change. 

Across this group, 96.2% of inspection slots were available within three working days, with an average availability time of 1.2 days. 

Consents processed quickly 

Building consent data showed that during Q3, 95.7% of applications, including amendments and code compliance certificates, were processed within the statutory 20-day limit, compared with 93% in Q3 2024. 

“These results show real progress in building consent system performance, and how quickly tradies can get on with putting roofs over Kiwis’ heads,” said Penk.