Legislation, Standards and Guidance

This section provides external links where you can view copies of relevant New Zealand legislation, and standards. Also information on Acceptable Solutions, Guidance Documents, & Standards,

We recommend that you use the NZ legislation website in order to be sure that you are using the latest version of any legislation, especially the Building Act and the Building Regulations (Building Code).

Keep up to date with reviews, and current bills before Parliament, by clicking on this link - Changes in Legislation.

LEGISLATION - Acts, Amendments & Regulations, and Gazette Notices
Legislation Amusement Devices Regulations 1978 Building Act 2004 (this is the latest version as of 13th March 2012, incorporating Building Amendment Act 2012) Schedule 1 exempt building work i.e. work that does not require a Building Consent. Building (Exempt Building Work) Order 2010 Amendment to Schedule 1, that extends exempt building work that does not need a Building Consent. This comes into force on 23 December 2010. A Summary of the Changes to the Building Act since 2004 (from the DBH, MBIE website). Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006 Building Amendment Act 2012 Building (Definition of Restricted Building Work) Order 2011 Building (Design Work Declared to be Building Work) Order 2007 (SR 2007/125) (as at 24 May 2007) Building (Designation of Building Work Licensing Classes) Order 2010 (SR 2010/43) Building (Fee for Determinations) Regulations 2005 (SR 2005/55) (as at 11 March 2005) Building (Forms) Regulations 2004 (SR 2004/385) (as at 01 March 2012) Building (Forms) Amendment Regulations 2011 Building (Infringement Offences, Fees, and Forms) Regulations 2007 (SR 2007/403) (as at 13 June 2008) Building Levy Order 2005 (SR 2005/33) (as at 25 February 2005) Building (Minor Variations) Regulations 2009 (as at 14th December 2009) Building (National Multiple-use Approval) Regulations 2011 (SR 2011/139) Building Practitioners (Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures) Regulations 2008 (SR 2008/304) Building Practitioners (Licensing Fees and Levy) Regulations 2010 (SR 2010/44) Building Practitioners (Register of Licensed Building Practitioners) Regulations 2010 (SR 2010/45) Building (Product Certification) Regulations 2008 (SR 2008/360) Building Regulations 1992 (Building Code) Building (Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005 (SR 2005/32) (as at 12 January 2006) Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002 Construction Contracts Act 2002 Construction Contracts Amendment Bill Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 Crimes Act 1961 - relevant to the Owner-Builder exemptions for Restricted Building Work Electricity Act 1992 Fair Trading Act 1986 Fencing Act 1978 Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 Fire Service Commission - Gazette Notice 03 May 2012 - Notice that Copies of Certain Applications for Building Consent Must be Provided to the New Zealand Fire Service Commission Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2007 Local Government Act 2002 Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 Oaths and Declarations Act - relevant to the Owner-Builder exemptions for Restricted Building Work Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 Registered Architects Act 2005 Registered Architects Rules 2006 Resource Management Act 1991 Resource Management (National Environmental Standards Relating to Certain Air Pollutants, Dioxins, and Other Toxics) Regulations 2004 Resource Management (National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health) Regulations 2011 [ Back to top ]
Acceptable Solutions Building Code Compliance Documents Updated B1 Structure effective from 1 August 2011 Updated B2 Durability Compliance Document - effective from 4 April 2011, download for free from DBH website Updated C documents - effective from 30 April 2012. BC Update 137 - Fire Design: a worked example for Verification Method C/VM2, with commentary. Gazette notice - updates the list of Building Code clauses that determine when a design must be submitted to the Fire Service Commission Gazette notice - transitional arrangement for internal surface finish requirements for Building Code clauses protection from fire Appendix B of the Commentary for Verification Method C/VM2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS). Updated E2 External Moisture effective from 1 August 2011 Download Individual Compliance Documents as free PDFs NZ Building Code Handbook (PDF 1.1MB) Compliance Schedule Handbook (PDF 319Kb) Simple House Acceptable Solution (PDF 4.12MB) Guidance documents Building Act 2004 Guidance Information Codewords - 2012, 2011 (The building controls newsletter from the DBH, MBIE website) Compliance Schedule Handbook Documenting Fire Safety Designs - IPENZ Practise Note 22. . Frequently Asked Questions - Protection from Fire. Guide to applying for a Building Consent (simple residential buildings) (PDF 3MB) Guidance and information sheets from the DBH website Guidance on Barrier design guidance on fire safety design Guidance on using NZS 3604 construction on ground with potential for liquefaction Guidance on reinforcement for concrete slabs-on-ground A quick guide to timber treatment for enclosed framing Guidelines for energy efficient HVAC plant Quick guide - Building code requirements: house insulation Restricted Building Work licensing publications and guidance documents
Standards Standards New Zealand NZS 3604:2011 Timber-framed buildings: Please note that the new NZS3604:2011 Timber-framed buildings has come out. The changes to this standard reflect changes in building practices over the last 10 years. This is a core resource that designers and builders need to be familiar with. Please check amendments to this, made as a consequence to the Christchurch earthquake findings. Refer to Code watch below.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL DESIGNERS AND BUILDERS

Significant changes have been made to the Building Code and these affect building structure (B1) and external moisture (E2) documents. In addition, new guidance documents have been introduced for barriers, reinforcing of concrete slab-on-ground floors, and building on soils subject to liquefaction. For more information go to the DBH website

Please note the dates when these changes come into force and when old documents expire. See Compliance Documents.

Code Watch is a new sector education alert by the Department of Building and Housing that highlights changes to the Building Code and its documents.....