Amending and lapsed consents
This page contains information on amending your consent (minor variations, major amendments and product substitution) and what happens when your building consent lapses.
Amendments to consent
It is essential to let Council know if you are changing your building work so changes can be made to the building consent document (if needed) and to ensure the building process remains safe.
In any instance, it is important to keep Council informed of any changes made that vary from those on the building consent. This link provides a helpful flowchart to give you an idea of what separates minor variations from major amendments and product substitutions.
Minor variations
Small modifications, additions, or variations to a building consent are considered minor variations. They are things that do not change significantly from what is stated in the approved building consent document.
Minor variations include things such as minor wall bracing changes, changing the type of timber treatment or changing insulation brands.
You will need Council approval to carry out minor variations and they can only be applied to building consents that have already been issued (and where the code compliance certificate has also not been issued).
Read more about minor variations here.
Major amendments
Generally, where the work is outside the scope of the original consent, it is considered to be a major variation.
A major variation could be changing part, or all, the cladding system that is stated in the original consent document, or a deck or carport shown on the building consent drawings is no longer going to be built.
Major variations interfere with the compliance of the Building Code and formal amendment needs to be made to the original building consent before work is undertaken. If the changes are approved, the amendments are added to the official building consent documents.
Read more about major amendments here.
Product substitution
If you wish to substitute products that have been specified and approved in the building consent, you need to notify Council of how the proposed changes will still meet the Building Code requirements.
Read more about substitution here.
Read more about changing your consent here.
Lapsed consents
Once your building consent is issued it either lapses or Code Compliance Certificate refused. Building work needs to be started within 12 months of the consent being issued. If it is not, then the consent will lapse and no longer be valid.
Council will contact the owner after 11 months of the consent being issued if no inspection requests have been made. If no contact from the owner is received, the consent will lapse and another one will need to be applied for (if building work is still planned to go ahead).
You can get in touch with Council if you do not think you will be able to start the intended building work within the 12 month period.
If you wish to withdraw your application for building consent, you can do so in writing. All plans and specifications will be returned to you (as the owner). No fees are refundable.
Code Compliance - refer definitions
Read more on lapsed consents here.
15 July 2020
