Building Consents are only issued to the owner of the property requiring the consent. A Building Consent covers all building, plumbing, drainage, and some specialised gas fitting and electrical work on a development. There is a standard fee on application, and there may be additional charges at the issue of the Building Consent and when the building work has been completed. The first stop on your journey to obtaining a Building Consent is to have a Project Information Memorandum (PIM)
Project Information Memoranda (PIM).
The PIM is a document that outlines information Council has on your property and details of what utilities are available. Because of this, you need to get a PIM before your Building Consent as what the PIM states may affect the design of the building and supporting systems such as drainage and water. With your PIM application you will need to supply information (where applicable) about;
- the intended use of the building, site (including elevations, vehicle access and parking)
- plans and floor plans of the proposed building,
- proposed stormwater and wastewater disposal,
- details of provisions to be made in building over or adjacent to any road or public place and what precautions are to be taken where the building work is to take place over existing drains or sewers or in close proximity to wells or watermains,
- new connections to public utilities,
- details of any provisions to be made in any demolition work for the protection of the public, suppression of dust, disposal of debris, disconnection from public utilities and suppression of noise,
- any cultural heritage significance of the building or building site,
- any further details of the project that the Council may require for compliance with any other Act that is administered by the Council e.g. Resource Management Act, Health Act, Fire Service Act, Historic Places Act or Liquor Act.
Building Consents
You, or a representative such as your builder or architect, may apply for a Building Consent by filling in an application form and supplying the necessary information.
The application form lists each section of the Building Code and asks you to show how your proposed project meets the relevant requirements. The Building Consent Authority will also ask you for construction drawings, specifications and other necessary information to support your application.
The amount of information required will depend on the complexity of your building project. As a minimum, you are likely to need to include proof of ownership (e.g. a recent Certificate of Title) and detailed plans showing the site, floor plan, elevations, cross-sections, foundation details, drainage and bracing.
Attached to the application form is a checklist that you should complete. This checklist reminds you of the documentation that will be required, and will be used to check your application for completeness when you apply.
Application Form
Drop into Council Offices or download an application form for a Building Consent or PIM here. Remember, as from March 2006 you will also need the Building Consent Checklist, this is a guide to help ensure applicants know what documents they need.
For more information you may also want to download Franklin District Council's Guide to Building brouchure
If you still have any questions on applying for a Building Consent or PIM, please call our Building Team on 09 237 1340 or email them your question.
How your Application will be processed
Your application will first be vetted by a Building Consent Officer (who will use the checklist) to see if you have supplied all the documentation. Once accepted, the Council will then issue a Project Information Memorandum.
The Project Information Memorandum will tell you how your project will be affected by legislation other than the Building Act, eg. if you will need a resource consent, or if your project is affected by any Council by-laws. It will also tell you about any special features of the land that the Council knows of, such as erosion or the presence of hazardous materials, the details of any storm-water or wastewater systems relating to or near the site, and if you will need to pay a development contribution.
Once the Project Information Memorandum is issued, the application is examined for compliance with the Building Code. You may be asked for clarification on certain aspects of the plans and specifications and the process may stop until you have supplied that information. Once the application has been checked and it is considered that compliance will be achieved if the project were to be built in accordance with the plans and specifications, you will be asked to pay any further fees and levies outstanding before the Building Consent is issued.
Expected Timeframe
Franklin District Council gets hundreds of PIM and Building Consent applications a month and currently our processing timeframes are approximately 7 working days for a PIM, 15 working days for a Building Consent. Please remember, these are averages only. It is not a true tally for your personal application.