Step-by-step guide - building product information requirements

Building work when consent is required

1. Fibreboard Peak Limited is a New Zealand based manufacturer of weatherboards made from fibre cement sourced from overseas. To be sold in New Zealand they must provide certain product information about the weatherboards. They collate information from the manufacturer, internal quality control testing and the results of external testing.
2. Fibreboard Peak Limited are uncertain of some of the claims from the overseas manufacturer so they check what testing was done, by who and to what international standard. They can also undertake 3rd party testing to be sure of the physical properties before including those claims in the product information.
3. The General Manager of a large building product retailer is preparing their staff for the requirement for all products in stock to meet the minimum information requirements. There are already a number of other regulatory requirements that have to be considered such as specific product testing.
4. The General Manager works with those staff members expand their role to track that building products they are selling comply with building product information requirements. The General Manager needs to ensure there is a process in place to check that the required information is included with the relevant products before they are made available for sale. This may include having in-store signage to ensure the information is available to the customer before purchase.
5. The designer thinks the weatherboards from Fibreboard Peak Limited would work well in their design but hasn’t used them before and needs to check how the weatherboards secure to the building structure. The designer is able to look up the technical drawings for installation within the product information and adjust the cladding design to ensure it meets these installation requirements.
6. The designer is also able to see how this product works with the wider building design to meet Building Code performance requirements by reading through the building product information provided with the weatherboards. It is clear from the product information that the product is not subject to a warning or a ban.
7. The building consent officer is reviewing the building consent application for the customer’s new home. She hasn’t come across Fibreboard Peak Limited’s weatherboards before. Previously the agent would have had to seek further information from the architect to understand the weatherboards scope and limitations. Now they are able to look up the product information on the manufacturer’s website.
8. The builder who is working on the customer’s house has not installed Fibreboard Peak Limited’s weatherboards before but, as building products now must include installation information, they are able to install the weatherboards correctly first time. They must ensure that the building products are installed so that the building work complies with the building code and the relevant plans and specifications. This saves them from having to redo them later because they weren’t installed properly.
9. The customers are happy with how their new house is progressing. They find an alternative weatherboard they think would look better in their house. After checking the product information and discussing the relevant differences and similarities to the weatherboards being used in the rest of the house, they are confident the new weatherboards will also be fit for purpose. With the designers’ help they complete a variation to the building consent to update the building consent.
10. Complaints regarding non-compliance by manufacturers, importers, wholesalers/retailers and distributors with the requirements for building product information is lodged with MBIE. This covers failure to provide the required building product information and making false or misleading representations about the product.
11. The corrective action may include creating a compliant building product information to cease making false representations. MBIE may also proceed with an investigation that may lead to prosecution and imposition of applicable fines.