Tradespeople, designers and consumers

Tradespeople, designers and consumers will not have any new responsibilities under the new regulations, it is important that they understand the principles and the benefits they can expect to see from improved and more consistent building product information.

At present, technical product information about building products can be poorly compiled and not address important issues such as how a product should be used, installed and maintained. The regulations will require a minimum level of information about building products to be made freely and publicly available. This will help designers, builders and consumers to choose the right products for the right building work and install them in the correct way. It will also help building consent authorities with more-efficient consenting as they will have the right information readily available to check that products in plans and specifications meet their applicable Building Code performance requirements.

Aotearoa New Zealand-based manufacturers and importers will need to make particular information about the building products they supply to the Aotearoa New Zealand market publicly available. They must be able to provide evidence for any claims they make about their products.

Aotearoa New Zealand-based wholesalers, distributors and retailers will need to check that the product information for designated products they supply complies with the new minimum information requirements and that the information is available to their customers.

Benefits for designers, tradespeople and consumers

Better product information is expected to result in fewer building defects, less building rework, more efficient consenting, and safer and more durable buildings.

Designers

Should expect to see a reduction in the need to respond to requests for information from building consent authorities. As a result, it is anticipated that designers will see a reduction in resource costs related to providing responses to requests.

Tradespeople

Should expect to see a reduction in the need to remedy or replace products that fail, provided installation is carried out as per instructions provided. Over time, they should see a reduction in labour costs relating to fixing or reinstalling products that were not installed correctly in the first instance.

Consumers

Should expect to see a reduced need for repair or remediation as a result of tradespeople having access to more information about the products they use. Over time, they should also see faster home builds as a result of reduced consent time.

Doing your part

Confirm that all building products used meet the minimum product information requirements and that you are installing products according to instructions given in the product information. This is particularly important when dealing with products you might not be familiar with. Information about the product must be available online with a link to the relevant website provided on or with each product.

If you find problems with the product information, then we encourage you to raise your concerns with the relevant product manufacturer or importer. If your concerns are not resolved, please notify the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). This information is important to help MBIE assess the impact of the legislative reforms, as well as ensure enforcement action can be taken where appropriate. Email MBIE at products@mbie.govt.nz

Read about what the designated building products are and the specific requirements that need to be published

Resources

View a variety of resources and tools to help implement the regulation changes.

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