Apply for building consent using MultiProof

Each time you want to build your approved design you need to allow for the Building Consent Authority (BCA) to confirm and decide:

• the design, with any permitted variations, is the same as the one in the plans and specifications approved as part of the MultiProof
• the proposed site meets the conditions of the MultiProof
• any site-specific features of the design comply with the Building Code
• if any inspections are required.

If you have a MultiProof for the design, the BCA must grant or refuse your building consent application within 10 working days instead of the usual 20.

The BCA will charge its own processing fee, but it should be lower than a standard fee because the Building Code compliance of most of the design has already been confirmed.

What to provide the Building Consent Authority

In addition to completing the BCA’s building consent application form and paying any fees, you need to provide:

• the application identity for the design which has a MultiProof certificate and provide the certificate number on the form
• provide plans and specifications for the proposed building, so that the BCA can compare the building consent application plans and specifications to the approved documents held online
• clearly identify any permitted alternatives that have been chosen
• provide a statement confirming the design complies with the MultiProof number issued by MBIE, no changes have been made outside those permitted in approved design, and the consent application meets all the conditions of the MultiProof for the proposed site.
• plans and specifications for any site specific building work (for example, foundations and site services) not covered by the MultiProof
• certificates of design work from any Design LBPs involved in the design of any site specific restricted building work (such as for the foundations) and for any parameter based variations.

There is no need to send the BCA the information you provided in your MultiProof application (such as calculations, certificates of design work etc.)

This information is held by us and does not need to be viewed by the council.

Additional information for offshore fabrication

If your MultiProof is for a design of a building which will be fabricated offshore, the BCA may ask you to identify any site assembly work if it is not clear in your documentation.

This is to confirm any work that needs to be carried out or supervised by an LBP, and to confirm any inspections are required.

You may also be asked to provide additional documentation as assurance that the prefabricated building, or a specific material or building method used in this building, is in accordance with the MultiProof.

For example you may be requested to make a declaration that the building was constructed in accordance with the MultiProof approved plans and specifications. You may need to provide evidence to confirm this.

After a building consent is issued

Your MultiProof is designed to make the building consent process easier. Once the BCA has issued a building consent for a particular use of your MultiProof design, its process and role will be similar to any other building project.

This includes any inspections required and issuing a code compliance certificate once building work is complete – if the BCA is satisfied the work complies with the building consent.

Changes from your MultiProof approvals

When applying for building consent

During the building consent application stage, you can make minor changes to your MultiProof approval called minor customisations.

Like minor variations, these are changes that do not move away significantly from the original plans and specifications approved by MBIE. 

Previously, you could only rely on a MultiProof if you build the design with any alternatives approved by MBIE. These alternatives are called permitted variations.

MBIE still encourages MultiProof approval holders to submit their most common design alternatives during the MultiProof assessment process to make processing the building consent easier.

If you are applying to a BCA for a building consent and want to make design changes that have not been approved by us in your MultiProof, the BCA will need to assess the whole design for Building Code compliance. The normal processing period of 20 working days will apply.

MBIE does encourage BCAs to take a reasonable approach to this. So if the changes:

• do not affect Building Code compliance, the BCA should process the design change as a minor customisation as a means of compliance for the rest of your design.
• do affect Building Code compliance, the BCA may still be able to use the MultiProof as a means of compliance for other parts of the design.

Once your building consent has been issued, work proceeds as it would for any other project.

Amendments after a building consent has been issued

Any amendments or variations you want to make to the consented plans will need to be approved by the BCA.

The process for an amendment to the building consent should be easy if the change is one of the permitted variations included in your MultiProof.

If the amendment is not one of the permitted variations and it is a significant change, and you have time, you can apply for an amendment to your MultiProof. You will then need to submit your application for an amendment to your building consent based on the amended MultiProof.

The BCA can also grant the building consent if it considers that the building work, if carried out in accordance with the proposed changes to the plans and specifications, complies with the Building Code.

The BCA has no grounds to refuse an application for an amendment to a building consent because a MultiProof does not apply.

If the changes are significant enough to not be considered a minor customisation, or they are not permitted by the MultiProof the BCA must make its own assessment of the compliance of the plans and specifications against the Building Code requirements.