Rapid building assessment resources

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Cover of the Rapid Post Disaster Building Usability Assessment – Earthquake document

Resources to assist authorised Rapid Building Assessors and engineers to effectively carry out rapid building assessments.

The following field guides, rapid building assessment forms and placards are used by authorised Rapid Building Assessors (RBAs) and engineers to effectively carry out rapid building assessments following an emergency event.

Field guides

As part of MBIE's continuous improvement programme, the Rapid Building Assessment Field Guides have recently undergone revisions. As part of these revisions, the previous earthquake and flooding field guides have been incorporated into one comprehensive field guide to cover all natural events. The revisions have simplified the rapid building assessment process, whilst providing more examples and observations to provide ease of use for Rapid Building Assessors.

The Geotechnical Field Guide is currently being revised and will be re-published in 2025.

Authorised RBAs and engineers should carry out rapid building assessments in accordance with the relevant field guide:

Previous versions

Previous versions of the field guides.

Rapid building assessment forms

Territorial authorities and authorised RBAs must use the approved forms and placards when preparing rapid building assessments.

Forms (PDF)

Building rapid assessment form (all event types) [PDF 349KB]

Geotechnical rapid building assessment form [PDF 373KB]

Rapid building assessment survey templates (digital forms)

Digital versions of the rapid building assessment and geotechnical forms are available for territorial authorities to download onto an Arc GIS platform (eg Survey 123).

Guidance for RBAs

How to access rapid building assessment templates on Survey123

Guidance and resources for system administrators

MBIE rapid building assessment survey templates and data dictionary

Publishing the MBIE RBA survey templates

Rapid building assessment placards

The following placards are used by authorised RBAs, following a rapid building assessment, to show how a building may be used and whether there are any restrictions to occupancy. Only authorised officials can place, change or remove these placards.

Download and print:

Placards and forms quick guide to the 2023 changes

MBIE produced a quick guide detailing the changes to the placards and rapid building assessment forms, including implementation information for territorial authorities.

Rapid building assessment placards and forms quick guide [PDF 1.2MB]

Detailed assessments

In a state of emergency or transition period, or when an affected area has been designated under the Building Act for building emergency management, civil defence emergency management/territorial authority officials can direct the owner of a building, or owners of buildings of a particular type, to obtain a detailed assessment of the building. These assessments are the responsibility of a building owner.

Information about the assessment process can be found in MBIE's Guidance for decision-makers and territorial authorities on managing buildings in an emergency.

The Civil Defence website also has further information about requiring a structural assessment.

Guidance is also available on the different types of detailed assessments: