Standard order of documents checklist

Three things help to speed up the processing of your building consent application and reduce the number of requests for information (RFI) you are likely to receive:

• the quality of information that you provide in your application
• ensuring that you only provide information relevant to your application
• presenting the plans and supporting documents in an order that makes it easy to find the information and process.

Building consent documentation

Your consent documentation will generally fall into four main sets of information:

• application form information
• plans
• specifications
• supporting documents

There may be special circumstances where a council requires additional information due to particular site issues. For example, some areas in Aotearoa New Zealand are more prone to liquefaction and slope stability issues, and councils may require you to provide information specific to these issues as part of your application. 

Applying for a building consent

Most councils now have online portals that allow you to submit your application electronically. The minimum information that you will need is as follows:

• a completed and signed application form
• plans and specifications
• any other information that the building consent authority reasonably requires
• fees
• the PIM if one has previously been issued
• a list of the specified systems (if any)
• the names of each Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) undertaking or supervising restricted building work
• certificate of design work if the work includes restricted building work.

You will often be required to upload information in a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. It is important that these PDFs are searchable and use bookmarks for navigation, that any digital signatures are securely attached to the PDF, and that you do not link any external files or documents in your PDF.

Standard order of documents checklist

The standard order of documents checklist can be used for residential dwellings. It will assist you to ensure your building consent application is well organised and clearly set out and may take less time for a building consent officer (BCO) to process.