4.1 Repair, maintenance, and replacement of sanitary plumbing and drainage

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Please note: The below exemption comes into force from 31 August 2020. You will still need a building consent if your project starts before this date.

This exemption enables a range of work relating to the repair, maintenance and replacement of sanitary plumbing or drainage to be done without a building consent - as long as it is carried out by an authorised person.

For repairs and maintenance, comparable materials must be used. For replacement work, comparable components or assemblies can be used providing the replacement is in the same position.

What is exempt

1. A home owner wants to replace an existing vanity with a new one. A building consent is not required as they are replacing an existing sanitary fixture with another comparable fixture in the same position.
2. Repairing a septic tank effluent disposal system.
3. A section of glazed earthenware foul water drain is damaged in an earthquake and requires replacement. A drainlayer proposes to replace the damaged section with uPVC. This does not require a consent as it is considered to be a comparable component.

What needs consent

1. A commercial building owner needs to replace a backflow preventer (reduced pressure zone device). As an automatic backflow preventer is a specified system and the work involves a complete replacement, a building consent is required.
2. Replacing a leaking potable water supply pipe which has failed to meet its Building Code durability requirements.

What the law says

32. Repair, maintenance, and replacement

The repair and maintenance of any sanitary plumbing and drainage in or associated with a building, provided that comparable materials are used.

2. Replacement of sanitary plumbing and drainage in or associated with a building, provided that:

(a). a comparable component or assembly is used; and

(b). the replacement is in the same position.

3. However, subclauses (1) and (2) do not include the following building work:

(a). complete or substantial replacement of a specified system; or

(b). repair or replacement (other than maintenance) of any component or assembly that has failed to satisfy the provisions of the Building Code for durability, for example, through a failure to comply with the external moisture requirements of the Building Code; or

(c). repair or replacement of any water heater (unless permitted under clauses 36 to 38 (sections 4.3., 4.4. and 4.5.).