Inspections

All building consents require specific inspections for building and plumbing work.

The Council carries out inspections to ensure work complies with the building consent. These are necessary to obtain your final Code Compliance Certificate.

In cases where design professionals (such as engineers) supervise the work, the Council also requires documentation from those professionals that the work has been completed according to the approved building consent documents. This is often a producer statement supported by site notes.

Agreement for others to supervise and inspect the work is included as part of the building consent approval.

You must complete a Code Compliance Certificate Application before a final inspection can be carried out.

• Code Compliance Certificate Application (623Kb PDF)
• Filling Out a Code Compliance Certificate Application (38Kb PDF)

Builders and installers usually arrange inspections relevant to their work, but property owners are ultimately responsible for ensuring the building is compliant.

When You Need an Inspection

Inspections cover a range of building and plumbing areas, including:

• foundations, retaining walls and slabs
• plumbing and drainage
• framing, including bracing and airseals
• building wrap, flashings and cladding
• pool fencing
• solid fuel fireplaces
• waterproofing on showers, decks, roofs and retaining walls
• completed works.

The inspections required for your project are listed in the building consent documentation issued by the Council.

You must keep the stamped copy of your approved building consent on the construction site so inspection officers can check them.

If you intend to significantly vary your building work, you must get your building consent amended.

Amendments to Building Consents

If any building or plumbing work does not conform to the building consent or meet building code performance standards, the Council may issue a Notice to Fix detailing items of non-compliance.

Plumbing Inspections

The Council now accepts a Producer Statement for water pipe testing. (This does not cover stacks, waste pipes or drains.)

It is not necessary for:

• an inspector to view a test
• for the plumber to be present for water pipe testing.

Once a test is completed, the plumber should phone the Council on (04) 801 3813 to book a pre-line plumbing inspection.

On completion of the plumbing work, the craftsman plumber will need to complete a Producer Statement (Plumbing) form.

Producer Statement (Plumbing) form (62Kb PDF)

The Producer Statement (Plumbing) form can be:

• given to the inspector
• kept on site with the consent documents
• sent in to the Council.

For further information, consult inspection staff on site or contact Ian Culver.

Ian Culver

Phone:	(04) 499 4444
Email:	ian.culver@wcc.govt.nz

Arranging an Inspection

Bookings require at least two working days' notice. Phone the Council on (04) 801 3813 to book an inspection.

From April 2007 no specific time slots will be issued but you will be offered a morning or afternoon option.

• Morning inspections are done between 8.00am and 12 noon.
• Afternoon inspections are done between 1.00pm and 4.00pm.

The following information is required when booking an inspection:

• SR number
• address of property where the building work is being done
• type of inspection required
• name and phone number of site contact person

Site Safety

On the construction site, the safety of people, including Council officers, is your responsibility. This includes providing safe access to all parts of the site to allow work to be inspected.

Ladder access must be securely founded and tied. Scaffold access is likely to be required for larger buildings.

It is desirable for you or your representative to be on site during the inspection.

Cladding

Before the coating is applied to any plaster-coated cladding systems, you must arrange an inspection with a Council inspector.

It's extremely important to install cladding systems in strict compliance with the technical specifications for the product that have been approved as part of the building consent documentation.

Before Council will be able to issue a Code Compliance Certificate the following information is required:

• confirmation that the cladding installed is the same as detailed in the building consent
• confirmation that the coating has been applied by an applicator approved by the manufacturer of the cladding system
• a copy of the applicator's warrantee or construction statement.

Related Links

• New Zealand Building Code - Department of Building and Housing website
• Department of Building and Housing website
• Weathertightness information - Department of Building and Housing website

Department Details:
Building Consents & Licensing Services