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● made of units of materials stacked or bonded together with mortar such as bricks or blocks.
Exemption 12 – replacing internal linings and finishes in existing dwelling
You can replace any interior linings without using comparable materials in an existing dwelling without needing a building consent.
Interior linings could be part of bracing or fire-resistant elements, so we suggest investigating and installing the appropriate type of replacement lining.
Exemption 13 – installing thermal insulation You don’t need a building consent to install thermal insulation in an existing building unless you are installing it in an exterior wall or an interior rewall.
Installing insulation in ceilings, floors and interior walls that are not rewalls are examples of exempt work.
Under the Residential Tenancy Act, ceiling and under oor insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. You can read more about this requirement on the tenancy website.
Exemption 14 – creating penetrations Penetrations that are 300 mm or less in diameter can be made through both internal and external building components without a building consent for:
● detached dwellings of any height and
dwellings within a building that is not
more than 3 storeys high
● outbuildings that are detached and not
more than 3 storeys high
● all other buildings as long as doing so does
not modify or a ect: the primary structure any speci ed system.
These exemptions include any associated building work like weatherproofing or reproo ng.
For other scenarios such as a commer- cial building, creating a penetration not exceeding 300 mm in diameter is still exempt building work if it does not a ect the primary structure or a speci ed system such as a re suppression system. Exemption 35 – altering existing sanitary plumb- ing (excluding water heaters)
Alterations to sanitary plumbing xtures such as baths, showers and basins are exempt from building consent requirements as long as:
● the number of xtures in the building is
not increasing
● the alteration does not a ect a speci ed
system such as re sprinklers.
This work must be done by an authorised person (see page 79 of MBIE’s guidance). It also excludes work for water heaters, although this work may be covered by other exemptions.
Next time – the trickiest exemptions
The next article in our exempt building work series will cover off the trickiest exemptions you’re likely to encounter. Stay tuned.
For more The guidance document is available on MBIE’s Building Performance website at https://tinyurl.com/y7mjnp4r. Information
on the requirement for ceiling and under oor insulation is available at www.tenancy.govt.nz/ maintenance-and-inspections/insulation.
Quiz
1. If you go to quote for a client to install a window in their 2-storey home, would you need to price in the cost of a building consent?
a. Yes, you need a building consent because the dwelling is 2 storeys.
b. No, as long as it wasn’t installed less than 15 years ago and hasn’t leaked or rotted.
2. Is work to remove my exterior wall exempt if I am removing it to extend my lounge over my deck?
a. You need to get a consent because it’s
an addition and it doesn’t t within any
of the exemptions of Schedule 1.
b. Yes, as long as it is not a rewall.
c. It doesn’t require a consent because
it’s a deck.
3. I want to change my tongue and groove
4.
kitchen oor to plywood with a oating oor over it. I also want to install insula- tion beneath the oor. Can I do this all without a building consent?
a. Only if the oor is not a bracing element. b. No, you can’t start without a building
consent.
c. Yes, it is exempt work.
d. You can’t install the insulation without
a building consent.
I’ve been asked to install a heat pump on a brick veneer but I only have a carpentry licence. Can I do this without a building consent?
a. You need a brick and blocklaying LBP
licence for that but not a building
consent.
b. You need a building consent and a brick
and blocklaying LBP licence.
c. You don’t need a building consent, but you need to be a registered electrical
worker to do that work!
5. I am a roo ng LBP and I want to cut a roof
vent into an existing roof. How big can it be before I need a building consent?
a. You’re licensed as a roofer – you don’t
need any building consents. b. 300 mm in diameter.
c. 100 mm in diameter.
a. 500 mm in diameter.
Build 161 — August/September 2017 — 93
Answers
1.b 2.a 3.c 4.c 5.b