We are committed to providing excellent services to our community, and we understand that embarking on a building project can be a significant undertaking.
To support you through this process, we offer the Building Consent Pre-Application Meeting Service, designed to ensure a smooth and efficient path towards obtaining your building consent.
The approval process for a building consent establishes that your proposed building work complies with the Building Act 2004 and the Building Code. Our pre-application meeting service allows you to discuss aspects of your project in relation to the Building Act 2004 and Building Code, ensuring all necessary considerations are explored before you submit your application.
Note that the building consent information you require may already be on our website:
Building consent information
We recommend at the start of the design phase, you always request a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) that will summarise the property information known to us that is relevant to your project (including building regulations and other compliance matters of interest).
Project Information Memorandum
Key Benefits:
- Early Guidance: By opting for a pre-application meeting, you can gain valuable insights and guidance from our building consent team at an early stage. This can help you navigate the building consent process more efficiently.
- Avoiding Delays: Engaging in a pre-application meeting can significantly reduce the likelihood of delays during the formal application process. By addressing potential issues early on, you can make necessary adjustments to your plans and avoid time-consuming rework later.
- Streamlined Application Process: After the pre-application meeting, you will have a clearer understanding of the documentation and information required for your building consent application. This clarity can lead to a more organised and efficient submission process.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Investing in a pre-application meeting can be cost-effective in the long run. You can avoid potential expenses associated with corrections and resubmissions by minimising the risk of issues arising during the formal application process.
Staged Building Consent Applications
Staged building consents are commonly utilised when an owner wishes to undertake a large or complex construction project in manageable phases.
When you plan to submit multiple building consent applications for different stages of the proposed building work, it is strongly recommended to have the proposed staging agreed with the BCA via the pre-application process before lodging the application for the first stage.
What pre-application guidance includes:
Our advice service is available at the early stages of your building project prior to applying for consent, as long as you have conceptual plans for review. This services allow you to discuss any identified compliance issues which will help you in the preparation of a comprehensive consent application and minimise our consent officer’s requests for information (RFIs), ultimately avoiding processing delays.
We can help you:
- understand the consent application process
- get guidance on the expertise you may need to help with your project
- identify areas to focus on when gathering information to support your application
- get a good understanding of what's needed for a good quality building consent application
- lodge an application that will be processed efficiently and with minimal delay.
What you need to request a pre-application meeting:
Because of the technical nature of building consents, we expect you to seek professional input into your application from an architect, builder, engineer, draughtsperson, planner or building surveyor.
You will need to provide any:
- site plans, floor plans
- photos
- draft assessments of environmental effects
- specialist engineering reports
- other relevant information you have.
To ensure you get the maximum benefit from your pre-application meeting, and so we can prepare appropriately, it is important that you:
- let us know, in advance, about the topics or issues you would like to discuss
- provide us with as much detailed information as possible, even if your ideas are only conceptual.
- any particular compliance issues, or alternative solutions proposed.
It's important that we have a clear understanding of your project, so we can involve the right specialists relevant to the project, such as Structural or Development Engineering input.
Fees:
The first 30 minutes of your consultation with a Building Control Officer (BCO) are free of charge. Consultations exceeding this duration may be subject to fees. Additionally, projects requiring input from planning, structural, or development engineering experts will incur additional charges. For a detailed breakdown of the hourly fees, please visit our Building Service Fees page.
Building service fees
How to request pre-application guidance online:
Book a building pre-application meeting
What happens next:
We will confirm the selected timeslot from the Bookme function. The meeting can either be online via a Teams meeting or can be held at TCC’s office at 306 Cameron Road, Tauranga.
Disclaimer:
Pre-application meetings are intended to assist potential applicants in preparing for a formal building consent application. These meetings are led by the customer and are purely advisory in nature. The discussions and guidance provided do not constitute pre-processing of the building consent application and should not be construed as an indication of the final decision.
The ultimate approval or denial of any building consent will be determined based on the formal submission reviewed in accordance with Section 48 of the Building Act. A pre-application meeting may identify potential issues or additional approvals needed, such as resource consents or stormwater approvals, which can contribute to a more effective application process.
Attendees are encouraged to use the information gained during these meetings to enhance the quality of their eventual submission but must recognise that the final decision will only be made once the complete application is formally submitted and assessed by the council.