Your building project, home, or business place will be an important financial commitment and if you sell it to someone else it could be their major investment. This investment will be seriously compromised if you build without a building consent or if you commence work before you have received your building consent. An unblemished code compliance certificate, known as the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC), adds value to your building project.
Step 1 - The consent
Read your building consent and get your builder to read it. Make sure that you or your builder understands what has been approved in the building consent.
- Study the plans and details if you have not done this before
- Read the specifications
- Most importantly read the conditions of the building consent.
The building consent will set out the inspections you require.
Step 2 - Planning
The inspections specified need to be carried out by the council inspector as it is the Council who certifies that the building work, as inspected, complies with the building consent and the building code.
To certify compliance the Council needs inspections at the specified stages of the building work and receive a range of certificates from specialist advisors and trades people. The consent should specify the certificates required. Your building inspector can assist you in this process.
Specialist advisors may include geotechnical and / or structural engineers. You should obtain a plan for their inspection process so that they can provide the certificate required. Forward this plan to the council.
Step 3 - Arranging inspections
It is crucial that the builder is familiar with the building consent, specifications, building code and manufacturer’s instructions. Ensure that there is space on site so that this documentation can be read, studied and securely stored together with the consent and associated information.
Unless the consent does not involve an addition to or new buildings, the first inspection should occur when the building work is set out and / or foundations excavated. It is crucially important to get this right as an error in the setting out can delay your project significantly. In projects that involve buildings close to permitted limits (ie yard limits as specified in the district plan) a surveyor’s certificate may be required.
From here onwards, call for the required inspections as specified. Arranging these with at least 2 days notice and ensure that the specialist advisors have carried out all their planned and / or required observations and inspections.
Step 4 - Certification
It is a requirement of the building consent that specialist advisors and certain trades people such as exterior plasterers, painters (in certain instances), waterproof membrane applicators, plumbers, drain layers and electricians provide certificates to council after the completion of their work.
Specialist advisors who check foundations or structural components may need to provide certain certification before the project is allowed to continue. Make sure that this is done as it can delay your project or in certain situations many compromise your ability to obtain your Code Compliance Certificate ie the CCC.
Step 5 - Amendments
It is the owner and builder’s obligation to ensure that the building work is carried out as approved in the building consent. However it is normal that decisions are made during the building project involving minor changes.
This could be because of unexpected situations or owners changing their minds. Council inspectors will be able to advise you which changes will need to be approved before they are implemented or if these changes are able to be authorised by then. Such authorisations will require an ‘as built’ amendment application at the end of the project, just before applying for your Code of Compliance. Again better planning avoids changes. Changes add to the project costs and result in delays. Keep them to a minimum.
Step 6 - Request for CCC
Before requesting a final inspection it is a requirement to request a CCC by completing a statutory form. This form is attached to your building consent and requires you to provide a range of information including certification by you or your builder that the work is complete. If the work is not complete the CCC is refused and this process starts again.
Note:
You must make an application for a CCC within 2 years of the consent being issued.
The final inspection process is not to be used as a test to see what needs to be completed. The builder should know what is required for compliance to be achieved.
Note:
All specialist advisors and trades certifications must be supplied before a request for a CCC is submitted.