Apply now to do up your home
Apply now to do up your home
People planning to do work on the home this holiday season are reminded to get building consents sorted now.
Council offices at Fitzherbert Street and Te Puia Springs Service centre will be closing for the holiday break from Tuesday 23 December until Monday 5 January.
“Builder’s and DIY handy people need to plan for any alterations for building or works and apply for any consents with enough time for processing,” says building and resource consents manager Ian Petty.
Building consents are processed within 20 working days, but council has a Fast Track Consents service that takes 5 working days to process most low risk builds on urban residential property only.
Fast Track Consents may be made for:
· installing a fire
· minor internal
alterations
· minor plumbing and drainage
work
· drain repairs
· enclose an
existing porch
· re-pitch an existing roof
·
pergola with roof on an existing deck
· solar
panels
· new hot water cylinder
·
factory manufactured conservatory
· carport on
flat land up to 36m. Square
· propriety garage
up to 36m. Square
Consents are required by law to make
sure all work is safe and meets the building code and
Resource Management Act.
“We encourage anyone with a project over summer to get in touch with us to check your requirements,” says Mr Petty.
Work that does not require council assistance includes:
· Decks, platforms
or bridges with a fall height of less than 1.5 metres;
·
Garden trellis or fences less than 2 metres high;
·
Installing kitchen cupboards;
· Small garden
ponds less than 400mm depth;
· Maintenance of
homes, for example, replacing spouting or a piece of
weatherboard.
“But for any fences over 2m high and building less than 10 square meters check with the council’s duty planners as they may require planning consent. Things that are exempt from building consent are not necessarily exempt from resource consent requirements.”
More information on building work and permits can be found on our website www.gdc.govt.nz or contact the consents team on 06 867 2049.
ENDS