Understand when you need a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) to carry out building work.
If your building work is important to keep your home safe and stable, it may be classed as restricted building work. This type of work makes sure your house is structurally sound (solid and well-made) and weathertight The resistance of a building to the weather. If a building is weathertight it will avoid dampness inside and the damage this causes.. The resistance of a building to the weather. If a building is weathertight it will avoid dampness inside and the damage this causes.
You need to use a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) to design, carry out or supervise restricted building work.
You must complete a Certificate of Design Work (CoW) and include it in your building consent application. The CoW must be supplied by an LBP who has designed or supervised the design of the restricted building work.
We can send your consent application back if your building project includes restricted building work and you have not included a CoW in your application.
It is your responsibility as the homeowner to check that the people you are using to do your restricted building work have the relevant licence.
LBPs can only complete restricted building work that they are licensed to carry out. For example, a licensed roofer cannot complete bricklaying or foundational work. It is important that you check with them that they have the relevant licence before you start your work.
If the LBP and the homeowner do not fulfil their restricted building work requirements, we may stop the work by issuing a ‘Notice to fix’ or a warning. If the work is not carried out by, or done under the supervision of a LBP, both parties could be fined up to $20,000.
LBPs are people who have shown through assessment that they meet the standard of skill and competence required in particular areas of building practice.
They are assessed before getting a licence, and need to keep their knowledge up-to-date to be relicensed.
They include:
There are separate licences for each of these building practitioners which recognise that they are competent in their specialist areas. Some tradespeople may have more than one licence.
Check the people you hire to do your restricted building work have the relevant licence.
LBPs can only complete restricted building work for which they are licensed. It is important you check with them that they have the relevant licence before you start your work.
For more information, visit the Licensed Building Practitioners website or read the restricted building work and licensed building practitioners brochure.
LBPs need to submit a record of work on completion of their building work. They must also give you (the owner or an agent acting on your behalf) a copy for your records.
We can refuse to issue a Code Compliance Certificate if the restricted building work has not been completed or supervised by a LBP.
