The Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) is an annual certificate that proves that:
As a building owner you must:
You may need to supply a BWOF even if you:
We do not issue the BWOF (Form 12). The building owner or an agent should complete this form and submit it to us.
Form 12A: Certificate of compliance with inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures should be completed by an IQP.
When a BWOF cannot be supplied because of missed inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures, the building owner should:
To download the required documents, visit the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) Building Performance website.
Review our online guide for help submitting your BWOF.
Email regsupportbwof@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for help if:
A document handling charge will be applied per application for any documents our staff must scan into our system.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Document handling charge – scanning of plans or documents into digital consent system (per submission) | $105 |
You need to display a BWOF so that people using your building know that:
If you do not display a BWOF, or display a false one, you can get a fine of up to $20,000.
If your BWOF has expired, you may be prosecuted.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building Warrant of Fitness audit – Base fee (not refundable, additional charges may apply) | $222 |
| Annual renewal – Fixed fee (not refundable, no additional charges) | $267 |
A Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) audit is an inspection by your local council.
This audit makes sure a building owner is legally maintaining safety systems like:
All councils in New Zealand must carry out audits under Section 111 of the Building Act 2004.
We make sure building safety systems work and people can exit the building safely.
We confirm that the building owner meets Building Act obligations.
We check that all safety systems are being maintained as required.
We make sure IQPs are following their legal responsibilities.
We check that:
We walk through the building checking:
| High risk (sleeping activity such as apartments, hostel, boarding houses, motel, hotel) | Medium risk (assembly areas like schools, public venues) | Low risk (industrial buildings like offices, warehouses and restaurants) |
|---|---|---|
| Annually | Every three years | Every five years |
How often we do audits can change depending on the results and the decision of the BWOF Audit Team Leader.
Most audits are booked ahead of time. Random audits can happen if:
