An applicant may choose not to continue with an application for a building consent at any time once it is lodged.
Refused or lapsed building consents
A lapsed building consent means the formal approval to build is no longer valid and the consent will automatically lapse 12 months after the date of issue if no building work has started.
A refused building consent means we have formally declined an application to carry out construction because we are not satisfied the proposed work complies with the Building Code. Refused is often referred to as 'not granted'.
When you choose to withdraw from the building consent application process
If you want to withdraw or cancel your application after it has been lodged, but before it has been granted, provide us a written statement agreeing to withdraw from the application process.
If you are acting on behalf of the owner, the owner must provide a written statement agreeing to withdraw the application.
If your building consent has been issued and you do not wish to continue, it will automatically lapse 12 months after it was granted (or longer if you have been granted an extension of time for your consent). If your consent has already lapsed and you still want to proceed, you will need to submit a new building consent application.
An applicant may also choose not to complete some of the work associated with a building consent. In this case, an amendment is required to remove the uncompleted building work from the consent. Visit Minor variation or amendments to a building consent for more information.
Refund of charges
When an issued building consent lapses or you request a refusal of a building consent application during processing, we will:
- charge an administration fee
- pay you back fees that were charged but not used.
If your application has not been issued yet, we will deduct the processing charges from the deposit paid. If the charges (administration and processing) are more than the deposit you paid, you will receive an invoice for the outstanding amount.
If your building consent lapses and you have not had any inspections, we will refund the inspection charges that were included in the deposit once the administration fee is deducted.
Refunds will only be issued to the person who made the payment.
You will need to provide a printed bank deposit slip or bank statement for electronic refunds.
How to request we refuse a building consent or application
To request us to refuse your building consent you will need:
- your building consent number and the date it was issued
- name and contact details of the person who paid for the application.
We only accept online applications for this service.