• Repair and/or replacement of all or a substantial part of damaged foundations in accordance with Table 2.3 of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment guidance document Repairing and rebuilding houses affected by the Canterbury earthquakes (December 2012)

    • Your request is expected to be supported by:

    • Confirmation, where foundations are being replaced, that the site is not in a flood-prone area or a mass movement area,
    • Engineer’s damage report with repair recommendation, soil tests and a producer statement – design (PS1),
    • Construction documents, including plans, specifications and details showing the extent of repair work, and
    • Repair methodology statement including confirmation that the engineer will inspect the completed works.
  • Accessory buildings

    • For example:

    • Sleepouts sited closer than their own height to a boundary.
    • Garages of proprietary design (eg Versatile, Skyline etc) or designed using NZS 3604:2011.

      • Note: compliance with the District Plan must be shown or a resource consent granted if applicable.

    • Carports (attached or detached) with a roof plan area of more than 40 square metres and covered by a CPEng structural engineer’s design.
  • Alterations to residential buildings where the Council is satisfied that the work is low risk and being carried out by suitably qualified persons

    • For example:

    • Removal of a single load bearing wall by a licensed building practitioner with design and supervision by a suitably qualified person.
    • Installation of additional sanitary fixtures in an existing bathroom with clear details and relevant registered contractors.
  • Plumbing and drainage beyond the scope of exemption (34) and (35) of Schedule 1 but still deemed low risk (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis)

    • For example, installation of a new ensuite.

    Refer also to the comments on wet-area showers on work that is unlikely to be approved.

  • Solar water heaters where the existing cylinder is not moved or replaced

    • These must meet the following criteria:

    • Solar water heater complies with AS/NZS 2712.
    • Solar water heater installation complies with NZBC G12/AS2.
    • Installation will be carried out by a Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) registered installer.
  • Installation of thermal insulation in external wall framing cavities

    • These must meet the following criteria:

    The installation of segment type thermal insulation (eg fibreglass, Dacron, and wool based batt products) in external wall cavities with the following limitations:

    • Building wrap or breather-type building paper will be in place behind the existing exterior cladding system.
    • Timber framing with a moisture content in accordance with NZS 3602:2003 (below 18% m/c).

    These exemption applications need to be accompanied by:

    • full floor plan of the house clearly highlighting areas to be insulated and position of smoke alarms,
    • cross section clearly showing installation details, and
    • specifications of the insulation product being used.