Our fees are calculated on an actual time/cost basis – based on the amount of time to issue your consent and the number of inspections required for your project.

Online applications are an easy and efficient way to

  • lodge building consents,
  • communicate with us throughout your consent process,
  • respond to requests for further information,
  • upload required documents, and
  • apply for a code compliance certificate,

which can help reduce the time spent on administration and processing, leading to less fees.

Below are some further tips to help keep your costs down.

Application

  • Electronic application is quicker – manual paper applications require more work as we load your application electronically, including scanning all supporting documents into AlphaOne
  • Details and supporting documents – submit up to date information and documents that are specific to your building project
  • Submit only documents required for your consent application - refer to our guide on Supporting Documents for Building Consent Applications [PDF, 147 KB]
  • Ensure all information on plans is clearly legible, preferably in dark colours – yellow is difficult to read and can cause delays at processing while we clarify the information with you.

Communication and supply of documents

  • Providing documents and questions only through our online AlphaOne system is more efficient, and avoids double handling
  • View your consent details and status online using your building consent number.

Responding to requests for further information

  • Responding back to requests for further information via the AlphaOne system means the information goes back to the processor directly and doesn’t need to be handled by administration staff – saving time and additional administration cost
  • Sending through information that is relevant and requested reduces time spent on processing – sending irrelevant information may lead to more questions being asked and additional requests for further information
  • We are obliged to read all the information provided with the consent – therefore submit only what is required – the more you supply the more  it costs by lengthening the time involved in processing your application
  • Requests for further information can be viewed online without having to phone us to request these details – all documents and letters issued by us can be viewed on AlphaOne
  • We’re only human – if we’ve missed something please tell us where to find it.

Amendments

  • An amendment is easy to submit online – state on the application what the amendment is for and the estimated value for this work only
  • Send in only the information that is relevant to the amended building work, clearly marking changes made so the processor can easily identify these – it takes longer and is more costly if a processor has to ‘spot the difference’.

Inspections

  • Book your own inspections on the Builders App [PDF, 170 KB]
  • When booking an inspection make sure that the work is ready for the date booked – re-inspections and a cancelled inspection on the day will incur a fee
  • Inspection notices are linked to the consent and can be viewed online – enabling you to see if the inspection has passed or a re-inspection is required without having to call us to ask
  • Check out our building inspections guide – this has information available on what is covered at each inspection, allowing you be ready for each inspection.