Restricted building work that needs to be done by a professional

What restricted building work is

If your building work is critical to the foundational integrity of your home, it may be categorised as restricted building work. This type of work ensures a property is structurally sound (solid and well-made) and weathertight.

Who can do restricted building work?

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 supplied by an LBP who has designed, or supervised the design of the restricted building work.

Your responsibilities as a homeowner

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.​

Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs)

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:

• designers
• registered architects (automatically treated as Design LBPs)
• chartered professional engineers (automatically treated as Design LBPs)
• carpenters
• roofers
• bricklayers and blocklayers
• external plasterers
• foundation layers.

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 that people you employ have the relevant licences

Check the people you hire to do your restricted building work have the relevant licence.

• Check if your architect is on the New Zealand Registered Architects Board register
• Check if your engineer is on the Engineering New Zealand (ex IPENZ) database
• Check if your LBP is on the Licensed Building Practitioners register.

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.

​Documentation of completed work

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.