On hold - when the statutory 20 working day processing timeframe is stopped by a building consent authority during the processing of a building consent application because further information has been requested, revised plans are re-circulated or when the applicant requested processing to be placed on hold.
Owner - the person who is entitled to the rent from the land, should the land be let (section 7 of the Building Act 2004). This includes the owner of the fee simple of the land, or the person who has a binding written agreement (whether conditionally or unconditionally) to purchase the land, leasehold estate or interest in the land, or take a lease of the land. ‘Building’ owners (as distinct from ‘house’ owners) have a number of duties under the Building Act regarding building warrant of fitness processes.
Parking – a space in which vehicles can be parked. The need to provide adequate parking is one of the requirements of section 118 of the Building Act 2004, which provides for access and facilities for people with disabilities.
Penalty - punishment, usually a fine, for breaching the law. The Building Act 2004 contains a number of provisions to protect public health and safety of importance to building owners and managers. There is a range of penalties for failing to comply with these provisions.
Plans and specifications - the drawings, specifications and other documents (eg. calculations, appraisals) according to which a proposed building project will be carried out. They are used to tender for quotes, to gain building consent, and as the blueprint for the actual construction, alteration, demolition or removal of a building. They include proposed procedures for inspection during the building work.
Plumbing - utility consisting of the pipes and fixtures for the distribution of water or gas in a building, and for the disposal of sewage. Most plumbing/drainage work requires a building consent.
Premises intended for public use - Section 363 of the Building Act 2004 provides that it is an offence for owners, occupiers and people who control premises to permit people to use those parts of premises intended for public use that are affected by building work. This applies where a code compliance certificate or certificate for public use has not yet been issued, or where building work has been undertaken without a building consent.
Producer statement - a statement expressing the author’s view that plans, specifications, or completed works comply with the technical requirements to satisfy some or all requirements of the Building Code. A producer statement will usually be issued by a recognised specialist, for example, an engineer, architect or competent contractor. It is up to the building consent authority (BCA) to decide whether to rely on such a statement. These documents have no specific status in law, but they can still be accepted and considered by a BCA as part of the plans and specifications.
Product certification - certification by a product certification body that a specific building product, system or method meets nominated provisions of the Building Code, if used in accordance with conditions on the product certificate.
Project information memorandum (PIM) - a report issued by a territorial authority before a building consent is issued that lists any requirements under Acts other than the Building Act 2004 eg, the Resource Management Act 1991, the Fire Service Act 1975 or the Historic Places Act 1993. A PIM includes information likely to be relevant to the proposed work, such as potential erosion, subsidence, slippage and flooding. Requirements for PIMs are found in sections 31-39 of the Building Act 2004.
Project manager - the person who organises and oversees a building project. A project manager may be involved in some or all of the following tasks - arranging finance, organising the designer, builder and sometimes subcontractors, organising the building consent and, where necessary, resource consent, dealing with suppliers and delivery of materials, monitoring progress to make sure the work complies with the contract and consent documentation, arranging for inspections, arranging for progress payments, managing variations and amendments to the building consent where necessary, and arranging the final inspection for the code compliance certificate.
Property inspection - an examination of the exterior and interior of a property to determine its condition, usually commissioned by a prospective purchaser. The property inspector will provide a report detailing the scope of the inspection, a conclusion as to the overall condition of the property, taking into account its age, type and general expectations of similar properties, and a list of significant faults or defects. The property report is, however, not a guarantee that the house meets all the requirements of the Building Act or complies with the Building Code.
(Note: ‘Property inspection’ is not to be confused with inspections undertaken by building consent authorities and territorial authorities for the purposes of verifying compliance with the Building Act and Regulations)
Public use - a building is intended for public use if the building is open to the public, or is being used by the public, whether for free or on payment of a charge (section 362A of the Building Act 2004). Examples of buildings for public use are shopping malls, sports stadiums, swimming pools etc.
Quantity surveyor - a person trained in construction measurement and costs. They usually work closely with the architect/designer, engineer and builder to itemise the quantities of materials and labour needed to build a house or other building, using the design drawings, and to give an estimate of how much the project should cost.
Regulations - see Building regulations.
Renovation - to restore to a previous or better condition. See also alteration.
Repairs - work to mend or replace components of an existing building, for the purpose of its maintenance.
Residential premises - buildings that are used as dwellings by people. There are provisions in the Building Act relating to warranties for residential properties. There are also provisions relating to sales by residential property developers.
Residential property developer - any person who, in trade, builds or arranges to build a household unit for the purpose of selling it. This could include large developers, or builders or individuals building homes on ‘spec’. It also includes a person who, in trade, buys a household unit from a builder or developer with the intention of selling it on. Section 364 of the Building Act 2004 provides consumer protection measures covering the sale of household units by residential property developers.
Resource consent - a consent issued by a territorial authority to use the land in a way that is not a permitted activity under a council or district plan. Under the Resource Management Act 1991, territorial authorities are required to prepare plans detailing how they will manage the environment in their area. Resource consent will be needed when a building project will contravene a permitted activity, for example, wishing to locate a building closer to the boundary than permitted on the District Plan.
Resource Management Act 1991 - the Resource Management Act, often called the RMA, is the main piece of legislation that sets out how New Zealand’s environment should be managed. The Act’s purpose is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. The Act is based on the idea of the sustainable management of natural and physical resources, which is mainly achieved by the requirement for territorial authorities to prepare plans to help them manage the environment in their area. It is these plans that tell people what they can or cannot do with land on which they are building.
Restricted building work - building work that requires a building consent and relates to an element of a building that is critical to the integrity of the building and the health and safety of its occupants and includes, without limitation, work on the building envelope and the structural support of a building (section 7 of the Building Act 2004). Restricted building work must be carried out, or supervised by, a licensed building practitioner. The types of building work that comes under the category of ‘restricted’ must be declared by the Governor-General, by Order in Council.
Retaining wall - a wall that is constructed to hold earth in place. It is usually used to prevent ground loss or slumping, or to support an earth embankment. It usually requires substantial footing to redistribute pressure to ground and weep holes to relieve build-up of ground water pressure. Retaining walls are generally made of concrete, steel sheet piles, or timber.
Risk matrix - a table in the Clause E2 Compliance Document (Acceptable Solution E2/AS1) that enables the calculation of a ‘risk score’ by the allocation and summing of scores for a range of design and location factors applying to a specific building design. Once this score is known, the range of allowable claddings can then be determined (the list of claddings is contained in Table 3, which is separate from the risk matrix).