Working with us during your project
About Building Control Services
The Building Control Services team is a business unit within Upper Hutt City Council. We carry out the Council’s statutory responsibilities under the Building Act, as an accredited building consent authority and, the territorial authority. Our staff are trained professionals with backgrounds covering a range of building disciplines, including engineering, plumbing and construction.
We are committed to providing top-quality customer service and aim to help you obtain your consent as fast as possible, while also ensuring that your building project meets all legislative and Building Code requirements. We may use external contractors to aid with assessment of Complex large multistorey building consents applications and complete technical fire and/or structural reviews as we do not have the capacity to complete these assessments in house at this time. Please feel free to contact the building team who can discuss your project and advise whether there will be a requirement to refer your consent application to an external provider.
Should you need help understanding something please call us so that we can point you towards some guidance to assist you. Please note that we cannot give you design advice (or design solutions) as that is the responsibility of the designer of the proposed building work.
SIMPLI
More than 20 councils across the country are part of Simpli. The initiative works in partnership with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The programme aims to deliver a common vision, goals, management framework and quality management for building consent processes across all participating councils, building consistency through collaboration.
Upper Hutt City Council is involved in Simpli and uses their forms and guides for certain applications such as:
- Building consent,
- Certificate for public use,
- Code compliance certificate,
- Extension of time,
- Memoranda from Licensed Building Practitioners,
- Owner Builder declaration and
- Owner Builder notification
Should you need help finding forms or guides please call, we are here to help.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment guidance
For consistency we will often refer you to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment guidance. It has all the information you need to build homes and buildings that are safe, healthy and durable.
Complaints
If you have a query, concern or complaint about Building Control Services team relative to building consents, code compliance certificates or compliance decisions please contact us. Complaints need to be forwarded to us in writing after which, we will acknowledge receipt and complete an investigation regarding the nature of the complaint; and then notify you of the outcome.
A copy of the building consent authorities complaints policy (PI 1 Complaints and Inquiries) is available to applicants, please contact Building Control Services team if you require a copy.
Determinations
If you disagree with the actions of the Building Control Services team relative to building consents or compliance decisions you can ask MBIE for a Determination. Please visit the MBIE Building Performance website for information on what Determinations can be about, who can apply and how the process works.