Do I need a consent? Fourteen jobs, and what actually decides each one.
This is the page people search for, so it is the page most likely to be read as permission. It is not. Each job below carries three likelihoods — building consent, resource consent, restricted building work — and the reason behind each. Where an exemption exists, the conditions on it are stated, because the conditions are the rule.
Photography commissioned — plate reserved · July 2026
The summary table
Fourteen jobs at a glance.
Read the words carefully. “Sometimes exempt — conditionally” is not “exempt”. Follow any row down to the detail below it for what the conditions are.
| The job | Building consent | Resource consent | Restricted building work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving or removing a non-structural internal wall | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not, by itself | Usually not restricted building work |
| Removing or moving a structural or bracing wall | Likely needs one | Usually not, by itself | Likely restricted building work |
| A new bathroom where there was not one | Likely needs one | Usually not, by itself | Usually not restricted building work |
| A kitchen | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not, by itself | Usually not restricted building work |
Every cell is a likelihood, not a determination. “Sometimes exempt — conditionally” means an exemption exists and has conditions you have to meet; it does not mean you are exempt.
| The job | Building consent | Resource consent | Restricted building work |
|---|---|---|---|
| A deck — the answer turns on height | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Can be restricted building work |
| A fence — the answer turns on height | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not restricted building work |
| Re-roofing | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not, by itself | Can be restricted building work |
| Recladding | Likely needs one | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Likely restricted building work |
| A new window or door opening | Likely needs one | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Likely restricted building work |
| A retaining wall — the answer turns on height and on what is above it | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not restricted building work |
Every cell is a likelihood, not a determination. “Sometimes exempt — conditionally” means an exemption exists and has conditions you have to meet; it does not mean you are exempt.
| The job | Building consent | Resource consent | Restricted building work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing and drainage | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not restricted building work |
| A heat pump | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not restricted building work |
| A woodburner or other solid-fuel heater | Likely needs one | Sometimes exempt — conditionally | Usually not restricted building work |
Every cell is a likelihood, not a determination. “Sometimes exempt — conditionally” means an exemption exists and has conditions you have to meet; it does not mean you are exempt.
| The job | Building consent | Resource consent | Restricted building work |
|---|---|---|---|
| A minor dwelling, sleepout or granny flat | Ask Council first | Ask Council first | Likely restricted building work |
Every cell is a likelihood, not a determination. “Sometimes exempt — conditionally” means an exemption exists and has conditions you have to meet; it does not mean you are exempt.
Job by job
What decides each one.
The reasoning matters more than the verdict, because the reasoning is what tells you which question to ask Council.
Moving or removing a non-structural internal wall
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Usually not, by itself · Usually not restricted building work
Schedule 1 covers removing an internal wall that is not doing structural work. The trap is the word “structural”: plenty of internal walls carry no roof load but still brace the house against wind and earthquake, and a bracing wall is primary structure. You cannot establish that by knocking on it.
The conditions that decide it: the wall must genuinely carry no load and provide no bracing, and must not be a fire-rated or inter-tenancy wall. Have someone competent confirm it in writing before it comes out.
Removing or moving a structural or bracing wall
Building consent: Likely needs one · Resource consent: Usually not, by itself · Likely restricted building work
This alters the primary structure, which is the core of the restricted building work definition. It normally needs a building consent, a specific engineering design for the beam and its supports, and an LBP to build it. The open-plan photograph everybody wants is the single most consent-heavy small job in a villa.
A new bathroom where there was not one
Building consent: Likely needs one · Resource consent: Usually not, by itself · Usually not restricted building work
A new bathroom adds sanitary fixtures, needs new water supply and waste drainage, needs a waterproofed wet area and needs mechanical ventilation. Those are Building Code performance requirements, and in a new location they are normally consented work. Replacing a fixture in the same place using the existing pipework is a different, much smaller question.
A kitchen
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Usually not, by itself · Usually not restricted building work
A cosmetic kitchen — new cabinetry, benchtop and appliances in the same layout on the same services — usually sits inside Schedule 1. The moment the sink moves, a wall goes, a gas appliance is added or the extract ventilation changes, you are into consented territory.
The conditions that decide it: the plumbing and drainage stay where they are, no wall is altered, no gas work is involved, and the work does not touch the external envelope.
A deck — the answer turns on height
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Can be restricted building work
Schedule 1 exempts decks and platforms only up to a stated height above the ground they sit on, and that height is low. Above it, a consent is normally required and the barrier becomes a safety element. Separately, a deck adds building coverage and impervious surface and can sit in a yard, so the Unitary Plan can require resource consent even where the Building Act does not require a building consent.
The conditions that decide it: the deck must stay under the height limit in the current Schedule 1, and must not need a barrier for fall protection. This site does not state that height, because it must be the current figure — confirm it with Council before you set your post heights.
A fence — the answer turns on height
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Usually not restricted building work
Schedule 1 exempts fences up to a stated height. Swimming-pool barriers are carved out and treated far more strictly, because they are a life-safety control. The Unitary Plan then controls fence height separately, and is tighter in a front yard than on a side boundary — and in a Special Character Area a front fence can be controlled as part of the streetscape.
The conditions that decide it: the fence must stay under both the Building Act height and the Unitary Plan height for its position on the site, and must not be a pool barrier. Those are two different numbers from two different rulebooks.
Re-roofing
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Usually not, by itself · Can be restricted building work
Replacing roof cladding like-for-like with a comparable product can fall inside the general repair and replacement exemption. Changing the material, the weight, the pitch or the structure below it generally does not. Roof cladding is part of the building’s weathertightness, roofing is one of the LBP licence classes, and the heavier the new roof the more likely the framing needs checking.
The conditions that decide it: the replacement must be comparable to what is there — same kind of product, no greater load, no change to the structure or the pitch. Tile to long-run steel, or steel to tile, is normally a consent.
Recladding
Building consent: Likely needs one · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Likely restricted building work
A reclad rebuilds the external moisture-management system, which puts it squarely inside restricted building work. It normally needs a building consent, a designer, and LBPs across several licence classes. If a Special Character Area or Historic Heritage overlay applies, changing the external appearance can also need resource consent — which is why the overlay check comes first, not last.
A new window or door opening
Building consent: Likely needs one · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Likely restricted building work
Cutting a new opening does two restricted things at once: it interrupts the primary structure, so a lintel and its supports have to be designed, and it makes a new hole in the weathertight envelope, so the flashings have to be right. Under a character or heritage overlay, a new opening on a street-facing elevation is one of the most commonly refused changes.
Plumbing and drainage
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Usually not restricted building work
Schedule 1 has a whole part for sanitary plumbing and drainlaying carried out under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006. That matters for a reason people misread: work being outside the building consent system does not make it DIY work. It has to be done by an authorised person under a different licensing regime. New drainage runs, changes to where stormwater and wastewater go, and connections to the public network commonly need a building consent and can need engineering approval from Council as well.
The conditions that decide it: the work must be within the categories in that part of Schedule 1 and must be carried out by an authorised plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer. Anything that changes where the water goes is a bigger question.
A heat pump
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Usually not restricted building work
Installing a heat pump usually sits inside an exemption, but three other regimes still apply: the electrical work must be done by a registered electrician under the electrical rules, the outdoor unit penetrates the cladding and has to be flashed properly, and the Unitary Plan sets noise limits measured at the boundary, which is what a neighbour will complain about.
The conditions that decide it: the installation must not alter the structure, must keep the cladding weathertight, and must meet the noise standard for the zone at the property boundary.
A woodburner or other solid-fuel heater
Building consent: Likely needs one · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Usually not restricted building work
Installing a solid-fuel heater normally needs a building consent — it involves fire separation, a flue through the roof, hearth construction and clearances, all of which are Building Code matters. Auckland also has air-quality rules for solid-fuel burners, and they are not the same in every part of the region. Treat this as a consent job and be pleasantly surprised, not the other way round.
A retaining wall — the answer turns on height and on what is above it
Building consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Resource consent: Sometimes exempt — conditionally · Usually not restricted building work
Schedule 1 exempts retaining walls only below a stated height and only where the wall is not retaining a surcharge — a driveway, a building, a pool, another wall, or a slope loaded from above. The surcharge condition catches far more Auckland sites than the height condition does, because Auckland is built on hills with driveways cut into them. Earthworks volume, overland flow paths and the stability of the ground can also bring the Unitary Plan into it.
The conditions that decide it: the wall must be under the current Schedule 1 height and must not retain any surcharge. If a driveway, a building or another wall sits above it, assume a consent and an engineer.
A minor dwelling, sleepout or granny flat
Building consent: Ask Council first · Resource consent: Ask Council first · Likely restricted building work
Two separate questions, and both are moving. Under the Building Act there is now a specific pathway for small standalone dwellings built without a building consent, and it is tightly conditional — it depends on who designs and builds it, on notifying Council before and after, and on the building staying inside stated limits. Under the Unitary Plan, whether a second dwelling is allowed at all depends on your zone, and even where it is, site coverage, yards, outlook, height in relation to boundary and outdoor living space all still apply. Do not plan this one from a website — including this one.
The other rulebook
What triggers a resource consent, even on a job the Building Act leaves alone.
These are the Unitary Plan standards that most often turn a straightforward alteration into a resource consent. Every one of them is about effects on someone else, not about whether the building will stand up.
- Height — an absolute maximum for the zone.
- Height in relation to boundary — the recession plane. The rule that most often kills a second storey or a first-floor addition on a narrow site.
- Yards — minimum setbacks front, side and rear. Different numbers for each.
- Building coverage — the share of the site your buildings may cover. Decks, garages and sheds count.
- Impervious area — the share of the site water cannot soak through. Paving and driveways count, which surprises people who thought they were only adding a patio.
- Outlook space and daylight — required clear space in front of habitable-room windows, so a new room cannot be built looking straight into a wall.
- Outdoor living space and landscaped area — usable private open space, and soft landscaping, that has to survive whatever you add.
- The overlays — Special Character and Historic Heritage, notable trees, flood plains and overland flow paths, coastal, and viewshafts. Overlays sit on top of the zone and can be stricter than it.
Which of these apply, and at what number, depends on your zone. What each Auckland residential zone contemplates — and how to find your actual zone, which is not something any website can tell you.
The consent checker
The same fourteen jobs as a tool, with the overlay and external-change questions layered on. Still not a determination.
How Schedule 1 really works
Three parts, conditional exemptions, and the LBP and engineer requirements inside them.
Restricted building work
Which of these jobs legally requires a Licensed Building Practitioner — and how to check one.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a building consent to remove an internal wall?
It depends entirely on whether the wall is structural, and “structural” includes bracing, not just carrying the roof. A genuinely non-structural, non-fire-rated internal wall can come out under Schedule 1. A wall that braces the house against wind and earthquake is primary structure: that is a building consent, an engineered beam and a Licensed Building Practitioner. Villas and bungalows are full of walls that look non-structural and are not, so get it confirmed in writing before the gib comes off.
Do I need consent for a new bathroom?
Adding a bathroom where there was not one normally needs a building consent — new sanitary fixtures, new waste drainage, a waterproofed wet area and mechanical ventilation are all Building Code matters. Swapping a vanity or a toilet for a new one in the same position on the existing pipework is a much smaller question and often falls inside Schedule 1. The distinction is whether services move.
How high can I build a deck without a consent in Auckland?
Schedule 1 sets a height limit for exempt decks and platforms, measured above the ground the deck sits on, and it is low. This site deliberately does not print that number, because a threshold that is out of date is worse than no threshold — people build to it. Get the current figure from MBIE’s exempt-work guidance or from Auckland Council. And check the Unitary Plan separately: a deck adds building coverage and impervious area, and can sit in a yard.
Do I need consent for a retaining wall?
Two conditions, and the second one catches most Auckland sites. There is a height limit below which a retaining wall can be exempt, and the wall must not be retaining a surcharge — nothing loading it from above, no driveway, no building, no wall stacked on top. Auckland is hills with driveways cut into them, so the surcharge condition fails more often than the height one. Assume an engineer.
Is a heat pump exempt but a woodburner not?
Broadly, yes, and for a physical reason. A heat pump does not put a flue through your roof or a hot appliance against your framing. A solid-fuel heater does both, so fire separation, hearth construction, clearances and the flue penetration are all in play, and installing one normally needs a building consent. Auckland also has air-quality rules for solid-fuel burners. The heat pump still needs a registered electrician and still has to meet the zone’s noise limit at your boundary.
Can I build a granny flat without a consent now?
There is a specific pathway for small standalone dwellings built without a building consent, and it is tightly conditional — it turns on who designs it, who builds it, notifying Council before and after, and the building staying inside stated limits. It is also new, which means the practice around it is still settling. Separately, whether a second dwelling is allowed on your site at all is a Unitary Plan question that depends on your zone. This is the one job on this page where the honest answer is: ask Council about your specific site before you spend anything.
What happens if I do the work without the consent I needed?
It is unlawful building work. Council can require it to be opened up, altered or removed, and there are enforcement provisions. The more common outcome is quieter and slower: it surfaces years later when you sell, a buyer’s lawyer reads the property file, and the sale stalls while you try to get a certificate of acceptance for work nobody watched being built. Retrospective is always the expensive route.
Who this site is. Renovate Auckland is an independent Auckland reference site published by Amit Sharma. It is not Auckland Council, it is not MBIE, and it is not your consent authority. The trade partner who would carry out work is still being confirmed, so this site claims no licence number, no guarantee and no trade-association membership. Send a brief and you get a straight answer about who would do the work.