Guide
The real sequence of a renovation, and where projects slip
Most renovation delay is not slow building. It is the weeks before anyone picks up a tool, the day the linings come off, and the fortnight at the end when the job is nearly done. Here is the honest order, and where the time actually goes.
4,350
Dwelling alteration consents issued across Auckland in the twelve months to May 2026, up 4.9% on the year before. Every one of them queued for processing, and every one needed inspections booked around other people’s jobs.
Stats NZ — Building consents issued — Auckland local boards, May 2026 release · May 2026
The sequence
Nine stages, in the order they actually happen
The stages are not evenly weighted. Two of them are where nearly all the recoverable time sits, and they are both before the build starts.
- 01
Define the scope, in writing
One page, room by room. This is the cheapest hour of the whole project and the one most often skipped. Without it you cannot compare quotes and you cannot tell a variation from an omission. How to use it against three quotes.
- 02
Establish what the rules allow, before you design
Your base zone, any special character or heritage overlay, and whether the work is restricted building work. Finding out after the drawings are done is how a design gets paid for twice. Overlay and zoning status by suburb.
- 03
Investigate before you commit — especially the cladding
Moisture investigation on monolithic or stucco cladding is not optional. The estimated weathertightness failure rate for that group was 95% against 2% for weatherboard. Discovering water in the framing after the kitchen is ordered changes the project, not the schedule.
- 04
Design and documentation
Enough drawing to build from and to consent, plus engineering where structure changes. Under-documenting here does not save money; it moves the decisions onto site, where they are made in a hurry and cost more.
- 05
Consent — the first place projects slip
A building consent application is assessed against the Building Code, and incomplete applications are the main cause of delay. This is dead time you cannot buy back with more builders, and it is why stage 4 is worth doing properly. What needs consent and what is exempt.
- 06
Contract, allowances and long-lead ordering
Fixed, charge-up, or fixed with stated allowances — decided deliberately, not by default. Then order the long-lead items immediately. What each pricing basis actually risks.
- 07
Strip out — the second place projects slip
The discovery moment. Framing, wiring, plumbing and level are all revealed in about two days, and the scope either holds or does not. A project with stated allowances absorbs this. A project with a tight fixed price stops while it is renegotiated.
- 08
Build, in trade order, with inspections booked
Structure, then services rough-in, then inspection, then linings, then fit-off. Each trade depends on the one before finishing, which is why one late trade moves everything behind it and why a builder protects the sequence more carefully than the calendar.
- 09
Final inspection, code compliance certificate, records of work
The paperwork is the job. Collect the code compliance certificate and the record of work from every Licensed Building Practitioner who worked on restricted building work — they go on the property file, and their absence is discovered years later by a buyer’s lawyer.
Trade availability
The other reason a programme slips: the trades are busy
A renovation needs six to ten trades in a fixed order. Live Auckland job-listing counts are a rough proxy for how hard each one is to get — an occupation with hundreds of open Auckland listings is an occupation that is not waiting for your call.
| Trade | Auckland listings | Median hourly pay | Typical training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter | 396 | $31.25 | 3-4 years |
| Electrician | 540 | $41.35 | 3-4 years |
| Plumber | 53 | $35.10 | 3-4 years |
| Drainlayer | 150 | $37.98 | 3-4 years |
| Wall and floor tiler | 118 | $32.21 | 0-3 years |
| Plasterer | 135 | $30.77 | 0-3 years |
| Roofer | 153 | $31.73 | 0-3 years |
| Cabinet maker | 154 | $33.65 | 0-3 years |
Live job-listing counts move week to week and are a proxy for demand, not a measure of it. The pay you see here is your pay before tax. When an employer pays you, Inland Revenue (IR) collects a percentage of that income. Learn more about income tax on the IR website. Attribution: Tertiary Education Commission — Tahatū Career Navigator.
Tertiary Education Commission — Tahatū Career Navigator · 2026-07-30
Questions people actually ask
Where do renovations actually slip?
Four places, in this order of frequency: waiting on documentation and consent before work starts; the discovery moment when linings come off; long-lead items ordered too late; and the gap between "practically finished" and actually finished, which is where trades leave to start their next job. Only one of those four is about building speed.
Can I live in the house during the work?
Sometimes, and it usually costs more than moving out. Working around an occupied house means protection, restricted hours, staged access and lost productivity, all of which are real costs whether or not they appear as a line. Decide before the quote, not after, and ask for it to be priced explicitly.
How early should I order fixtures and joinery?
Earlier than feels sensible. Kitchen joinery, imported tapware, tiles and windows are the classic long-lead items, and a fortnight of trades standing still is more expensive than storing a box for a month. Ask for a long-lead list at contract signing.