Building Act 2004

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Keeping Buildings Safe and Healthy for Everyone"

This law has some main goals. You want buildings to be safe for people to use. You also want buildings to help keep people healthy and independent. You need buildings to be designed so people can escape if there is a fire. Buildings should be good for the environment too. The law also wants to make sure people in charge of buildings do their jobs properly. This includes owners, designers, builders, and people who give building consents. They must make sure buildings meet the building code standards.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306035.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Highlights from this law

17: All building work must comply with building code

Any construction or building changes must follow the rules in the building code, even if you don't need special permission.

18: Building work not required to achieve performance criteria additional to or more restrictive than building code

The law says you only need to follow the building code rules, not any extra or stricter rules, when doing building work.

19: How compliance with building code is established

How to show your building meets the safety rules

22: Acceptable solution or verification method for use in establishing compliance with building code

The head building person can make special rules that help people follow the building rules properly.

40: Building work not to be carried out without consent

You must get permission before you build anything, or you could be punished.

84: Licensed building practitioner must carry out or supervise restricted building work

Only special workers with special licenses can do or watch over certain types of building work.

133: Application of this subpart to dams

This part of the law doesn't cover buildings that are dams or parts of buildings that are dams.

134: When owner must classify dam

Rules for when dam owners must sort their dams into groups

140: Requirement for dam safety assurance programme

Dam owners must create and check safety plans for medium and high-risk dams, or face fines.

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1: Title, or

"This law tells us what the name of this set of rules is."

Building Act 2004

Reprint as at:: 2025-11-27
Assent:: 2004-08-24
Commencement:: see section 2

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.