Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Building Act 2004

Building - Building code - Requirement to comply with building code

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

You could also call this:

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

When you do building work, you only need to meet the requirements set out in the building code. You don’t have to do anything extra or follow stricter rules than what the building code says. If your building work follows the building code, you don’t need to do anything else.

However, there’s one exception to this rule. If another law specifically says you need to do something more than what’s in the building code, then you have to follow that law too.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306339.

Topics:
Housing and property > Home safety and repairs
Business > Industry rules
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17: All building work must comply with building code, or

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

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19: How compliance with building code is established, or

“The building authority must accept different ways to show that a building follows the rules.”

Part 2 Building
Building code: Requirement to comply with building code

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

  1. A person who carries out any building work is not required by this Act to—

  2. achieve performance criteria that are additional to, or more restrictive than, the performance criteria prescribed in the building code in relation to that building work; or
    1. take any action in respect of that building work if it complies with the building code.

      1. Subsection (1) is subject to any express provision to the contrary in any Act.

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