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Building Act 2004

Building - Building code - Establishing compliance with building code

19: How compliance with building code is established

You could also call this:

"How to show your building meets the safety rules"

Illustration for Building Act 2004

When you want to build something, you need to make sure it meets the building code. The building code is a set of rules that says what buildings must be like to be safe. You can show that your building meets the code by following the rules in the building code.

You can prove your building is okay by showing it meets certain regulations, or by using an acceptable solution or a verification method. You can also use a determination made by the chief executive, or a national multiple-use approval, or a registered product certificate. If you are using a modular component, you can use a manufacturer's certificate from a registered manufacturer.

When someone checks if your building meets the code, they must consider any warnings or bans. They can also look at guidance information published by the chief executive, or recognition by the Minister of certain standards or certification schemes. They can check if your building meets rules from the Electricity Act 1992 or the Gas Act 1992.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306341.

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

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

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20: Regulations may specify that there is only 1 means of complying with building code, or

"Rules can say there's only one way to follow building rules, like using special products or methods."

Part 2Building
Building code: Establishing compliance with building code

19How compliance with building code is established

  1. A building consent authority must accept any or all of the following as establishing compliance with the building code:

  2. compliance with regulations referred to in section 20:
    1. compliance with an acceptable solution:
      1. compliance with a verification method:
        1. a determination to that effect made by the chief executive under subpart 1 of Part 3:
          1. a current national multiple-use approval issued under section 30F, if every relevant condition in that national multiple-use approval is met:
            1. a current registered product certificate, if every relevant condition in that product certificate is met:
              1. in relation to the design and manufacture of a modular component that is designed and manufactured by a registered MCM, a current manufacturer’s certificate issued by that registered MCM:
                1. any recognition by the chief executive under section 272HA of any building products or building methods, or group of building products or building methods, that are certified under an overseas product certification scheme (if every relevant limitation and condition of the recognition is complied with):
                  1. to the extent that compliance with a requirement imposed by regulations made under the Electricity Act 1992 or the Gas Act 1992 is compliance with any particular provisions of the building code, a certificate issued under any of those regulations to the effect that any energy work complies with those requirements.

                    1. In considering whether something complies with the building code, a building consent authority or, as the case may be, a regional authority—

                    2. must have regard to any relevant warning or ban in force under section 26(2); and
                      1. may have regard to any guidance information published by the chief executive under section 175; and
                        1. may have regard to any recognition by the Minister under section 272HB of any—
                          1. groups of standards issued by an overseas standards organisation; or
                            1. standards certification schemes that a standards certification organisation that is based in New Zealand or overseas administers or operates under.

                            Notes
                            • Section 19(1): amended, on , by section 16(2)(b) of the Building Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 31).
                            • Section 19(1)(b): replaced, on , by section 8 of the Building Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 100).
                            • Section 19(1)(ba): inserted, on , by section 8 of the Building Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 100).
                            • Section 19(1)(ca): inserted, on , by section 8(1) of the Building Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 25).
                            • Section 19(1)(d): amended, on , by section 13(1) of the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 21).
                            • Section 19(1)(d): amended, on , by section 8(2) of the Building Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 25).
                            • Section 19(1)(da): inserted, on , by section 13(2) of the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 21).
                            • Section 19(1)(db): inserted, on , by section 6(1) of the Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 19).
                            • Section 19(2)(a): amended, on , by section 13(3) of the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 21).
                            • Section 19(2)(c): inserted, on , by section 6(2) of the Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 19).