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Building Consent Exemptions for Pole Buildings

… all you need to know to make building a shed a lot cheaper and easier!

The basics you need to know:

1.     There are four main exemptions available;

a.     Rural buildings up to 110m2,

b.     Carports up to 40m2,

c.      Enclosed buildings up to 30m2,

d.     Awnings off existing buildings up to 30m2.

2.     Max floor area refers to the internal usable area between the internal framing and/or poles (See diagram below).

3.     All buildings must still comply with the Building Code, Resource Management Act, Regional and District Plans (including heights, site coverage, setbacks, distance from boundaries, sunlight recession planes, noise restrictions, parking requirements).

4.     Even if a consent is not required buildings over 20m2 will still need to be signed off by a Registered Engineer (PS1).

5.     Any electrical work must be carried out by a registered electrician.

6.     Any plumbing work will require a building consent.

It is the building owner's responsibility to check whether a building consent is required. We highly recommend the owner obtains a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) from their local consenting authority. A PIM costs far less than a building consent and will confirm whether a proposed building complies with the Building Code, District plan and Resource Management Act.

Buildings up to 110m2 in a rural zone 

December 2023

Building consent exemption requirements:

• Building Importance Level 1, non-habitable.

• Maximum height is 4m above floor level.

• Floor level no more than 1m above supporting ground.

• Maximum unsupported span is 6m (i.e. Pole to pole or post).

• Maximum design windspeed is 44 metres per second (High wind zone).

• Minimum distance from any residential building or boundaries equal to the height of building (measured from supporting ground level to maximum building height)

• the building does not exceed 110 square metres in internal floor area (A x B) as measured from the inside face of the structure. I.e. area to exterior could be up to 120sqm.

• Designed or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer, or a Licensed Building Practitioner has carried out or supervised design and construction; and

• the building is not subject to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996; and

• the building is not accessible by the public (i.e. is Building Importance Level 1, non-habitable).

Detached Buildings up to 30 square metres

Building consent exemption requirements:

• Single storey.

• Maximum height is 3.5m above floor level.

• Floor level no more than 1m above supporting ground.

• Maximum floor area of 30 square metres.

• Minimum distance from any boundary equal to the height of the building. (measured from supporting ground level to maximum building height)

Carports* up to 40 square metres

Building consent exemption requirements:

• the carport does not exceed 40 square metres measured between the internal poles or posts.

• the design has been carried out or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer, or a Licensed Building Practitioner has carried out or supervised design and construction.

• Carports with a maximum floor area of 20 square metres can be built without a professional.

*Includes garages with one side permanently open 

Awnings, porches and verandahs off existing buildings up to 30m2

Building consent exemption requirements:

• Must be attached to an existing building.

• Must be on ground level.

• Must not overhang any areas accessible by the public. 

• Maximum floor area of 30 square metres e.g. up to 30m2 for a single awning or two separate 15m2 areas etc so long as combined area under 30m2.

What does NZS 3604:2011 'Good ground' mean?

June 2021

‘Good ground’ is defined in the NZS 3604:2011 Timber framed buildings standard (NZS3604) as soil or rock that has an ultimate bearing pressure of not less than 300 kPa. ‘Good ground’ ensures buildings are supported adequately by the ground to avoid differential settlement when one part of a building sinks more than another which can lead to uneven or cracked floors/walls.

Determining ‘Good ground’ according to NZS3604

1.     The initial assessment for determining good ground is observing that:

• Neighbouring buildings show no sign of settlement.

• There is no evidence of erosion, landslides or ground creep either on the site or adjacent sites.

• Excavation reveals no evidence of buried services or fill material.

• Excavation does not reveal organic soil, soft or expansive clay, or peat.

Other investigations include referring to the project information memorandum and other territorial authority records such as local history of the site and published geological data.

2.     Testing ground bearing capacity

A scala penetrometer (aka dynamic cone penetrometer) test is commonly used to establish the ground’s ultimate bearing capacity of 300kPa. A hand-held calibrated rod is driven into the ground (commonly 2-5m depth) at various locations by dropping a weight of 9 kg a height of 0.51m and recording the penetration achieved.

The number of blows required to achieve a particular depth of penetration into the ground establishes the ground’s bearing capacity. The bearing capacity of the soil can be determined by correlating the scala penetrometer penetration rates (mm/blow) to ultimate bearing pressure (NZS 3604). A factor of safety of 3 is applied when calculating the safe bearing capacity of foundations (i.e. the ultimate bearing capacity >= 3 x bearing pressure). Where testing shows the ground does not meet the ultimate bearing capacity required, the foundation of the proposed building will need specific engineering design (SED).

3.     A supporting geotechnical report in accordance with NZS 4404.

If the ground does not pass reasonable enquiry or meet the bearing pressure from a penetrometer test or the building is outside the scope of NZS 3604:2011, the ground condition must be assessed by a geotechnical engineer.

You can download the NZ3604:2011 standard for FREE here https://www.standards.govt.nz/shop/nzs-36042011/

What is my property planning zone and what does it mean?

November 2020

What is a property planning zone?

A property’s planning zone identifies the activities and land uses that are permitted on a property. The rules differ depending on what zone a property is in and identify what you can do as of right (permitted activities) and what you’ll need a resource consent to do.

Common planning zones include;

• Residential

• Commercial

• Industrial

• Rural

• Recreational, future urban, city centre etc etc

Each zone has rules* specifying:

• what you can build

• how high you can build

• how close to the boundary you can build

• how you can use the land

• what sort of activities you can use buildings or land for (housing, business, offices, industry, farming etc)

• whether or not you can subdivide a property

*There are also overlays or district-wide planning rules that may also apply and/or future uses which may also affect a property’s use or planned use.

How do I check the zone and rules for a specific property?

1.  You can view the local District Plan to search for a specific property address to identify the zone and rules that apply. These are normally found on the local district council website. Find your local district council websites here.

2.  Contact a local council planner who can answer any questions you have about the zone and rules for a specific property address (a physical address or legal description of the property is required).

American Barn Design

October 2020

American Barn Design

An American barn is a traditional barn design with a raised centre bay with a gable roof and lean-to structures on either side. 

Standard Dimensions

The width is approx. 12-15m across the front and the overall length approx. 10-15m long (front to back). However, dimensions can be customised to suit your requirements. The height and pitch for the centre bay or side lean-tos can also be changed to accommodate large roller doors for vehicles, boats, campervans, caravans, tractors, trucks, buses or horse floats etc.

Things to consider:

• Doors. Choose the quantity, size, location and style of access doors (roller doors, personnel access doors, steel security doors or sliding doors). See some typical door sizes (m) below:

  • • Pedestrian Doors 1.98-2.08Hx0.81-0.91W or sliding doors 2.0Hx1.8-2.4W

    • Cars/SUV’s 2.2Hx2.4W (Single), 2.2Hx4.8W (Double)

    • Boats 3.6Hx3.6W to 4.2Hx4.0W

    • Horse floats 3.6Hx3.6W

    • RV/Caravan 4.2Hx3.6W

    • Tractors 3.0-4.2Hx3.0x4.4W

    • Trucks/Buses 3.6-4.7Hx3.6-4.4W

• Natural light. Add natural lighting by adding windows, sliding doors and/or translucent sheets to the roof and/or walls.

• A mezzanine floor to the centre bay can be used for extra storage or an additional workspace. A mezzanine floor can also be added at a later stage, allowing you to get what you need now and expand as required. If you want to start with just one lean-to, a second can be added at a later date.

• Carport or verandah. You could turn one of the lean-to sides into an open carport or verandah for the perfect entertainment area.

• Office space? Convert a lean-to into an office space with sliding doors and windows.

• Animal shelters? The bay structure allows for customised animal stables in the lean-to sides. Horse stalls are typically 3.6m x 3.6m up to 4.2m x 4.2m for larger horses.

• Good ventilation. If you’re operating machinery or storing chemicals there are a range of passive ventilation products available including ridge vents, wall vents and wind driven roof vents.