The inspector will check whether the work complies, record these details, and email or notify the owner and nominated agent.
Inspections and requirements
Read our inspection and requirements information to find out what is required to sign off your building project.
Inspections
Conditions
A condition of granting any consent, whether stated or not, is that the Building Consent Authority (BCA), being Buller District Council, is entitled, at all times during working hours or while building work is being done, to inspect the building and the building work and the land on which building work is being or is proposed to be done. They may not enter a household unit without consent of the occupier or an order from the District Court and when on private land must produce to the occupier of the building a warrant issued by the Council as proof of authorisation whenever requested to do so.
Inspections are required to verify that building work is being carried out in compliance with the approved consent documents. The consent will list the inspections required.
Engineer involvement
Sometimes it is necessary for specialists to conduct inspections in addition to or instead of inspections carried out by the Council and you will usually be advised at the time consent is issued. Typically, these types of inspections may involve having a Geotechnical Engineer confirm ground stability or having an aspect of specific structural design checked by a registered engineer. Please ensure you read your consent documents carefully before commencing work.
Access to building site
It is also important that the inspector can gain access to the site or into the building to inspect it, so if no one is available on site please arrange access into the building when booking the inspection. Please also ensure that a contact person is on-site unless prior arrangements have been made (Council recommends that the lead contractor or their representative be on site for all inspections) and that the consent and approved plans are available. An inspection will not be carried out if these documents are not available and a re-inspection may be required at your cost. The inspector will check that the work complies with the consent documents, record verification or otherwise and email or notify the owner and nominated agent of the results.
Please note if site safety requirements as per WorkSafe guidelines are not being met council officers have the right to refuse entry.
Additional inspections
Extra inspections carried out over and above the number estimated and paid for at the time of issue of the building consent will be invoiced on completion of the work and must be paid before a Code Compliance Certificate will be issued. The current inspection fee applies for any inspections carried out more than two years after the consent was issued. For prepaid inspections, the balance between the fee paid and the current fee (or fee applicable at time of inspection) will apply.
Book an inspection
The owner, their agent or builder must request an inspection at least 48 hours in advance (preferably longer for rural areas) to ensure the inspection can be carried out at a time that is suitable.
To book an inspection, contact the customer services staff at Council in Westport,
phone 788-9111
You will need to provide the following:
- The consent number
- Type of inspection
- Site location
- Contact person
- Phone number
- Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) details
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the inspection has been approved?
What if the work does not comply with building consent and/or the Building Code?
Extremely minor work may be able to be remedied and approved at the time of inspection. However, any other non- compliance will be recorded in an Inspection Notice which will detail the actions that need to be taken. This could include what work needs to be remedied, whether any other work can continue, whether a further inspection will be required, whether an amendment is needed if a change has been made or in serious cases whether work must stop immediately and if a Notice to Fix is likely to be issued.
You can find out more about the different types of inspections in our Inspection and requirements information.
When work is completed, a final inspection is required. An owner must apply to a BCA for a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC)after all building work to be carried out under a building consent granted to that owner is completed. A Form 6 is available via AlphaOne if your application was made electronically. Alternatively, a hardcopy is available, this is internally generated and specific to your consent please Council to request a hardcopy.
Please check the conditions and endorsements listed on your consent to ensure that all required documentation is provided e.g., LBP record of works, energy works certificates etc. A CCC verifies that the building work complies with the building consent.
It is an important document and should be retained for future reference. Council has 20 working days to issue the CCC from the date the CCC application is received to.
If there is any outstanding information still to be provided such as producer statements or supporting documents, your application will be put on hold and the timeframe will not restart until the date all information has been received.
