Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs) play a critical role in ensuring the structural integrity and weather-tightness of New Zealand’s residential buildings. However, recent data and industry commentary suggest that a significant number of LBPs are not adequately prepared for building inspections, leading to concerning failure rates. These failures often stem from issues such as non-compliance with the Building Code, incomplete documentation, or work being carried out beyond the LBPs scope of competence.

Professor Anthony Hōete shares the results of ModelDocs — a BRANZ funded research programme that delves into NZ’s building consent process to seek behavioural transformation.

One of the key findings is that B1 and E2 represent over half of all RFI line items related to NZBC clauses. So, what can we do to reduce those RFIs?

Remediation projects present unique and complex challenges that go beyond traditional design scopes. We want to show how this can lead to unfavourable outcomes if not addressed early on by the designers and specifiers on the project.

The key to improving the cost of NZ homes is about making lots of small improvements that will add up to a significant cost reduction.

Understanding the applicable NZBC clauses for a durable, functional and compliant drainage system at the garage door.

In December last year MBIE asked for feedback on “…the H1 Energy Efficiency standards, specifically looking at insulation settings and improving flexibility of building design”, with submissions to be with them by the end of February this year.

This month MyImprint looks at methods and tools available to help small to medium-sized NZ businesses gauge their emissions accurately, and without breaking the bank. 

Selecting product suppliers that offer integrated system solutions can avoid receiving conflicting information that occurs when suppliers work in fragmented categories.

In April, the Building Performance team published a checklist of the proposed conditions that must be met when using the small standalone dwellings building consent exemption. This exemption is expected to be in force by early 2026.

The retention provisions in the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA) were put in place to protect retention money owed to subcontractors in the event of a business failure, and to ensure retention money withheld under construction contracts is responsibly managed.