Advice for consumers

All work carried out at your property must meet the requirements of the Building Code, regardless of whether it requires a code of compliance certificate or not.

For more information on complying with the Building Code, code compliance certificates and other building matters visit www.building.govt.nz

There you will also find a useful guide to plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting work that does not require a building consent.

Use these tips to help your building project run well and ensure you know how to meet your legal obligations.

Renovating

When renovating or doing work on your home, the more you think about upfront the better it's likely to go. There's a lot to decide before you start hiring people. Take the quiz to help plan your renovation.

The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayer’s Board recommends before using the services of a licensed tradesperson:

1. Shop around and obtain a range of written quotes before you decide.
2. Ask to see a tradesperson's New Zealand Practising Licence and check the expiry date to see that it is current.
3. A plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer can produce their licence via an app on their phone or a physical licence.
4. When checking a tradesperson’s licence, also ensure that they are licensed to carry out that particular work. For example, if they are carrying out plumbing work it is good to check that they are licensed to carry out plumbing work. The same applies for gasfitting and drainlaying. Find out more about understanding registration and licence classes.
5. Ask the tradesperson whether they require any supervision and who their supervisor is. You can check the name of the supervisor on the public register to ensure that they are also licensed.
6. Search the licence number of your chosen registered tradesperson on the public register

Search the register

Understanding registration and licence classes

Example of a New Zealand practising licence

Example of the front of a New Zealand practicing licence

Example of the back of a New Zealand practicing licence

If your plumbing or drainlaying work needs a building consent, certain work can be signed off in one of two ways. It can either be inspected by a building consent authority (BCA), or it can be self-certified by an endorsed plumber or drainlayer.

When a self-certifying plumber or drainlayer certifies that work, council inspections are not required for that plumbing or drainlaying work. However, a building consent is still required where one would normally be needed, the work must still comply with the Building Code, and a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) may still be required.

Only certifying plumbers and certifying drainlayers who hold an endorsement can choose to self-certify eligible work and certify that it complies with the building consent. Search for an endorsed plumber or drainlayer on our public register.

Before you engage a plumber or drainlayer

• Search for an endorsed plumber or drainlayer, or check whether a plumber or drainlayer can self-certify work, on our public register.
• Ask whether your proposed work is eligible for self-certification.
• Ask the plumber or drainlayer whether they hold appropriate insurance for the work they will be carrying out and certifying (do we think this is good to flag?).
• On the building consent application:
• • list the work proposed to be self-certified
  • provide the name and registration number of the self-certifying plumber or drainlayer, if known.

Questions you may wish to ask

• Are you endorsed to self-certify plumbing or drainlaying work?
• Can my project be self-certified?
• What documents will I receive when the work is completed?
• What insurance arrangements do you have in place for the work being certified?

After you engage a plumber or drainlayer

• Before the work begins, let your BCA know the name and registration number of the self-certifying plumber or drainlayer (if you haven't already provided this in the building consent application).
• Keep the Certificate of Compliance and supporting documents issued by the plumber or drainlayer.
• Make sure the Certificate of Compliance is included in the application for a Code Compliance Certificate.
• Keep the Code Compliance Certificate provided by the BCA.

For more information, visit MBIE's website.

Check a property

Search the self-certification public property register to find a property and view all certificates of compliance that have been issued by an endorsed plumber or drainlayer under the Self-Certification scheme (Building Act 2004).

What are the obligations in relation to gasfitting certificates?

A certifying gasfitter must provide a signed gasfitting certificate where they have done gasfitting work at the consumer’s property.

The gasfitter that provides the certificate may not necessarily be the person who carried out the gasfitting work at the property. However, if they have not done the work themselves, the certifying gasfitter that provides the certificate must be satisfied that the work was carried out in accordance with the law with and compliance documents that specify how gasfitting work must be done.

• The gasfitter is required by law to provide a gasfitting certificate within 20 working days of the gasfitting work being connected to the gas supply.
• The gasfitter must also keep a copy of any gasfitting certificate they issue for seven years.

What to do with a gasfitting certificate

Gasfitting certificates should be kept in a safe place. They may be needed if you sell the property or for insurance purposes. Gas providers may also require a copy of your certificate before they supply you with gas or refill your LPG bottles.

What if the gasfitting certificate cannot be found?

If you cannot obtain a copy of a gasfitting certificate, you will have to contact another certifying gasfitter to check the safety of your gas installation.

• A certifying gasfitter can issue a certificate of verification of the safety of your existing installation.
• Note: you will have to pay for a gasfitter to issue a certificate of verification.

Gasfitting certificates are a legal document required under the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010. A gasfitting certificate is the gasfitter’s verification that the gasfitting work is lawful and compliant.

Gasfitting certificates may be called different things under different pieces of legislation

• Under the Building Act 2004, they are recognised as an Energy Works Certificate.
• Under the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations, they are called a Gasfitting Certificate of Compliance and a Gas Safety Certificate.

Gasfitting certificates issued after 1 October 2013

The Board no longer holds gas certificates issued after 1 October 2013.