Most building work that needs building consent from your council will include work that is restricted.
If it involves work to the home’s primary structure, weathertightness or design of fire safety systems, it is designated as restricted building work. If you are the homeowner it is your responsibility to make certain that the people you are using are licensed to do this work.
By law, a non-licensed person:
- can’t carry out Restricted Building Work (RBW) unless they’re supervised by a LBP.
- can’t supervise RBW.
A licensed building practitioner (LBP) can be identified by their photo ID licence card and by checking their details against the public register.
The LBP public register will help you find a licensed building practitioner (LBP) as well as provide details on their licence history such as any complaints and license class details.
How to tell if your building practitioner is licensed
If you’re getting RBW done, always ask to see your building practitioner’s LBP card to confirm that the photo matches the practitioner you are planning to engage.
Look them up on the public register of LBPs to confirm that they hold a current licence using this link - www.business.govt.nz/lbp
Check their licence class; licence status; status reason and suspension history.
If there is a suspension history – check the suspension end date to ensure the licence is current.