Building consent and resource consent are often talked about together, but they deal with different parts of a development project.
In simple terms:
Building consent focuses on whether the proposed building work will comply with the Building Code.
Resource consent focuses on whether the proposed activity or development is allowed under the relevant planning rules and how its effects are managed.
A project may need one, both or, in some cases, neither. Understanding the difference early makes it much easier to work out which approvals need to be addressed.
A building consent is approval to carry out specific building work in accordance with the approved plans and specifications.
Council assesses the proposed work against the New Zealand Building Code. All building work must comply with the Building Code, although some lower-risk work is exempt from needing a building consent.
Building consent can become relevant for work such as structural alterations, additions, new buildings and certain demolition or other construction work.
The focus is mainly on how the building will be designed and constructed.
A resource consent deals with activities that are not permitted as of right under the relevant district or regional planning rules.
This can include matters such as:
land use and subdivision
building location, height or scale
earthworks
use of land for a particular activity
effects involving water, discharges or coastal areas
The exact requirements depend on the proposal and the planning provisions applying to the site.
The focus is therefore less on how the building itself is constructed and more on whether the proposed development or activity is appropriate in that location and how its effects are addressed.
A useful way to think about the difference is:
Building Consent | Resource Consent |
Assesses building work | Assesses land use and environmental effects |
Based on the Building Act and Building Code | Based on planning provisions and resource management legislation |
Looks at how work will be constructed | Looks at what is proposed, where it is proposed and its effects |
May be required for new buildings or alterations | May be required where planning rules are not met or an activity requires consent |
Follows its own council approval process | Follows a separate resource consent process |
The two approvals are separate. Official guidance specifically notes that building consents follow a different process from resource consents.
Yes, and this is common.
Imagine a new building is proposed on a property.
The resource consent process might assess matters such as the building's height, position, site coverage or effects on surrounding properties.
The building consent process would then assess matters such as the structural design and compliance with the Building Code.
The same project is being considered, but each approval is looking at it through a different lens.
One approval does not replace the other.
Yes.
A project might comply fully with the relevant district and regional planning rules but still involve building work that requires building consent.
For example, an addition could potentially meet all relevant planning standards while still requiring approval under the Building Act.
Likewise, Building Performance guidance notes that building consent may be required even where resource consent is not.
This is why complying with the district plan does not automatically mean construction can begin.
This can also happen.
Resource consent may be triggered by the use of land or an activity, even where little or no consented building work is involved.
Examples could include subdivision, particular land uses, earthworks or activities involving water or discharges. Resource consent requirements depend on the relevant district or regional plan rather than simply on whether a building is being constructed.
The two approval pathways therefore need to be checked independently.
There is no single answer that applies to every project.
The two processes can interact, so the best sequence depends on what is proposed and the issues involved.
For some projects, it makes sense to resolve important planning matters before investing heavily in detailed building design. If resource consent could significantly affect the building's size, position or layout, obtaining greater planning certainty first may avoid designing a building around assumptions that later need to change.
On other projects, information for both processes may be developed alongside each other.
The key is understanding which planning and building requirements could influence the design before the project becomes too advanced.
Because each approval answers a different question.
A building consent essentially asks:
Will this building work comply with the Building Code if it is completed in accordance with the approved plans?
A resource consent asks:
Can this activity or development proceed under the relevant planning framework, and how should its effects be addressed?
Receiving approval under one system therefore does not confirm compliance with the other.
Even if resource consent is not needed, building consent may still be required. Likewise, receiving building consent does not remove any separate obligation to obtain resource consent.
Before progressing too far with a design, it is worth establishing:
whether the planning rules trigger resource consent
whether the proposed building work requires building consent
whether one approval could influence the information needed for the other
whether other project approvals or technical investigations may also be required
This provides a much clearer picture of the overall approval pathway rather than treating each consent as an isolated task.
Building consent and resource consent serve different purposes, but they often need to work alongside each other on the same development.
Civix can review the planning requirements for a project and assist with both resource consent and building consent considerations, helping the wider project team understand how the approvals fit into the development process.
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