Prepare Your Application

The Building Act 2004 can be complex, especially when considered with other legislation. Your agent (e.g. an architect or designer) can help you through the steps of preparing an application for building consent.

Preparation checks

A few simple preparation checks will ensure you can quickly and easily submit your application:

  • Verify the details of the property (including checking hazards map and WRC Coastal Inundation tool
  • Know the owner as listed on the record of title
  • If acting as an agent, ensure you have a letter of authority to act from the property owner
  • Prepare a succinct, accurate description of your project (e.g. 'new single-storey, three-bedroom dwelling')
  • Do you need a resource consent?
  • What landscape features might alter your designs?
  • Does the project involve building near or over a Council owned pipe? If so, you will need approval prior to submitting your building application. Find out more about this here
  • Have you got all documentation that needs to be submitted with your application?

Building work that requires a consent cannot be started until a building consent has been issued by our Council. The building consent clock starts when we receive a complete application and confirmation that the deposit has been paid.  

Natural Hazards

You need to consider whether there may be any natural hazards present, and how they could affect compliance with the Building Act 2004 and the New Zealand Building Code.

Natural hazards include:

  • Erosion (including coastal erosion, bank erosion and sheet erosion)
  • Falling debris (including soil, rock, snow and ice)
  • Subsidence
  • Inundation (including flooding, overland flow, storm surge, tidal effects and ponding)
  • Slippage

Find out more information on building on land with natural hazards on the Build Waikato Website

Pre-application meetings

Are you completing a large project or a non-residential (commercial) project?

To assist you with these types of applications, we have pre-application meetings available. The aim of these meetings is to: 

  • Provide a smoother more personalised process for you, as you can put a face to those who you'll be working with at Council
  • Reduce the number of Requests for Further Information (RFIs)
  • For us to include other departments such as Planning, Infrastructure, Health and Alcohol Licensing to discuss relevant legislation and council requirements applicable to your project 
  • Ensure faster lodgement of application and faster processing and granting timeframes

Contact us to book your pre-application meeting.

Fees

Check out our Building Consent Fees and Charges to determine what deposit you will need to pay.

You can pay upfront when you submit your application, or wait for an invoice from us.

If you're paying up front you can pay by internet banking, making sure the reference includes the applicant name and either 'Building Consent deposit' or 'ABA deposit'.  Details of how to pay via internet banking can be located on our Payment Methods page.

Online consenting

Submitting a building consent application is fast, convenient and easy to do because most building consent applications at Thames-Coromandel District Council are lodged and processed online using AlphaOne.

What applications can you apply for online? 

  • Project Information Memorandum (PIM)
  • Building Consent (with or without a PIM)
  • Amendment to a Building Consent
  • Code Compliance Certificate
  • Certificate of Acceptance
  • Exemption from the need for Building Consent
  • Multiproof Building 

We are still developing online solutions for the following applications, so in the meantime please print and complete a paper application.  You can either drop this off at one of our Council offices or post it to Thames-Coromandel District Council, Private Bag 1001, Thames, 3540: