Minister announces licensing

A new licensed building practitioners regime has been introduced.

On 23 April 2006, the Minister for Building Issues, Hon Clayton Cosgrove, announced the details of the new licensed building practitioners regime, at the Registered Master Builders Conference in Queenstown.

Following extensive consultation with the building sector, the government has made key decisions about the licensed building practitioners regime.  It will be implemented over the next five years.

The introduction of Occupational Licensing is a key platform in government’s overall response to changes in the building industry, particularly around avoiding significant building failure into the future.  It is an important new consumer protection programme that will improve building standards but still allow DIYers to carry on doing most of what they already do.

The licensed building practitioners regime will license designers, builders and specialist trades to carry out or supervise critical design and building work.  Licensing will only apply to new buildings, major alterations and extensions, and changing the use of buildings and only if those buildings are intended for use as residences or places of work, or public use.  It will not affect the type of projects generally undertaken by DIYers.

DIYers will still be able to undertake most of the work that they do now, such as bathroom and kitchen renovations, building, painting and decorating, or installing a new window or door.  DIYers who build their own homes or undertake major renovations will be able to still do this but they will need to be supervised by appropriately licensed building practitioners.

By introducing licensing for critical building work which affects the integrity of buildings and the health and safety of occupants, consumers can have confidence that their homes, the buildings they work in and the public buildings they use are safe and healthy.  In order to get a licence, building practitioners will have to demonstrate that they meet minimum standards of competence in their respective trades.

Licensing applies only to individuals ie there will not be company licensing.  This will make it easier for consumers to find out who took responsibility for their building work, as the individual building practitioners’ names will be recorded on the consent documentation held by building consent authorities.

There will be 13 licence classes which will be phased in from 1 November 2007. 

These include three Design licences and three Site licences (which reflect three levels of building complexity). These licence holders will be responsible for the project meeting the building consent and Building Code requirements. 

The remaining seven licences relate to well established trades and specialist skills – there will be licences for Carpentry, Roofing, External Plaster and Brick/blocklaying, and for Concrete Construction, Steel Construction and Building Services. 

Once a building practitioner becomes licensed, their name will be recorded on a public register which will be available online. 

Consumers will be able to access the register to choose competent people when planning building projects, whether the project requires licensed building practitioners or not.

Anyone will be able to make a complaint to the Building Practitioners Board about the standard of work of a licensed building practitioner.
Over the next weeks and months you can expect to hear more about the regime as it is phased in. 

• From 1 November 2007, voluntary licensing for Design Site and Carpentry Licences will be available with the remaining licence classes being phased in through to November 2011. 
• From 30 November 2009, new buildings and major renovations to new buildings will need to be designed by a licensed practitioner and construction overseen by a person with the appropriate Site licence.
• From 30 November 2011, work on the structure and envelope for these types of building work will need to be undertaken or supervised by practitioners with the appropriate trade or specialist licences.

To find out more about licensing check out the Department of Building and Housing’s website.