Better housing through knowledge

ConsumerBuild provides a range of clear, independent and up-to-date information on building, buying, renovating and maintaining houses in New Zealand.

It guides you through your responsibilities under the Building Act and other relevant legislation, helps you locate and work with builders, subcontractors and building professionals such as architects and engineers, and gives good practical advice about what you can and can’t do yourself.

ConsumerBuild keeps you in touch with the latest information coming from the building industry, such as the leaky houses issue and the new Building Act.

All the information on this website is provided without charge. Where you are linked to additional information in another resource or website, for which you have to pay, this will be made clear.

Who's behind ConsumerBuild?

The site has been developed jointly by the Department of Building and Housing and Consumer NZ,  with assistance from a number of other organisations who have an interest in helping consumers.

In particular, ConsumerBuild thanks the following organisations for their input and assistance in developing this website:

• Ministry of Consumer Affairs www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz
• BRANZ Ltd www.branz.co.nz
• Standards New Zealand www.standards.co.nz