Build readiness | Ara Whenua

1. Confirm the right to build 0 / 5 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Whānau lead with a Māori land adviser or lawyer

Identify the block, ownership and who has authority to approve the proposal. Who helps: Māori land adviser / lawyer — check ownership records and authority

Check trust orders, existing leases and other occupation arrangements. Who helps: Māori land lawyer / adviser — review trust orders, leases and occupation documents

Agree the proposed house site and record necessary whānau, owner or trustee decisions. Who helps: Owners / authorised trustees, supported by the whānau lead — make and record decisions

Establish the appropriate licence, lease or occupation order; check council and lender requirements. Who helps: Māori land lawyer / adviser, with the Court where needed — establish the occupation arrangement

Confirm legal access and rights needed for driveways, pipes and power. Who helps: Property lawyer and surveyor where needed — confirm access and service rights

2. Check council rules 0 / 6 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Council planner; engage a planning consultant if the proposal is complex

Prepare a concept: number of homes, approximate sizes and proposed locations. Who helps: Designer / architect with the whānau lead — prepare the concept

Check zoning and papakāinga provisions. Who helps: Council planner / planning consultant — check zoning and papakāinga rules

Check setbacks, height, site coverage, access and parking rules. Who helps: Designer with the planner — check the concept against site rules

Ask the district/city and regional councils about mapped flood, erosion, slip and other hazards before detailed plans. Who helps: District/city and regional council hazard teams; flood engineer if flagged — assess hazard information

Check district and regional resource-consent requirements. Who helps: Planning consultant / council planner — identify district and regional consents

Discuss a pre-application meeting and a Project Information Memorandum (PIM). Who helps: Planner and designer with council staff — coordinate the pre-application discussion

Resource consent and building consent are separate approvals. If flooding is flagged, ask whether a specialist flood assessment is required.

3. Investigate the house site 0 / 6 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Lead designer, coordinating site specialists

Topographical/site survey — ground levels, features and build location. Who helps: Surveyor — provide a topographical survey

Boundary confirmation, where needed — legal boundary positions. Who helps: Licensed cadastral surveyor — confirm legal boundaries where required

Ground-bearing tests — support for proposed foundations, by a suitably qualified professional. Who helps: Suitably qualified ground-testing professional — test foundation bearing conditions

Geotechnical investigation, where needed — soft ground, fill, expansive clay, stability, liquefaction and foundation recommendations. Who helps: Geotechnical engineer / engineering geologist — investigate ground and foundation risks where needed

Wastewater soil/site assessment, if off sewer — system suitability and disposal area, by an on-site wastewater designer/environmental engineer. Who helps: On-site wastewater designer / environmental engineer — assess soils and disposal area

Stormwater assessment and soakage testing, where relevant — safe disposal of roof and surface water, by a civil/stormwater engineer or qualified designer. Who helps: Civil / stormwater engineer or qualified designer — assess drainage and soakage

Foundation ground testing, wastewater assessment and stormwater soakage testing answer different questions. One report does not automatically cover all three.

4. Check special site constraints 0 / 5 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Planner or project manager, commissioning only relevant specialists

Flooding or complex drainage — civil engineer with flood expertise / hydrologist. Who helps: Civil engineer with flood expertise / hydrologist — assess flooding and drainage

Possible contaminated soil from previous activities — contaminated-land specialist. Who helps: Contaminated-land specialist — investigate historic land-use risks

Archaeological sites or historic occupation affected by earthworks — archaeologist and Heritage New Zealand. Who helps: Archaeologist, working with Heritage New Zealand — assess archaeology and authority requirements

Wetlands, waterways or ecological effects — ecologist and regional council. Who helps: Ecologist with regional council input — assess waterways, wetlands and ecological effects

Wāhi tapu and cultural values — relevant mana whenua, hapū and cultural advisers. Who helps: Relevant mana whenua / hapū cultural advisers — guide cultural values and wāhi tapu considerations

Archaeological authority is separate from council consents and may be needed before affected earthworks.

5. Design and price infrastructure 0 / 7 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Civil engineer or infrastructure designer

Driveway, vehicle crossing and construction access. Who helps: Civil / access designer and driveway contractor — design and price access; council approves crossings where required

Earthworks, retaining walls and building platform. Who helps: Civil / geotechnical / structural engineer as appropriate, with earthworks contractor — design and price siteworks

Drinking-water connection, tanks, pumps and treatment. Who helps: Water-system designer and plumber — plan supply, storage, pumping and treatment

Wastewater connection or on-site treatment and disposal. Who helps: Wastewater designer and licensed drainlayer — design and price the wastewater system

Stormwater collection and disposal. Who helps: Civil / stormwater designer and drainlayer — design and price stormwater works

Electricity connection or designed alternative, and telecommunications. Who helps: Electricity network provider and electrician; renewable-energy designer if needed — confirm supply and connection costs

For multiple homes, shared-service capacity and layout; coordinate disposal areas with house locations. Who helps: Civil engineer with service designers — coordinate shared capacity and layout

6. Complete design and consent documents 0 / 7 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Appropriately licensed designer or registered architect

Site plan, floor plans, elevations and construction details. Who helps: Designer / architect — prepare plans and construction details

Foundation design responding to ground findings. Who helps: Foundation designer / structural engineer with geotechnical input as needed — design site-specific foundations

Structural design, bracing and truss information. Who helps: Designer / structural engineer and truss supplier — provide structural, bracing and truss details

Plumbing, drainage and stormwater details. Who helps: Qualified plumbing / drainage designer — prepare service details

Insulation and energy-efficiency compliance. Who helps: Designer or energy-efficiency specialist — demonstrate insulation and energy compliance

Specifications and evidence for proposed building systems. Who helps: Designer with product suppliers — assemble specifications and system evidence

Required design certificates and engineering documents; adapt standard/transportable plans to this site. Who helps: Responsible designer / engineer — provide certificates and coordinate the consent package

7. Obtain approvals 0 / 7 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Lead designer or planning consultant coordinating applications

Resource consents, if required, with supporting assessments. Who helps: Planning consultant with relevant specialists — prepare resource-consent documents; council decides

Building consent, unless a confirmed exemption applies. Who helps: Designer / architect with engineers as needed — lodge building-consent documents; council decides

Relevant service-connection, vehicle-crossing and other permits. Who helps: Relevant service/access designer and provider — arrange connection and crossing approvals

Archaeological authority, if required, before affected earthworks. Who helps: Archaeologist — support an authority application; Heritage New Zealand decides

Pay applicable fees and contributions. Who helps: Whānau lead / project manager — confirm and pay fees and contributions

Resolve requests for further information. Who helps: The designer, planner or engineer responsible for the query — answer requests for information

Record and satisfy pre-start conditions, including any restriction pending resource consent. Who helps: Project manager / whānau lead with planner, designer and builder — track and satisfy pre-start conditions

8. Confirm readiness to start 0 / 7 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Project manager or nominated whānau lead

Final scope and quotes cover siteworks, services and consent conditions. Who helps: Builder with project manager / quantity surveyor where used — finalise scope, inclusions and quotes

Funding confirmed and lender conditions satisfied. Who helps: Lender / finance adviser with the whānau lead — confirm funding and lending conditions

Building contract, payment stages, insurance and contingency settled. Who helps: Construction lawyer for contract review; builder, project manager and insurance adviser — settle contract, payments, cover and contingency

Required licensed trades and building practitioners appointed. Who helps: Builder / project manager — appoint appropriate licensed practitioners and trades

Inspection and engineering-monitoring requirements understood. Who helps: Builder and relevant engineers, with council inspection requirements — plan inspections and monitoring

Approved documents available on site. Who helps: Builder / site manager — keep current approved documents on site

Site access, safety arrangements and construction programme ready. Who helps: Builder / site manager with the project lead — organise site access, safety and programme

9. Build, inspect and close out 0 / 5 checked

WHO LEADS THIS STAGE? Builder / site manager, coordinated by the project manager or whānau lead

Complete required council inspections and specialist monitoring. Who helps: Council inspectors and relevant engineers — inspect and monitor at required stages; builder books attendance

Obtain approval for design changes as required. Who helps: Lead designer / engineer with builder — document changes and obtain approvals where required

Collect trade certificates, records of work, engineering statements and warranties. Who helps: Builder, licensed trades and engineers — provide completion records, certificates and warranties

Complete final inspections and apply for the Code Compliance Certificate. Who helps: Owner or authorised agent with builder/designer support — apply for CCC; council assesses and issues it

Close out resource-consent conditions and arrange maintenance of shared services. Who helps: Project manager / planner and service-system specialists — close consent conditions and hand over maintenance plans

Official guidance