Building consent pre-application service

Get building consent advice early

If you’re planning a large, complex, or unusual building project, you can request a pre-application meeting before submitting your building consent application.

The pre-application meeting is an opportunity to discuss key Building Code and inspection requirements (and consent staging where relevant), and better understand what information to provide with your consent application. It will also help identify potential issues and reduce the risk of processing delays.

While a pre-application meeting doesn't guarantee consent approval, it can help improve the quality and completeness of your application and put you on the right track from the start of your building journey.

When we recommend a pre-application meeting

The approval process for a building consent establishes that your proposed building work complies with the Building Act 2004 and the Building Code. Our pre-application meeting service allows you to discuss aspects of your project in relation to the Building Act 2004 and Building Code, ensuring all necessary considerations are explored before you submit your application.

We recommend a meeting for projects involving:

staged building consents (see section below)
complex fire engineering designs
significant or unusual structural designs
large commercial or multi-use developments
projects that include alternative solutions to demonstrate compliance with the Building Code.

When a pre-application meeting is not required

A pre-application meeting is generally not required for general process guidance, planning or zoning queries, water, wastewater or trade waste discussions, or straightforward building work.

In these situations, contacting the relevant team at council or checking specific guidance on our website is usually the quickest and most effective option.

Request a meeting

To request a meeting, complete the pre-application meeting request form and email it to: buildingconsents@taupo.govt.nz

We will review your request and advise whether a meeting has been approved, or whether another organisation of Council team is better placed to assist. We aim to respond to meeting requests within 5 working days.

Pre-application meeting request form (Word, 86KB)

Guidance and fees for pre-application meetings

Before you submit a meeting request

To help us assess your meeting request, please ensure you:

engage with relevant stakeholders, such as planner, development engineer, or Waikato Regional Council.
prepare preliminary design documentation.
identify specific technical questions you would like answered.

We may not be able to assess your request if you do not provide enough information.

Note that while a pre-application meeting does not guarantee consent approval, it can help improve the quality and completeness of your application.

What to expect at and after the meeting

Pre-application meetings can be held in person, online, or as a combination of both.

If your meeting request is approved:

The meeting will focus on building consent related matters.
Any follow-up actions and responsibilities discussed during the meeting will be recorded and distributed to relevant stakeholders

Staged building consent applications

Staged building consents are commonly used when an owner wants to undertake a large or complex construction project in manageable phases.

If you're planning to submit multiple building consent applications for different stages of building work, we strongly recommended getting the proposed staging agreed with us via the pre-application meeting process - before you lodge a consent application for the first stage.

Fees and charges for pre-application meeting

The first 30 minutes of Council officer time is provided at no charge.

This includes:

reviewing information provided
preliminary discussions and meeting attendance
administration
related emails and phone calls.

Any time spent after the first half hour will be charged as per our Building Consent – Recovery of building staff time, as shown on our building services fee page.

Where a building consent application is submitted, these costs will be included on your building consent invoice.

If no building consent application is submitted within a reasonable timeframe, a separate invoice will be issued.

Disclaimer

Pre-application meetings are intended to assist potential applicants in preparing for a formal building consent application. These meetings are customer-led and are advisory in nature only. The discussions and guidance provided do not constitute pre-processing of the building consent application and should not be construed as an indication of the final decision.

The ultimate decision on a building consent application will be determined following assessment of the formal application in accordance with the Building Act. A pre-application meeting may identify potential issues or additional approvals needed, such as resource consents or stormwater approvals, which can contribute to a more effective application process.

Attendees are encouraged to use the information gained during these meetings to enhance the quality of their eventual submission but must recognise that the final decision will only be made once the complete application is formally submitted and assessed by the council.