Yes. Insulating the external walls of an existing home needs either a building consent or a council exemption, in every part of New Zealand.
The process and the cost vary between councils. Some charge nothing for an Insulmax® exemption or building consent; others charge several hundred dollars.
Your Insulmax® representative prepares and lodges the application, including the site plan and property details the council asks for, and confirms the current council fee before you proceed. You don’t deal with the council yourself.
Why does retrofit external wall insulation need council approval?
Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 exempts ceiling and underfloor insulation from consent. This exemption does not include external walls. So insulating the walls of an existing home needs one of two things:
- a building consent, the full process, or
- a discretionary exemption under Schedule 1, clause 2, which the council can grant when it’s satisfied the work will comply with the Building Code.
Many councils process Insulmax® installations through the discretionary exemption route, because the product holds a CodeMark certificate (CMNZ70028), which councils are required to accept as evidence of compliance within its scope. Some councils have set the fee for insulation exemptions to nothing. Others charge their standard exemption fee.
Who handles the council application for Insulmax® wall insulation?
Your Insulmax® representative. As part of the property assessment, Insulmax® completes a comprehensive 32-point Existing Building Assessment (EBA). This is a documented pre-installation assessment required under the Insulmax® CodeMark system and forms an important part of the information provided to your local council. The assessment confirms the condition and suitability of the property for Insulmax® insulation and includes a site plan. All required documentation is prepared and lodged with the council on your behalf. How the council fee is handled in your quote varies by branch, so ask your representative.
How much do councils charge for wall insulation consent?
There is no standard nationwide fee. Each council sets its own process and charges, and these can change when fee schedules are updated, usually on 1 July. Some councils, Dunedin and Hamilton among them, charge nothing for an insulation-only consent or exemption. Others charge several hundred dollars.
Your local Insulmax® representative will tell you your council’s current charge when you enquire, and the fee you’re quoted is the fee you pay. Most councils also publish their fee schedules online if you’d like to check for yourself.
What happens on the day, from the first hole to the thermal imaging check, is on the installation procedure FAQ.
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Do I need a building consent for Insulmax® wall insulation?