How it works
A building warrant of fitness is an annual check that the specified systems in a building have been maintained for the previous 12 months.
Who needs a BWoF
Any building with a compliance schedule needs a BWoF – this includes most commercial buildings, and homes that have cable cars.
Specified systems and compliance schedules
What you need to do
It's the building owner's responsibility to make sure their building is safe to use and their BWoF is up-to-date by providing to Council the required documentation explained below.
1. Inspect and maintain your specified systems
To meet BWoF requirements, a building's specified systems need to be inspected and maintained by an independent qualified person (IQP) throughout the year as stated in the compliance schedule. As a building owner, you must engage the necessary IQP’s to carry out this work.
To find an IQP or to see if your IQP is registered, go to bwof.wellington.govt.nz
2. Keep your compliance schedule up-to-date
If you make any changes to your specified systems throughout the year, you must update your compliance schedule.
IQP’s have an obligation under section 108(3)(d) of the Building Act 2004 to notify Council of any amendments required to a compliance schedule.
To get a copy of your building's current compliance schedule, go to bwof.wellington.govt.nz
Form 11: Application for amendment to compliance schedule
3. Complete the BWoF forms each year
Your BWoF documents (Form 12 and Form 12A) are due each year on the anniversary of receiving your code compliance certificate.
Form 12 – Building warrant of fitness
The building warrant of fitness form is completed by the building owner or their agent. It states that the building owner has fully complied with the inspection, maintenance and reporting requirements of the compliance schedule for the previous 12 months.
The form also asks for the building's:
- location
- lawfully-established use, including the number of occupants per level
- owner
- date of original construction
- highest fire risk category (if applicable).
A template of a form 12 is provided in the link below. Other version may be used as well, provided they include all required information.
Form 12: Building warrant of fitness (52KB PDF)
Form 12A – Certificate of compliance
The BWoF must include a copy of the certificate of compliance for each specified system on the compliance schedule.
Form 12A certificates are completed by the IQP maintaining each system.
Form 12As may also include recommendations from the IQP about amendments to the compliance schedule.
Form 12A: Certificate of compliance with inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures – Building Performance
4. Submit the forms and pay the fee
Completed forms can be submitted:
- by email to bwof@wcc.govt.nz
- in person at the Council's Service Centre at 12 Manners Street
- by post to PO Box 2199, Wellington 6140.
The fee is:
- $109.00 for 1 specified system or cable car
- $217 for 2–10 specified systems
- $325.00 for 11 or more specified systems.
You can pay the fee online or at the Service Centre.
Pay online
We'll review your forms to:
- make sure they comply with the Building Act and Regulations
- check if any amendments to your compliance schedule are required.
BWoF forms and related documents are kept in our records for the life of the building.
5. Display your BWoF certificate on your building
You must display a copy of your BWoF somewhere in your building where it can be seen by all the building's users – for example, the entry foyer or reception area.
If your submission is incomplete or your certificate is out of date
Not having a current BWoF certificate is an offence under section 108(5) of the Building Act 2004.
If you don’t provide a complete and correct BWoF submission on time, you are liable for:
- additional fees
- infringement fines
- legal proceedings.
If your submission is incomplete or your certificate is out of date, we may issue a notice to fix and/or an infringement notice. This is billed on Wellington City Council time at $209 per hour.
If the notice to fix isn’t complied with by the time frame stated on the notice, we may issue an infringement notice, or initiate further enforcement action.
If inspection and maintenance procedures have been missed
To display a BWoF, the building owner and their agents must complete all the inspection, maintenance and reporting (IMR) procedures in the building's compliance schedule for the previous 12 months. If the IMR procedures have been missed, a valid BWoF will not be able to be supplied or displayed.
See the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for guidance about the inspection and maintenance procedures:
Inspection and maintenance of specified systems – Building Performance
We follow MBIE's guidance and will consider the submission of:
- Specified System Report and Declaration (S-RaD), and
- BWoF Report and Declaration (B-RaD).
When submitting these forms, you must follow the MBIE guidance, giving particular attention to:
- an S-RaD is completed for each specified system with lacking IMR procedures
- the S-RaD must provide reasonable and sufficient explanation of:
- why the IMR procedures have been missed
- the current state of the system
- the anticipated timeframe to return to normal IMR, and any measures put in place
- Form 12A’s are still provided where available.
Once we receive these documents, we will advise you whether they are acceptable and support the display of a B-RaD.
We will also consider whether any enforcement action under provisions of the Building Act 2004 is necessary.
BWoF audits
We carry out audits from time to time to check that owners of buildings with BWoF requirements are meeting their obligations.
You can be audited:
- as part of the Council's programme of regular reviews
- if you have a history of submitting your BWoF late
- if we're investigating a dangerous building.
If your building is going to be audited, you'll receive a letter from us letting you know about the audit and the proposed time.
The audit includes:
- a walk-through of the building to visually confirm the installed specified systems are on the compliance schedule
- checking inspection and testing records and log books
- making sure that the BWoF certificate is correctly displayed.
We also check for any current or outstanding building consents to see if they affect the building's compliance schedule.
Audits cost:
- $217 if your compliance schedule has 1 specified system
- $433 if your compliance schedule has 2–10 specified systems
- $649 if your compliance schedule has 11 or more specified systems.
If there is additional time incurred, we will charge this at $217 per hour (including GST).