Renovate a house

Find out which Council permissions you might need to renovate or alter your house.

Resource consent

You'll need resource consent if your project does not comply with the rules of the District Plan.

To find out if you need resource consent, you can:

Note: If you need resource consent, you should get it before you apply for any other consents or permissions.

Resource consents

Building consent

You need a building consent for all work that affects the structure of a building, and all plumbing or drainage work other than simple repairs.

Building work that does not require a building consent – Building Performance

Building consents

Other permissions you may need

If the land is subject to natural hazards

We can’t grant a building consent for new buildings or major alterations on land with natural hazards if doing the work would make the situation worse.

Building consents for land subject to natural hazards

If you're changing the use of a building

If you're changing the use of a building – for example, changing a home to a workplace like a daycare centre – you need written permission from the Council, even if no building work is involved.

Changing the use of a building

If you're altering an existing building

If you're applying for a building consent to alter an existing building:

  • the entire building must comply with the current Building Code requirements for escape from fire and, if required, access and facilities for people with disabilities
  • the rest of the building must not be made less compliant with the Building Code because of the work.

Applying for a building consent to alter an existing building

If you're creating or changing a driveway or kerb

If you're creating a new driveway or doing work that will affect the existing driveway or kerb, you'll need vehicle access permission.

Create or change a driveway or kerb

If the work will encroach on the legal road

Wellington’s topography means you may sometimes need to use the road for your car deck or garage, or structures such as steps, fences or walls.

Use road reserve for private purposes