What a building consent costs, council by council

Auckland Council

Deposit, topped up. Actual cost is invoiced above the deposit, refunded if less.

$5,479

Processing deposit $3,400 + inspection deposit $2,079 for the $100,000 to $499,999 project value band

$201/hr residential officer ($231 to $243 senior)

current schedule

Christchurch City Council

Deposit. Actual costs calculated at the processing decision; extra time at officer rates.

$3,400

Residential deposit for the over $100,000 to $300,000 band, new buildings, additions and alterations

$225/hr consent officer ($240 to $310 senior)

2026/27

Wellington City Council

Estimate reconciled to actual time; you pay the difference or get a refund.

$1,697 plan check + itemised extras

Plan check fee for the $100,001 to $500,000 residential band, plus lodgement $178.50, District Plan check $272, online fee $51.75, inspections $283/hr and CCC $178.50, assembled per project (roughly $2,400 to $5,000 upfront)

$283/hr inspections and re-assessment

current schedule

Hamilton City Council

Fixed fee per project type, paid in full before granting. RFI processing extra at $233/hr.

$2,918

Fixed fee for the Alterations and Additions residential category (banded by project type, not value)

$252/hr inspector, $233/hr RFI processing

current schedule

Tauranga City Council

Time-based. Charged at officer rates for the hours the consent actually takes.

Charged by the hour

No value-banded fee exists. Lodgement checking $153/hr plus processing at officer rates plus an online system fee of 0.075% of the work value for projects $125,000 to $2.5m (about $150 on a $200k job)

$268/hr residential officer ($284 commercial)

2026/27

Dunedin City Council

Indicative time-based estimate. Published hour ranges; further charges may apply.

≈$4,700 to $6,600 indicative

Alter Dwelling $100,000 to $500,000: 8 to 15 processing hours at $239/hr, checking and admin, 10 inspections at $244 each, plus CCC $244

$239/hr residential processing, $244 per inspection

2026/27

Hutt City Council

Initial fee covering set hours; additional time invoiced at hourly rates.

$4,415

Residential band up to and including $200,000; covers 10 hours processing, 1.5 hours admin and 6 hours inspection time

$260/hr residential ($280 commercial)

2026/27

Whangārei District Council

Deposit/instalment. Additional processing invoiced when the consent is granted.

$4,652 (with PIM $4,844)

Residential band $100,001 to $250,000, estimated 7 inspections included; instalment that can attract additional time-based fees

$202/hr building control officer

2026/27

Napier City Council

Invoice on approval, based on actual time and inspections.

Charged by the hour

No deposit is required at lodgement. The full invoice (all fees, levies and estimated inspections) is issued once processing is complete, and the consent is granted when it is paid

$270/hr consents officer, $270 per inspection

2026/27

Hastings District Council

Pure time and materials, invoiced at grant.

Charged by the hour

No value bands. Consents are charged by hourly rate plus fixed per-zone inspection fees ($225 to $640 per inspection), invoiced when the consent is ready to issue

$274/hr building officer ($211/hr technician)

2026/27

New Plymouth District Council

Base fee as a minimum; actual costs above it invoiced before the CCC is issued.

$4,315

RES5 band $130,000 to $249,999 base fee (non-refundable minimum; top-ups invoiced), plus a 0.075% online lodgement fee (about $150 on a $200k job)

$220/hr technical, $247 per inspection

2026/27

Palmerston North City Council

Actual-cost hourly charging.

Charged by the hour

No value bands and no published deposit for standard consents; charged on the relevant officer's hourly rate plus any additional fees

$249/hr building officer ($270 commercial)

from 1 July 2026

Rotorua Lakes Council

Non-refundable lodgement fee plus time-based additional fees.

$1,415 lodgement

Residential Alteration lodgement fee (same fee at any project value); most inspections and additional processing are charged on top at granting

$250/hr inspections

2026/27

Nelson City Council

Non-refundable deposit; costs beyond it charged at hourly rates.

$4,232

Deposit for the $100,001 to $200,000 value band (all application types); Nelson also charges its own insurance levy $3.08 and QA levy $3.65 per $1,000, roughly $1,750 extra on a $200k job

$208/hr residential officer

2026/27

Invercargill City Council

Mostly fixed (per m²); extra time only after the second round of RFIs at $226/hr.

$29 per m² + $172.50 lodgement

Priced per square metre for interior alterations and extensions ($29/m²), not by project value, plus a 0.08625% lodgement fee on a $200k job

$226/hr additional processing

2026/27

Ashburton District Council

Minimum charge then time-and-cost. Fixed minimums apply per value band; cost above the minimum is recovered at the hourly rate.

$754

Minimum administration fee ($372) plus PIM fee ($382) for the $100,000-$499,999 band; processing beyond the minimum, inspections ($218 each) and the CCC ($362) are charged on top

$181/hr

2026/27

Buller District Council

Deposit, topped up. A deposit is paid on application; the consent is not issued until fees are calculated and any balance is settled.

$3,000

Deposit for major alterations/renovations over $150,000; PIM ($340), BCA accreditation levy ($400) and processing are charged on top

$210/hr

2026/27

Carterton District Council

Fixed fee capped at a set number of processing hours and inspections; consents that run over are charged additional processing fees.

$3,545

Major alterations, up to 8 inspections plus processing time (excl. BRANZ/MBIE levies), the band for a $200,000 residential alteration

$236/hr

2025/26

Central Hawke's Bay District Council

Small fixed lodgement then actual-cost recovery. Officer time and per-inspection fees are invoiced at cost, uncapped.

$1,072

Administration fee ($618, consents over $80,000) plus online lodgement ($454.25, $125,000-$499,999 band); officer time and inspections are invoiced separately

$258/hr

2026/27

Central Otago District Council

Deposit, topped up. Full estimated fee is required at application; actual cost is reconciled at completion, with a refund for withdrawn consents or additional hourly billing if it runs over.

$2,651

Residential alterations and new, band over $80,000 and not exceeding $200,000

$150/hr

2025/26

Clutha District Council

Deposit, non-refundable minimum. Actual costs are calculated at completion and any balance above the deposit is charged, but there is no refund if the actual cost is less.

$7,870

Building fee deposit band, estimated value $100,001-$200,000

$245/hr

2026/27

Far North District Council

Hourly / time-and-cost, no published upfront deposit for a residential alteration. Ancillary items (CCC, inspections) are itemised separately.

Charged by the hour

The council's own 2026/27 schedule publishes no fixed deposit or fee for a residential alteration; it itemises ancillary fees and charges officer time by the hour ($156 to $285/hr depending on the staff role)

$156 to $285/hr

2026/27

Gisborne District Council

Initial application fee including a standard number of inspections and processing time; additional inspections or processing beyond that scope are charged at cost when the consent is finalised.

$650

Initial application fee for alterations and garages (covers a residential alteration of any value); the balance is charged on a time-and-materials basis on completion

$194/hr

2026/27

Gore District Council

Minimum lodgement fee based on project-value band; actual and reasonable costs are charged in addition if processing or inspection time exceeds it.

$4,950

Standard minimum consent fee for the $100,001-$200,000 value-of-work band

$210/hr

2026/27

Grey District Council

Deposit only; the balance is charged on actual staff time at hourly charge-out rates (the rate is not published in this schedule).

$2,415

Deposit for the alterations category (includes five inspections and issue of CCC), a flat deposit for a residential alteration regardless of project value

See schedule

2026/27

Hauraki District Council

Deposit at lodgement by value band; additional inspections or technical work is invoiced separately, and any prepaid inspections not used are refunded when the CCC is issued.

$4,750

Deposit at lodgement for residential projects in the $100,001-$500,000 band; includes processing review, online fee, CCC and planning check

$180/hr

2026/27

Horowhenua District Council

Small fixed deposit at lodgement, topped up by hourly processing and inspection fees, reconciled with a refund or additional invoice once the final inspection passes.

$385

Residential additions/alterations fixed initial deposit (Section A), a flat fee regardless of value; further processing, inspections and checks are charged separately once the consent is processed

$231.50/hr

2026/27

Hurunui District Council

Deposit, non-refundable on this line. Building officer time is charged on top at the hourly rate if processing exceeds it.

$1,053

Variable deposit for a major addition/alteration (a flat deposit not banded by project value)

$200/hr

2025/26

Kaikōura District Council

Deposit, topped up. Covers processing time only; required inspections and any external specialist costs are charged on top before the CCC is issued.

$2,662

Deposit for dwelling alterations (large), the only alteration category listed

$210/hr

2025/26

Kaipara District Council

Full fee paid at lodgement. Further costs (external specialists, extra inspections) are invoiced separately and settled before the CCC is issued.

$4,839

Building works valued $100,001-$250,000 (includes PIM, a set number of inspections, and CCC)

$208/hr

2026/27

Kawerau District Council

Deposit, topped up by the processing and inspection fee charged per hour.

$525

Deposit for dwelling alterations (complex). The 2026/27 PDF did not extract reliably, so this is read from the clean 2025/26 schedule and may be one revision old

$190/hr

2025/26

Kāpiti Coast District Council

Full fee paid upfront at lodgement; additional fees may apply if processing or inspections exceed what is included. Excludes BRANZ/MBIE levies.

$2,036

Fee for the $100,001-$250,000 project-value band (same bands used for dwellings and alterations)

$190/hr

2026/27

Mackenzie District Council

Estimate invoiced at receipt, topped up. Processing, RFIs and inspections are charged per hour; the consent is not issued until the full schedule of charges is paid.

$4,357

Building charge band $100,001-$200,000 (estimate; includes PIM/BC, processing, RFIs, required inspections and CCC)

$206/hr

2026/27

Manawatū District Council

Banded lodgement fee (deposit-style). Total fee (officer time, inspections, scanning, CCC) less the prepaid lodgement is invoiced before the consent is issued.

$882

Lodgement fee for residential additions/alterations, value band $100,001-$200,000 (P4)

$300/hr

2026/27

Matamata-Piako District Council

Fixed fee by project category, paid upfront on lodgement. Jobs that significantly exceed standard processing time are charged additional hours at cost.

$3,300

Fixed consent fee for Residential Additions exceeding 30m² (Matamata-Piako charges by project category, not dollar value)

See schedule

2026/27

Porirua City Council

Hourly, no banded deposit. Technical processing and inspections billed at the hourly rate, with a separate administration rate; payment required before the consent is issued.

Charged by the hour

Porirua charges no upfront deposit for a standard residential alteration; it invoices actual officer hours after processing and issues the consent once paid

$270/hr

2025/26

Queenstown-Lakes District Council

Non-refundable initial fee banded by value, paid at lodgement. Officer time above what it covers is charged at the hourly rate; the initial fee is non-refundable even if actual cost is lower.

$4,360

Non-refundable initial building consent fee for residential in the $180,001-$500,000 band ($4,370 with PIM)

$232/hr

2025/26

Rangitikei District Council

Deposit, topped up by actual cost. The deposit is offset against the final invoice; extra inspections/processing are billed at the hourly rate if it is insufficient.

$1,590

Deposit for new dwellings and alterations/additions, value band $100,001-$250,000

$250/hr

2025/26

Ruapehu District Council

Deposit, topped up by actual cost. Further charges apply if additional checks or inspections are required.

$4,049

Building consent application deposit for the value band $125,000-$499,999 (applies per building if a consent covers several)

$190/hr

2026/27

Selwyn District Council

Hourly / actual cost, no upfront deposit. Full payment is invoiced at completion based on actual processing time, inspections and levies.

Charged by the hour

Selwyn charges no deposit; it bills actual processing time in full, invoiced when the consent is issued. Published averages for reference: a detached dwelling around $6,875, a small transportable dwelling around $4,935

See schedule

current schedule

South Taranaki District Council

Minimum fees, topped up by actual cost. The schedule states all fees are a minimum and the council recovers additional costs on a time-and-cost basis; processing is $220/hr and inspections $275 each.

Charged by the hour

South Taranaki charges no single deposit: a PIM minimum (around $435) plus a value-based lodgement fee (around $431 for the $125,000-$499,000 band) are paid on application, then processing and inspections are billed at cost

$220/hr

2026/27

South Waikato District Council

Fixed fee per work type, topped up by the hourly rate for processing/inspections beyond the fixed scope, plus a separate value-based portal fee.

$2,010

Fixed fee for dwelling additions/alterations. A $200,000 project also incurs a separate value-based portal fee (about $173) plus BRANZ/MBIE levies

$210/hr

2026/27

South Wairarapa District Council

Fixed initial fee covering a set number of hours and inspections, topped up by actual cost for extra processing, inspections and disbursements beyond that scope.

$2,910

Residential additions and alterations fee for the under-$300,000 band; includes 7 hours processing and 5 inspections

$210/hr

2025/26

Southland District Council

Minimum fee (deposit-style). Additional processing, inspections or external advice beyond the minimum is charged at cost.

$5,260

Minimum building consent fee for the $100,001-$250,000 project-value band, which covers a ~$200,000 residential alteration

$255/hr

2026/27

Stratford District Council

Base fee covering a capped number of processing hours. Actual costs above the cap are billed at staff charge-out rates.

$2,398

Base fee for Residential Alterations/Additions (includes 5.5 hrs processing); Stratford charges by project type rather than a dollar-value band

$220/hr

2025/26

Tararua District Council

Indicative application fee per project-type code. Additional fees charged if actual processing/inspection time exceeds the fee.

$4,366

Project-type code BI Housing-addition (Tararua charges by project type, not dollar value); a lower-scope internal renovation is $2,818

See schedule

2025/26

Tasman District Council

Deposit paid at lodgement towards costs incurred; actual charges invoiced at hourly rates through to Code Compliance Certificate.

$2,000

Standard deposit under All Other Building Work; Tasman bands by dollar value only for new dwellings, so an alteration takes this flat deposit

$240/hr

2024/25

Taupō District Council

Hourly. The lodgement fee is a minimum only; processing is charged at an hourly rate and costs above the application fee are recovered from the applicant.

Charged by the hour

Taupō charges only a minimum non-refundable application fee (0.075% of value, about $150 plus GST on a $200,000 job) then bills processing by the hour

$245/hr

current schedule

Thames-Coromandel District Council

Non-refundable deposit required before processing starts, covering system, planning-check and processing-review fees. Cost above the deposit is charged at the hourly rate.

$4,750

Building consent lodgement deposit for the residential $100,001-$500,000 project-value band, plus levies

See schedule

2025/26

Timaru District Council

Fixed lodging fee by value band paid upfront, then processing time and inspections invoiced separately at cost.

$364

Lodging/administration fee for work valued $50,001-$200,000; technical processing and inspections are invoiced separately as work proceeds

$253/hr

2025/26

Upper Hutt City Council

Deposit-style base fee (percentage of value plus a fixed amount) paid upfront; actual costs charged if they exceed the fees shown.

$2,031

Base fee for building work valued $15,001-$200,000: 0.6% of estimated cost plus $830.78, at $200,000. Accreditation levy, portal, inspections and certification charged on top

$227/hr

2025/26

Waikato District Council

Fixed lodgement fee paid on application; inspection fees and BRANZ/MBIE levies charged as processing proceeds, with an hourly rate for extra work.

$2,298

Fixed lodgement fee for residential dwelling alterations/additions valued $150,001-$500,000

$190/hr

2025-2027

Waimakariri District Council

Deposit, topped up. Actual staff cost is invoiced above the deposit if it exceeds it, refunded if less.

$1,823

Deposit ($1,400) plus a separate administration/lodgement fee ($423) for dwelling alterations valued $150,000 and over, both paid at lodgement

$217/hr

2026/27

Waimate District Council

Fixed fee by value band paid upfront (covers PIM, CCC and processing). Inspections are $195 each plus travel; technical processing over 3 hours is billed at $200/hr.

$1,822

Residential processing fee (includes PIM, CCC, processing) for project value $100,001-$300,000; excludes inspections

$200/hr

2026/27

Waipā District Council

Deposit, topped up. Fixed lodgement paid on application; additional inspections/processing plus BRANZ and MBIE levies charged on top if exceeded.

$1,498

Building consent deposit for detached buildings and internal alterations (no value cap), the closest category for a general residential alteration

$215/hr

2026/27

Wairoa District Council

Deposit, topped up. Charged on the actual time occupied by building control staff; the deposit is separate from the value-based administration fee and levies.

$1,500

Residential consent deposit for building work over $100,000, plus a consent administration fee of 0.075% of value (about $150) and MBIE/BRANZ levies

$225/hr

2026/27

Waitaki District Council

Estimate/deposit, reconciled against actual cost; the schedule states fees are indicative, not fixed or final.

$4,752

Building consent charge for the $100,001-$200,000 value band (estimate; includes PIM/BC, processing, RFIs, required inspections and CCC); the next band up is $5,982

$192/hr

2025/26

Waitomo District Council

Fixed all-inclusive fee (covers inspections and CCC), payable in full on application rather than as a refundable deposit.

$2,220

Fixed fee for additions/alterations up to 60m² with plumbing and drainage (6 inspections); Waitomo charges by building size, so a larger alteration falls under the equivalent dwelling size band

See schedule

2026/27

Western Bay of Plenty District Council

Deposit, topped up. Minimum lodgement charged upfront; actual processing and inspection time billed at hourly rates and reconciled, any unused portion refundable.

$1,790

Lodgement fee / minimum deposit for residential alterations and additions (any project value); processing above the minimum is charged at the hourly rate and reconciled at CCC stage

$243.50/hr

2026/27

Westland District Council

Deposit, topped up. Total fees vary with the processing and inspections required; an unused inspection allowance may be refunded.

$3,000

Deposit per application for major alterations/renovations over $150,000; PIM, consent fee, BCA accreditation levy, inspections and CCC are charged in addition at processing

$215/hr

2026/27

Whakatāne District Council

Deposit, topped up. The initial deposit is a minimum; the final fee is based on actual and reasonable costs, with the difference charged to the applicant.

$2,100

Fixed initial deposit for the value-of-work band $100,001-$250,000, plus an online service provider levy of 0.075% of value

$130 to $300/hr

2026/27

Ōpōtiki District Council

Fixed fee by project value category (not a refundable deposit); paid in full before the consent is issued. Extra work is charged separately.

$4,100

Category 6 ($100,001-$300,000): new dwellings, large additions/alterations. Fixed fee, paid before the consent is issued

See schedule

2026/27

Ōtorohanga District Council

Actual-cost recovery for this category; no upfront deposit or fixed fee is published and the hourly rate is not disclosed on the schedule.

Charged by the hour

Residential alterations and additions over 30m² is listed as Actual Costs with no fixed fee or deposit figure published

See schedule

2026/27