Some building work can be done without building approval from the Christchurch City Council.

For further information regarding what work may be considered exempt, visit our exemption from building consent page.

Any urgent building work, such as that done during an emergency, may require an application for a certificate of acceptance.

If you have done any building work without the required building approval, or it's different to what was approved, get in touch so we can discuss the options with you.

Here's what you can do

If you think you may have carried out work without the required approvals:

  • Call 03 941 8999 and ask for the duty building consents officer and explain what unconsented work you have done and why. 
  • Ask about a certificate of acceptance.

What to do if you suspect substandard or unconsented work

If you have serious concerns about building work, you can raise this with us and we'll investigate.

You will need to provide details of your concerns by:

A notice to fix

A notice to fix is a formal notice from the Council instructing you to take action to address the issues identified. You are usually given a timeframe to respond to prevent further action being taken.