Before you commit to design fees or builder quotes, check what is possible, whether Schedule 1 applies, what consent pathway your project takes and where the real council risk sits.
Bottom line
Start here when the pathway is unclear. The aim is to turn uncertainty into a clear next step: exempt work, building consent, resource consent, PIM, council support, CoA, commercial pathway or fixed-fee design.
Choose your feasibility pathway
Each pathway goes deeper into a specific early-stage question. Use the free report if you are not sure where your project sits.
Best for
Homeowners asking whether decks, granny flats, sheds, sleepouts, minor works or other projects can proceed without building consent.
Check whether exempt building work may apply, while still considering Building Code compliance, planning rules and professional input.
Open pathwayBest for
Project-specific consent trigger questions for bathrooms, recladding, retaining walls, decks, sleepouts, sheds and renovations.
Get a plain-English view of whether the project is likely exempt, likely consented or worth checking before design starts.
Open pathwayBest for
Owners confused between Building Code approval and planning approval under district plan, land use, zoning and overlay rules.
Separate building consent from resource consent so the project does not move into the wrong approval pathway.
Open pathwayBest for
Owners who need an indicative process map before paying for drawings, reports and consent lodgement.
Understand likely stages, consultant inputs, timing risks and where fixed-fee professional work begins.
Open pathwayBest for
Auckland projects where zoning, overlays, site coverage, yards, height, flood, heritage or special character may affect the pathway.
Check planning constraints early before a building consent package is prepared around the wrong assumptions.
Open pathwayBest for
Homeowners who want a plain-English pathway summary before paying for design, consultants, builder pricing or council applications.
Summarise the likely consent path, key risks, Schedule 1 position, broad scope, timeline and fixed-fee next step.
Open pathwayBest for
70m2 granny flat, minor dwelling, Schedule 1, PIM and site-risk questions.
Use the dedicated granny flat tool when the project is a minor dwelling or self-contained unit.
Open pathwayBest for
Projects that may belong under building consent, CoA, council support, commercial or feasibility.
Open the project tools to choose the right route before preparing the wrong documents.
Open pathwayBest for
Anyone with an address, project idea, photos, sketches, property file notes or council comments.
Send the project details and ArchSolutioNZ can help identify the likely pathway.
Contact usRight next step
Once the likely pathway is clear, the next step may be building consent documentation, council support, CoA support, commercial advice or a specialist report.
Connected pages
FAQs
The free report gives a plain-English summary of the likely consent pathway, key risks, Schedule 1 exemption considerations, likely professional scope, indicative process and recommended next step.
Schedule 1 lists types of building work that may not require a building consent. Exempt work still needs to comply with the Building Code and may still need planning checks or professional input.
No. Building consent relates to Building Code compliance. Resource consent relates to planning rules, land use, zoning, overlays and effects controlled by district or regional plans.
If you want to proceed, the next step may be fixed-fee design, building consent documentation, council support, CoA support, planning advice or a specialist report depending on the pathway.
Official references
These links support the boundaries behind Schedule 1, building consent and planning pathway decisions.
Start with a free feasibility report. We will help you understand the likely Schedule 1 position, building consent pathway, planning risk, indicative timeline and fixed-fee next step.
