We compare the Council property file and approved plans with what is visible on site, identify possible unconsented or undocumented work, and explain the most credible compliance pathway before purchase, sale, negotiation or remedial work.
Bottom line
A LIM, an old Code Compliance Certificate or a set of plans does not automatically prove that every room, kitchen, bathroom, wall or use is approved. Our architect-led review connects the record, the site and the likely next step.
Best fit
Use this pathway when the right approval path is not yet confirmed.
Purchasers who want to verify the approved layout and marketed use before going unconditional or settling.
Vendors who want to find and address consent-record gaps before listing or before a buyer discovers them.
Existing owners who have discovered undocumented work and need a practical remedial pathway after purchase.
Agents, lawyers and owners who need a clear technical summary to support disclosure, negotiation or next-step decisions.
What may be included
Council property-file review covering approved plans, consent scopes, inspections and completion records.
Comparison of the approved record with the marketed use, visible layout and accessible building work.
A site inspection where required to verify discrepancies and identify visible compliance or evidence issues.
Identification of possible unconsented work, missing approvals, incomplete records and concealed-work uncertainty.
A likely pathway covering Certificate of Acceptance, Building Consent, CCC or Council Support where relevant.
A plain-English report that can support informed purchasing, vendor preparation, budgeting and negotiation.
First-hand ArchSolutioNZ case study
ArchSolutioNZ was engaged by purchasers who expected a formal home-and-income unit. Our property-file study, site inspection, architectural report and later reconciliation of vendor reports showed that the advertised use was not established by the approved record and that the complete pathway was far wider than the early repair allowance.
Read the property due-diligence caseNo approved full kitchen or complete separate household unit was identified.
Our non-invasive site inspection exposed fire, acoustic, drainage, services and evidence questions.
Later vendor reports were tested against one complete lawful end point rather than one repair scope.
The purchasers withdrew before inheriting the compliance project and its unresolved cost risk.
Assessment focus
| Issue | What to clarify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Approved record | Plans, consent scopes, amendments, inspections, CCC records and other Council file information. | An approval applies only to the work and use within its documented scope. |
| On-site reality | Accessible rooms, walls, kitchens, bathrooms, entrances, services and visible building work. | Differences between the plans and the property may reveal undocumented changes or a changed use. |
| Marketed or intended use | Claims such as home-and-income, rental unit, sleepout, additional bedroom or converted garage. | The value or income being relied on may depend on approvals the record does not establish. |
| Evidence gaps | Missing drawings, photos, producer statements, drainage records, testing or concealed-work evidence. | Council can assess completed work only to the extent that compliance can reasonably be verified. |
| Compliance pathway | Whether the issue points toward CoA, new Building Consent, CCC completion, removal or another Council route. | Different problems require different applications, evidence and professional inputs. |
| Scope and cost risk | Likely reports, design, specialists, Council processes, utilities, remedial work and remaining unknowns. | A repair estimate may not include the complete cost of reaching the lawful outcome being relied on. |
Process
Send the property file, LIM if available, sale information, plans, reports, photos and the use or work you need checked.
We trace what was consented, inspected and completed, then identify gaps between the approved scopes and the current claim.
Where needed, we compare the accessible property with the plans and document visible discrepancies, risks and evidence limits.
You receive a clear summary of the findings, likely compliance routes, remaining unknowns and sensible next actions.
What to send
Send the property file or Council download, LIM if available, listing information, photos, existing reports and your purchase, sale or remedial deadline. We will confirm the appropriate review scope before work starts.
Related pathways
FAQs
It is a technical review of the Council property record, including approved plans, consent scopes, inspections and completion information. Where the scope includes a site inspection, we compare that record with the accessible layout and visible work to identify discrepancies and likely next steps.
No. A LIM summarises information held by the Council, while a property file may include approved drawings, consent records, inspections and correspondence that provide more detail about particular building work. Both can be useful, but neither replaces a site-specific professional assessment.
No. A Code Compliance Certificate relates to the work authorised by a particular Building Consent. It does not approve changes, rooms, fixtures or uses that fall outside that consent scope.
We can identify discrepancies and explain what the available evidence does or does not establish. A non-invasive review cannot guarantee that no hidden or undocumented work exists, and Council remains the decision-maker on statutory approvals.
The next step depends on the work, its age, the available evidence and what can be verified. The route may involve a Certificate of Acceptance, new Building Consent for remedial work, completion of an existing consent, removal, specialist reports or Council Support.
Yes. The findings can clarify technical scope, known evidence gaps and likely compliance steps so the parties can discuss conditions, responsibility, time and price using a more complete factual basis. Legal and contractual advice must come from the relevant lawyer or conveyancer.
No. This is an architectural consent-record and compliance-pathway assessment. It does not replace a building-condition, weathertightness, valuation, legal, finance or insurance report, although those professionals may contribute to the wider due-diligence process.
Official references
These references help explain why early pathway checks matter.
Send the available property records, photos and your deadline. ArchSolutioNZ can scope an architect-led review for purchase, sale, negotiation or remedial guidance.
