Building Consent System Performance Monitoring - Quarterly update

Background

This report establishes consistent monitoring on the performance of the building consent system, with a particular focus on building consent and code compliance certificate timeframes. The data shown here is as reported by Building Consent Authorities (BCAs).

Timeframes for building consent and/or code compliance certificate approval are some of the key indicators for building consent system performance. Delays in the system can have flow-on effects for builders and homeowners and can limit the capacity of the industry to work as efficiently and quickly as possible.

By establishing regular performance monitoring, we aim to identify and address these delays promptly, thereby enhancing our operational and system efficiency. 

Overall timeframes – all applications

The overall timeframe results include all application data (ie building consent applications, amendments, and code compliance certificates).

Data for the third of 2025 shows the overall median time to process an application was 9 working days. All BCAs¹ had a median processing time of less than 20 days (see figure 1 below).

In total, 95.7% of applications were processed within the statutory period. Of the 68 BCAs, 10 processed 100% of their applications within the statutory timeframe.

¹Hurunui District Council is excluded from this quarter’s reporting due to insufficient data availability.

Figure 1. Median number of days for processing all applications

Figure 1. Median number of days for processing all applications.

Timeframes – application types

During the third quarter of 2025, a total of 20,082 applications for Building Consents (including amendments), and 13,876² applications for Code Compliance Certificates (CCCs), were processed.

Out of all the Building Consent applications, 94.9% were processed within the statutory timeframe. The median processing time for these applications was 13 working days.

On the other hand, the median processing time for Code Compliance Certificates were much shorter at four working days, and 97% of the applications were processed within the statutory timeframe.
 
All 66 BCAs (excluding the regional authorities and Hurunui District Council) has a median processing time for Building Consents and a median processing time for Code Compliance Certificates at or below the statutory timeframe.

²This figure excludes CCC applications across BCAs, in which BCAs indicated an CCC application decision is made under Section 93(2)(b)(i) of the Building Act 2004

Figure 2. Median days for processing Building Consent applications, excluding regional authorities and Consentium

Figure 2. Median days for processing Building Consent applications, excluding regional authorities and Consentium.x

Timeframes – building categories

The median time to process all applications (building consent applications, amendments, and code compliance certificates) was 9 days for residential buildings, and 13 days for commercial buildings.

96.4% of residential applications and 92% of commercial applications were processed within the statutory timeframe.

Note that most of the applications processed (84.1%) were for residential buildings. 

Figure 3. Median days for processing applications for residential buildings, excluding regional authorities and Consentium

Figure 3. Median days for processing applications for residential buildings, excluding regional authorities and Consentium.

Total elapsed timeframe

Total elapsed time refers to the full duration, from the date an application is received by a BCA to the date a decision is made, including both the time taken by the BCA to process applications (statutory timeframe) and the time applicants take to respond if a Request for Information (RFI) is made by the BCA.

Data for the third quarter of 2025 shows the overall median total elapsed time was 16 working days, while the overall median statutory timeframe for BCAs to process an application was 9 working days.

Of the 66 BCAs (excluding the regional authorities due to the low number of applications, 62 had a median elapsed time at or below 20 working days (see Figure 4 below).

Figure 4. Median total elapsed time (in working days)

Figure 4. Median total elapsed time (in working days)

Monitoring report downloads

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