Priority work programmes
Last updated: 4 June 2026
MBIE has a building reform programme underway to deliver an efficient, fair and fit for purpose building system that drives long term housing supply and economic growth.
MBIE's building reform programme resets how risk, responsibility and regulation are balanced across the building system. The reforms aim to make it easier and faster to build new homes and buildings, and improve fairness, accountability and consistency across the building sector.
Over time, the reforms will help reduce compliance costs, improve speed and consistency of building consent decisions, and enable the system to perform well during periods of high demand.
Self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers
The Government is introducing self-certification schemes to streamline consenting for lower-risk building work. The self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers scheme will remove the need for Building Consent Authority inspections for certain types of eligible building work. It allows plumbers and drainlayers, who hold an endorsement from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, to certify their own work.
The intent of these changes is to speed up the building consent process and allow building consent authorities to focus on higher-risk work.
Self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers is being progressed through the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill.
Learn more about self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers
Occupational licensing
The Government is strengthening occupational licensing regimes across building professions. The changes will improve complaints and disciplinary processes and penalties, clarify the Boards' and Registrars' roles, simplify relicensing, enable codes of ethics, and make information easier to access.
These changes support professional accountability, transparency, and public confidence in the building sector.
This work is being progressed through the Building and Construction Sector (Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes) Amendment Bill.
Learn more about Improving occupational licensing to help homeowners
Earthquake-prone building system
The Government is reforming the earthquake-prone building system to create a more proportionate, risk-based system.
The changes will reduce costs for building owners while addressing life-safety risks in the most vulnerable buildings where risk is greatest.
This work is being progressed through the Building (Earthquake-prone buildings) Amendment Bill.
Proportionate liability, professional indemnity insurance and home warranties
The Government is rebalancing responsibility across the building sector by moving from joint and several liability to proportionate liability. Under proportionate liability, each party is liable only for their share of the work and the loss they contributed to, rather than potentially being held liable for the full cost of defects caused by others. These changes will strengthen accountability and reduce dependency on regulatory oversight as a back stop.
To support the move to proportionate liability, the changes also include mandating professional indemnity insurance for professionals involved in building design (e.g. architects and engineers) . Home warranties will be required for new residential buildings and renovations $100,000 or above (including GST) involving restricted building work, where a building consent is required, and the building is less than 10 metres tall. These changes strengthen accountability and help ensure homeowners are protected under the new liability settings.
This work is being progressed through the Building Amendment Bill.
Building levies and building research
The Government is combining the building levy and the building research levy into a single building levy under the Building Act 2004. A ring fenced portion of this levy will fund building research. MBIE will be responsible for setting a building research strategy and administering contestable funding, with input from the building sector.
These changes will improve transparency and government oversight of how building sector levies are used, enable greater competition for contestable funding and reduce duplication.
This work is being progressed through the Building Amendment Bill and through changes to the building levy regulations.
Self-certification for entire residential builds
The Government is introducing a self-certification scheme for companies, trusts or other organisations that build houses for the design and construction of entire residential dwellings. The scheme provides a streamlined consenting pathway for specified residential buildings without the need for a BCA to approve plans or conduct building inspections. House builders will need to meet robust eligibility criteria to enter the scheme which will be overseen by MBIE.
The scheme will speed up the building process and free up BCAs to focus their resources on more complex building work. It will also enable house builders to deliver homes faster and at lower cost.
The Government is considering next steps for progressing these changes.
Building Consent Authority voluntary consolidation
The Government is enabling Building Consent Authorities to group together to deliver their building consent functions and services by removing the requirement for Territorial Authorities to be Building Consent Authorities and allowing function transfers to non- Territorial Authorities entities (i.e Council-Controlled Organisations).
The changes will remove regulatory barriers to transferring functions and allow arrangements that improve resource sharing, collaboration, and cost efficiency through shared accreditation, IT systems, and standardised processes.
This work is being progressed through the Building Amendment Bill.
Building consent data standards
The Government has asked MBIE to investigate the development of data standards for building consent processes. Data standards are agreed rules that define how building consent data is specified, structured, named, shared, and governed.
The introduction of data standards will support more consistent and standardised processes across Building Consent Authorities. They will enable reliable national level reporting and, over time, as IT systems improve, support more timely insights to inform system level decision making.
The Government is considering next steps for progressing these changes.
Rooftop solar energy for homes
The Government is changing the building consent system so that rooftop solar panels can be installed without a building consent, and building consents for new homes designed to include solar generation can be fast tracked within 10 working days.
The changes will help incentivise greater uptake of rooftop solar for residential homes.
This work is being progressed through the Building Amendment Bill.