Rapid building assessment resources
Last updated: 18 December 2019
The following field guides, building assessment forms and placards are designed to assist authorised civil defence emergency management officials and engineers to effectively carry out rapid building assessments following an emergency event such as a major earthquake or flood.
MBIE has updated the documents on this page to reflect the recommendations of the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission (CERA) and the new system provided by the Building Amendment Act 2019 for managing buildings during an emergency.
Field guides
After an emergency event, authorised civil defence emergency management officials and engineers should carry out rapid building assessments in accordance with the relevant field guide:
- Rapid Post Disaster Building Usability Assessment – Earthquakes
- Rapid Post Disaster Building Usability Assessment – Flooding
- Rapid Post Disaster Building Usability Assessment – Geotechnical
Assessment forms
The following forms are used by authorised civil defence emergency management officials and engineers to complete rapid building assessments following an emergency event such as a major earthquake or flood. Assessors can adapt the forms as needed to carry out assessments following other kinds of emergency events.
Earthquake rapid assessment forms:
- Simple Residential Buildings – Earthquake
- Complex Residential and all Non-Residential Buildings – Level 1
- Complex Residential and all Non-Residential Buildings – Level 2
Flooding rapid assessment forms:
- Simple Residential Buildings – Flooding
- Complex Residential and all Non-Residential Buildings – Flooding
Geotechnical rapid assessment form:
Rapid assessment sketch sheet:
Access placards
The following placards are used by authorised civil defence emergency management officials and engineers, following a rapid building assessment, to show how damaged a building is and whether there are any restrictions to occupancy. Only authorised officials can place, change or remove these placards.
Download and print:
- White “can be used” placard
- Yellow “restricted access” placard
- Red “entry prohibited” placard
- Optional diagram sheet for placards
- Notice of post-event assessment in absence of occupier
Detailed assessments
In a state of emergency or transition period, or when an affected area has been designated under the Building Act for building emergency management, civil defence emergency management / territorial authority officials can direct the owner of a building, or owners of buildings of a particular type, to obtain a detailed assessment of the building. These assessments are the responsibility of a building owner.
Information about the assessment process can be found in MBIE’s Guidance for decision-makers and territorial authorities on managing buildings in an emergency.
The Civil Defence website also has further information about requiring a structural assessment.
Guidance is also available on the different types of detailed assessments: