8.2. Carports between 20 and 40 sqm in floor area – Chartered Professional Engineer

Carport next to house

If using this exemption, a homeowner must engage a chartered professional engineer to design a carport greater than 20 square metres and not exceeding 40 square metres and subsequently, the work must be carried out in accordance with that design.

Please note: The below exemption comes into force from 31 August 2020. You will still need a building consent if your project starts before this date.

If using this exemption, a homeowner must engage a Chartered Professional Engineer to design a carport greater than 20 square metres and not exceeding 40 square metres and subsequently, the work must be carried out in accordance with that design. Some suppliers/manufacturers of proprietary products have pre-engineered kit-sets with a unified sign-off from a Chartered Professional Engineer.

If a homeowner intends to build a carport less than 20 square metres on the ground floor, exemption 18 (section 8.1) might be applicable. If the proposed carport is between 20 and 40 square metres, exemption 18A (section 8.3) may apply.

What is exempt

  1. A home owner wants to construct a new free-standing carport. The carport will have a concrete slab on grade, be open on all sides, and have a net floor area of 30 square metres. The design is carried out (or reviewed) by a Chartered Professional Engineer and the work is carried out in accordance with that design.
  2. Making an alteration to an existing 20 square metre carport by adding an extra 20 square metres so that the maximum size is 40 square metres. As long as the design is carried out or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer and the work is carried out in accordance with that design.

What needs consent

  1. Constructing a new free-standing carport with a net floor area of 43 square metres which will be open on all sides. As it exceeds 40 square metres in net floor area, a building consent is required.
  2. Making an alteration to an existing 20 square metre carport by adding an extra 30 square metres. This exceeds 40 square metres in net floor area, so a building consent is required.

What the law says

44. Carports exceeding 20, but not exceeding 40, square metres in floor area

1. Building work in connection with a carport that—

(a). is on the ground level; and

(b). exceeds 20 square metres in floor area, but does not exceed 40 square metres.

This exemption also requires that the design of the building work has been carried out or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer and the building work has been carried out in accordance with that design.

This information is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Chief Executive. It is a general guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular case. Expert advice may be required in specific circumstances. Where this information relates to assisting people: