8.7. Ground floor awnings between 20 and 30 sqm in size - Chartered Professional Engineer

Large awning over deck

This exemption relates to awnings between 20 and 30 square metres where the design is carried out or reviewed by a chartered professional engineer and the work is 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.

This exemption relates to awnings between 20 and 30 square metres where the design is carried out or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer and the work is carried out in accordance with that design.

Before you begin, please read the notes for ground floor awnings.

An owner must engage a Chartered Professional Engineer to design the awnings on the ground level greater than 20 square metres and not exceeding 30 square metres. Constructing the awning needs to 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. The kit-set awning needs to be constructed in accordance with the instruction manual in order to be exempt from needing a building consent.

If an owner intends to erect an awning less than 20 square metres on the ground floor, exemption 16 (section 8.6) may be applicable.

What is exempt

  1. A home owner intends to install a retractable canvas awning of 25 square metres above a ground floor kitchen window and over the adjoining deck to provide shade. The structural design of the awning has been reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer and the work is carried out in accordance with that design.

What needs consent

  1. A lightweight fabric awning is to be fitted above an apartment deck on the ground floor of the building. Although the awning has a total coverage of 25 square metres a building consent is required as the awning is not on the ground floor.

What the law says

45. Awnings exceeding 20, but not exceeding 30, square metres in size

1. Building work in connection with an awning that—

(a). is on or attached to an existing building; and

(b). in on the ground level of the building; and

(c). exceeds 20 square metres in size, but does not exceed 30 square metres; and

(d). does not overhang any area accessible by the public, including private areas with limited public access, for example, restaurants and bars.

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: