Amendments to building consent exemptions in Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004

Last updated: 15 January 2026

We work with the sector to make improvements and additions to the list of building work that can be undertaken without requiring a building consent.

Amendments that have been made are outlined below to help users of this guidance understand when each of the regulation changes came into effect.

The building consent exemption for small standalone dwellings built using the granny flats exemption is not part of these exemptions under Schedule 1 of the Building Act.

Granny flats exemption: guidance and resources has more information on granny flats as a non-consented small standalone dwelling.

Exempted building work	Effective from	Document edition	Document version
All building consent exemptions	March 2014	3	1
Carports	June 2016	3	2
Means of restricting access to small heated pools – minor amendments Retaining walls – minor amendments	August 2017	3	3
Ground moisture barriers	July 2019	4	4
Verandas and porches – additional exemption Single-storey detached buildings – 3 additional exemptions Carports – additional exemption Awnings – additional exemption Outdoor fireplaces or ovens Flexible water storage bladders Short-span bridges on private land without public access Pipe supporting structures Ground-mounted solar panel arrays – 2 new exemptions Single-storey pole sheds and hay barns	August 2020	5
A new version of the guidance was published to clarify some points and update images, however there were no changes to Schedule 1	August 2025	5	2
Roof-mounted solar panel arrays – 2 new exemptions Changes made to setbacks for exemptions 3, 3A, 3B and 43	October 2025	6	1

Note: editions 1 and 2 were published by the Department of Building and Housing prior to 2014.

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