Previous determinations

Determinations are made by MBIE on matters of doubt or dispute to do with building work. Rulings are legally binding, but only in relation to each case.

Previous determinations may provide some useful guidance for those faced with similar problems, but note that individual circumstances may vary.

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2017/072: Compliance of the ventilation system and the installation of kitchen appliances to a café kitchen

This determination is about matters associated with the fitout of a café kitchen located on the ground floor of a three-storey building.  The determination considers the installation and compliance of solid fuel cooking appliances installed in the café kitchen as part of the consented work, and the compliance of the ventilation system to the kitchen.

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2017/071: Code compliance of a proposed house with steel framing and polyisocyanurate insulation board

This determination considers the code compliance of a proposed steel-framed house that uses rigid foam insulation board to insulate the walls and roof: the house was the subject of an application for building consent.  The determination considers whether the insulation board satisfies certain clauses of the Building Code, and also whether the documents submitted in support of the application for building consent were adequate.

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2017/051: Refusal to issue a code compliance certificate for a 10-year-old house with brick veneer cladding

This determinatin considers the compliance of the building work, and whether there were reasonable grounds for the authority to issue a code compliance certificate. The determination also discussed inspections undertaken by the authority as a means of providing reasonable grounds on which to issue a code compliance certificate.

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2017/050: Refusal to issue a code compliance certificate for a 12-year-old house completed under the supervision of a building certifier

This determination considers the compliance of a 12-year-old house that had been built under the supervision of a building certifier, but where a code compliance certificate had not been issued. The authority had issued a certificate of acceptance for the work, but the current owners were seeking a code compliance certificate in its place. The determination considers which certificate was appropriate to issue in the circumstances.

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2017/041: Whether proposed barriers to a timber walkway and proposed wharf will satisfy Clause F4 Safety from falling

This determination is concerned with the compliance of proposed barriers to a wharf and a walkway. The determination considers whether the proposed barrier to the wharf would be incompatible with its intended use.

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2017/031: The code compliance of a proposed shower area in a new house

This determination considered the detailing of the window and the surfaces required to comply with Clauses E3.3.2 and E3.4.5 of the Building Code, and the compliance of the window as a whole with Clause E3.3.6.

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2017/018: Refusal to issue a code compliance certificate for a 10-year-old house with plywood, stone veneer and horizontal weatherboards

This determination concerns the compliance of a 10-year-old house with plywood, stone veneer, and horizontal weatherboard cladding. This determination considers the authority’s reasons for refusing to issue the code compliance certificate, and whether the house complies with the requirements of the Building Code.

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2016/063: Regarding the compliance of a single inner handrail to a spiral stairway

This determination considers the compliance of an alternative solution proposing the use of a single handrail on the inner face of a secondary private spiral stairway. The determination discusses the relative angle of the handrail and the pitch line of the stairs, and whether the handrail is graspable and would provide sufficient grip to arrest a fall.

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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: