Licensing

Consumer

From 1st March 2012 all restricted work requriing a consent on homes and low level apartments will need to be carried out by or under the supervision of Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs).  This includes the roofing and wall cladding which are involved in external moisture management.

Announcing this, the Minister for Building and Construction Maurice Williamson said this will give consumers greater confidence in the competence of builders and those working in the specialist trades.

This new approach from the government means that only LBPs will be able to carry out specific work that is critical to the construction and weathertightness of a house and a small-medium sized apartment.

The announcement does not preclude DIYers building or renovating their home, but they will need to claim an exemption from restricted building work requirements if this is declared to the local council and they meet certain conditions.  Declaration will be kept on council files so that future purchasers of the house will know it has been built by a DIY person.

Public Register of Licensed Building Practitioners

Link to the Department of Building and Housing  http://www.dbh.govt.nz/occupational-licensing

Names of Licensed Building Practitioners in all trade classes are listed on the Department of Building and Housing's website.

RANZ Registered Members - Licensed Building Practitioners (Roofing)

You can search for a RANZ Member company employing Licensed Building Practitioners (Roofing) on our website under Find a RANZ Member.

Industry

Roofing and cladding is classified a 'specialist trade' and one of 13 licensing classes under the new licensing regime, 

Roofing companies involved in the installation of 'restricted work' on residential dwellings and low level apartments need to gear up NOW to get their roofing installers or supervisors licensed.  The LBP scheme is voluntary and being licensed is a personal choice for those who have the skills and experience to meet the relevant standards required to hold a licence.  However, it will be mandatory if you are doing 'restricted work' for that work to be done by a LBP or under the supervision of a LBP.

RANZ recommends to the Roofing Industry not to delay making application to the Department of Building and Housing as the mandatory date of 1st March 2012 will come around quickly.  With 13 trade classes affected and the obvious pending influx of applications from all sectors, there will no doubt be delays while applications undergo the assessment process. 

How to apply to become a Licensed Building Practitioner?

Application packs for each of the 13 licensing classes are available from the Department of Building and Housing

Contact the DBH to request a pack on 0800-606-050   -  OR  -

Download from the DBH website at http://www.dbh.govt.nz/occupational-licensing.

For tradespeople with a good track record and hold a trade qualification - for the roofing industry the recognised qualifications are the NZQA National Certificate/s in Roofing - the government is currently planning on streamlining the application process to make it easier for those with trade quals.  These streamlined application documents are expected to be introduced early in 2010.

More detailed information on 'licensing' available on the DBH website and Members' Only section "Industry News"