Renovating your home?
Minor building consents for renovations within your existing home. Fixed price, five working days to preliminary plans, we handle council.
- ADNZ qualified architectural designer
- 20+ years' experience
- Fixed pricing, no surprises
- 5.0 ★ on Google · 33 reviews
Meet the team behind Mr Draughty
Daniel Cullen has just over 20 years’ experience in architectural design, in New Zealand and overseas. He’s a professional member of Architectural Designers NZ (ADNZ) and a Licensed Building Practitioner.
Mr Draughty started because most homeowners adding a bathroom or taking out a wall don’t need a full architectural service. They need the consent done right, at a price that doesn’t eat the renovation budget.
- ADNZ qualified architectural designer
- 20+ years' experience in consent drafting
- Northland to Invercargill
- 5.0 ★ across 33 Google reviews
Common consent scenarios we deal with
If it's on this list, it almost certainly needs a building consent, and we can handle it.
New bathrooms & ensuites
Adding a new bathroom or ensuite to your home. Plumbing, fixtures, ventilation, the lot.
Altered bathrooms
Renovating an existing bathroom. New fittings, level-entry showers, tiled showers, layout changes.
Wall removals
Removing load-bearing or braced walls. Structural plans, engineer’s input, council approval.
Kitchens & laundries
Altered or new sanitary fixtures, plumbing changes, ventilation. Consent across the wet zones.
Solid fuel fires
New wood fires and replacement installations. Hearth, clearances, flue, the consent paperwork.
Multi-scope projects
A bathroom and a wall removal in the same job? Several changes can go through on one consent application, not three separate ones.
Fixed price. And less than you might think.
One fixed quote covers the plans, the council lodgement, and every bit of back-and-forth with them. You see the number and approve it before anything is submitted, so there is no meter running and no surprise invoice at the end.
The full picture, up front. Council charges its own fees, and some projects need an engineer, geotech or stormwater report on top of our fee. You are told what to expect before you commit, so the only surprise is how straightforward it turned out to be.
First time dealing with a building consent?
Most people who come to us have never done this before, and that is completely normal. We do this every day. Our job is to take the council side off your hands, so you can get on with the part you actually care about, the renovation itself.
Sketch it
Rough plans of what's there and what you want. Photos help. We'll show you what to draw.
Apply online
Three-stage form. About five minutes per stage.
Approve your plans
We draw preliminary plans in 5 working days and send a fixed quote. You approve before anything goes to council.
We submit
We lodge the Building Consent and answer every council question until approval. You get the stamped consent.
We were fearful that the building consent application process would be stressful and frustrating, but Daniel's professionalism ensured it was quite the opposite.
5.0 across 33 Google reviews
- ★★★★★
Going in we were unsure of what to expect except that it was going to be a mission. Daniel made it the complete opposite.
- ★★★★★
Our original quotes came in anywhere between $5,000 to $9,000. People warned us Mr Draughty's pricing was too good to be true. They were wrong.
- ★★★★★
Have used Mr Draughty a couple of times for bathrooms now and is always very quick and thorough, exactly what we have needed.
The questions people ask us most
Plain-English answers, with videos where they help.
Refer your clients. Or use us yourself.
See the trade optionsBigger than a minor consent? Here’s who takes it on.
For major consents like new builds, extensions beyond the existing footprint, recladding or larger structural work, Daniel’s other practice handles the full architectural service.
Same standard, different scope, and one referral with no chasing.
Ready to get started?
Three-stage application. Save and resume. Fixed quote back to you within five working days.