Our Process

How it works

From your first sketch to council approval. Four clear steps — no surprises, no jargon.

Mr Draughty pencil characterWhat we do

Minor building consents within your existing footprint

New bathrooms and ensuites

Adding a new bathroom, ensuite, or powder room inside your existing building.

Altered bathrooms

Renovating existing bathrooms – new fixtures, level-entry showers, tiled showers, layout changes.

Internal wall removal

Load-bearing or braced walls, with structural input where needed. Open up your kitchen-lounge.

Kitchen alterations

New or moved sanitary fixtures, plumbing changes, ventilation. Kitchen reconfigurations.

Laundry alterations

Adding or moving a laundry tub, washing-machine plumbing, ventilation requirements.

Solid fuel fireplaces

New wood-burner installation, replacement fires, hearth and clearance compliance.

Multi-scope projects

Bathroom plus wall removal? Ensuite plus kitchen? Multiple changes in one consent. A common combination.

Minor variations

Already have consent and need a small change? We handle minor variations after approval.

Our process

How it works

  1. Sketch it

    Rough plans of what's there and what you want. Photos help. We'll show you what to draw — most people use a ruler and a phone.

  2. Apply online — three stages, save and resume

    Project details, files, then your contact info. About five minutes. You can stop at any point and pick up from an email link.

  3. Approve your plans — fixed quote within five working days

    We review and send your fixed quote and preliminary plans within five working days. You approve before we submit to council.

  4. We submit — and handle every council question

    We lodge the Building Consent with your council. Council has 20 working days. We answer every RFI until your consent is approved.

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What we don't do

When Mr Draughty isn't the right choice

We specialise in minor consents inside the existing footprint. For everything else, here's where to go.

If you need major architectural work

Recladding consentsNew homesExtensions outside the footprintRelocatable home foundations

One referral, no chasing.

If you need retrospective consent or a Certificate of Acceptance

Retrospective consentsCertificate of Acceptance (COA)Unconsented work discovered at sale

If your project has a planning issue

Resource consentsHeight-to-boundary issuesHeritage rulesSite coverage

If your project crosses a planning rule, you'll need a Resource Consent first. Talk to a planner. We can pick up the Building Consent once the planning side is sorted.

Common questions

What people ask before they apply

How long does the whole process take?

Our part: fixed quote and preliminary plans within five working days. Council then has 20 working days. Most projects are fully approved within 6–8 weeks from when you submit.

Do I need to be home for anything?

No. Everything is done online. Once consent is approved, your builder arranges inspections with council directly.

What if my project changes after I apply?

Minor changes before council submission are usually included. After consent is issued, changes become Minor Variations — a smaller consent application. We handle these too.

Can you do a multi-scope project?

Yes. Bathroom plus wall removal, ensuite plus kitchen — common combinations, one consent. See pricing for how multi-scope is priced.

Ready to start?

Three-stage application. Save and resume. Fixed quote within five working days.

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