How Long Does It Take to Design and Consent a House in New Zealand?

Understanding the Time and Cost of Getting to Site

When people think about building a new home, they often picture a design process and then a construction phase. The excavation, framing, cladding, and eventually moving in.

What is less visible at the beginning is everything that happens before construction begins. The planning, design, consultant input, approvals, and decision making that occur before a builder can turn the first sod.

Understanding this process early can help avoid surprises and allow better decisions throughout the project.

Every Project Starts With Questions

Before drawings are prepared, there are usually a number of important questions to answer:

• What can be built on the site?

• Are there planning constraints?

• Is resource consent likely to be required?

• What services are available?

• Is there a budget and is the budget realistic?

• Are there site risks that need investigation?

The answers often influence the design, program, and overall project cost.

Developing the Design

It usually takes a couple of weeks of Pre-Design to understand the opportunities and constraints with survey information and existing conditions explored. Once these are known the design process can begin.

The initial design timeframe can vary greatly depending on the level of design input required. The process typically involves me exploring ideas, testing options, refining layouts, and balancing competing priorities such as budget, views, sunlight, privacy, planning requirements, and construction practicality.

An initial design is rarely the response to a single decision. It is usually the result of many small decisions working in harmony together. From there we start to refine together, and clients start to prioritise what is important and firm up their idea of what is possible.

Consultant Input

Most projects require specialist advice alongside my design process.

Depending on the site and project requirements this will usually include:

• Surveying

• Structural engineering

• Geotechnical investigations

• Stormwater / Wastewater design

• Mechanical Services design

  
  

The complexity of the site often has a greater impact on consultant requirements than the size of the house itself.

Consultant investigations and reporting typically add 4-8 weeks to the program, although this can vary depending on the project and consultant availability.

Approvals and Consents

Before construction can begin, the project usually requires approval from the relevant authorities.

This may involve:

• Building consent

• Resource consent

• Infrastructure approvals

Most approvals progress smoothly. Projects involving neighbours, parks and reserves, NZTA, KiwiRail, heritage considerations, or environmental constraints often require additional consultation and coordination which can extend the program.

How Long Does The Process Take?

For a straightforward project, several months between the first meeting and a granted building consent is not uncommon. Clients hoping to commence construction in spring often benefit from beginning the design process the previous November or December. This allows time for design development, consultant input, and approvals while positioning the project to take advantage of favourable construction conditions.

More complex sites, consultant requirements, or planning constraints will extend the timeframe.

While every project is different, understanding the likely pathway early helps establish realistic expectations and reduces uncertainty.

Typical duration

Stage $750k budget $1.2m budget $2.4m budget

Pre-Design 1-2 Weeks 2-4 Weeks 2-4 Weeks

Concept Design 1-2 Weeks 2-3 Weeks 3-5 Weeks

Concept Revisions 3-4 Weeks 3-4 Weeks 3-4 Weeks

Developed Design 3-4 Weeks 6-8 Weeks 8-10 Weeks

Dev. Design Revisions 3-4 Weeks 3-4 Weeks 3-4 Weeks

Consultant Engagement 3-5 Weeks 6-8 Weeks 6-8 Weeks

Detailed Documentation 2-3 Weeks 3-4 Weeks 6-8 Weeks

Council Processing 6-12 Weeks 7-14 Weeks 8-16 Weeks

Approximate timeframe 22-36 Weeks 25-49 Weeks 39-59 Weeks

The timeframes above are based on recent projects and assume a typical workload in my office, reasonable consultant availability, and timely client feedback. Every project will be slightly different; however, the guide should provide a useful indication of the program required to progress from an initial briefing meeting through to a granted building consent for a variety of project values.

What Does It Cost?

One of the biggest surprises for first-time clients is the considerable amount of money to be spent before construction begins. In general we advise clients to allow 6-7% of their budget for preparation of the approval documentation and 2-3% for council costs in obtaining the approvals.

Before construction begins there are typically three categories of cost:

• Design and documentation

• Consultant fees

• Council fees

The following examples are based on recent residential projects and illustrate the typical costs associated with design, consultant input, and approvals.

$750k budget $1.2m budget 2.4m budget

Survey: $ 1,800+gst $ 1,800+gst $ 1,800+gst

Architecture: $26,000+gst $41,000+gst $ 83,500+gst

Engineering: $ 8,000+gst $25,000+gst $ 50,000+gst

Geotech: $ 6,000+gst $ 6,000+gst $ 6,000+gst

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumb n/a $ 1,200+gst $ 5,200+gst

Planning: $ 3,000+gst $ 3,000+gst $ 3,000+gst

Application Preparation: $44,800+gst (5.9%) $78,000+gst (6.5%) $149,500+gst (6.2%)

Council Consent Fees: $15,000incl gst $18,000incl gst $25,000incl gst

In some cases (alterations usually) Development Contribution Charges from council will also apply which is an increasingly a substantial consideration as these fees can range from $15,000incl gst to well over $30,000incl gst.

Projects that identify risks and opportunities early often achieve better outcomes because major decisions are made before significant time and money is committed.

The Value of Early Advice

One of the most effective ways to improve certainty is to understand the site, approval pathway, likely costs, and program before detailed design begins.

In my experience, the projects that progress most smoothly are rarely the simplest. They are the projects where the key questions were answered early, risks were identified before design began, and decisions were made with a clear understanding of the opportunities and constraints.

That's where good advice adds the most value.