More about our building consent related fees and charges, value of work, levies and more.

How are building consent fees and charges set?

Fees and charges are set annually by the Dunedin City Council (DCC) during the Annual Plan process. Members of the public can comment on the proposed fees and charges by making a submission to the Draft Annual Plan. Submissions are considered by the DCC and when the Annual Plan is adopted, the fees and charges are set for the following financial year.  The DCC's financial year is 1 July until 30 June the following year.

When will we be advised of any changes to fees and charges?

Any changes in the fees and charges take effect from 1 July.  Once the Annual Plan has been adopted we advise the public of any changes as soon as possible. The Building Services fees and charges schedule is available on the DCC website and in hard copy at the Civic Centre.   

When quoting for work you may wish to refer to the Draft Annual Plan on the DCC's website to establish whether building consent related fees and charges could be altering after 1 July.

 Why is advising the value of work of the project necessary?

An estimated value of work is necessary for national statistical purposes and is required so building levies can be calculated where applicable.

The estimated value must include:

• Materials
• Fees charged for design work
• Building, plumbing and other contractor charges
• Owners labour priced at normal commercial rates
• project manager charges
• GST

What levies are required to be paid?

The DCC is required to collect levies on behalf of the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). These levies apply to all work valued at $20,000 or more and are payable in building consent application charges.

If the building consent is staged or amended , the levy is assessed on the total project value.

A Building Consent Authority (BCA) Levy applies to all building consent applications including amended and staged applications.