What is the cost to design and consent a home in New Zealand? When planning your first home it’s easy to overlook the design and consenting costs associated with your project. This article will give you clarity on the possible costs involved.
Your Biggest Purchase Ever
As building a home is likely the sole biggest purchase you’ll ever make in life, you should invest plenty of hours into research and budgeting for your project. And to make building even more difficult, you can’t view what you’re buying from the start.
The first step is quite obviously to design & get consented the dwelling you’re going to build. Many people think of this is a relatively low cost exercise, something that can just be skipped through with little thought and expenditure.
However, it’s often been said that ‘having a plan is a job half done’ so by getting advice from experienced industry experts you’ll save yourself thousands in the long run.
Some Ballpark Figures
Let’s get straight to the nitty-gritty, see below some approximate costs you’ll incur:
(based on a modest, slightly architectural, 200m2 home)
Full Working Drawings $30,000 + GST (4-5% of build cost, high-end architects charge up to 10%)
Geotech Report $3,500 + GST
Structural Engineering $0-15,000 + GST (basic homes require none)
Surveyor $1,500 + GST
Resource Consent $0-7,000 + GST (not all homes require RC’s)
Building Consent Submission $1,500 + GST
Council Building Consent Cost $5,000-10,000 + GST (dependant on which Council)
Earthworks Permit $1000 + GST
Disclaimer: The above figures are very ballpark. Contact the Arcline Team to get figures with more relevant accuracy to your project.
How Accurate Are These Figures?
Anyone with construction industry knowledge can argue stating the above figures is just like plucking numbers from the air. Unfortunately, the Arcline Team get many phone calls with frustrated homeowners who can’t receive ballpark figures from other building companies.
Therefore with a brief enquiry into what your overall project is we can give you a list of ballpark figures to budget on for your project.
It’s also informative to look at Council websites, like Auckland City Council’s page on ‘Building Consent Fees and Charges‘.
Cost to Design & Consent Your Home in NZ – Influencing Factors
- Which district or city council your property is in
- Location of property (close to a town or city, or in a difficult-to-get-to location)
- Size of home
- Property contour & access
- Home Design: Cookie-cutter or Architectural
- Consent Notice & Covenant requirements
- Services available (water, sewer, power, phone, stormwater)
- Your budget
Group Building Companies
Group Building companies have their place – however, watch what you sign up for. Many will promise ‘free design’ and low cost consenting to secure the contract but remember they can easily make up these loss leaders during the building phase of your project.
Wise design decisions can easily save you the 20-30 thousand during the build and give you a home that better fits your lifestyle.
Lastly, by working with an Architect or an Architectural Designer to design your home it allows you to get several quotes to build your home and build a relationship with a builder you get on well with. Remember you’ll be working with them for quite a period of time.
To Conclude: Cost to Design & Consent Your Home in NZ
With New Zealand having such a diverse range of properties available, from steep coastal landscapes to windy rural ridges, it’s difficult to put ballpark figures on our design and consenting costs. We trust the above figures are informative and look forward to hearing from you.
Reach out – we’ll give you ballpark design & consent costings specific to your project.