Built Simple for New Zealand builders
Free calculators and guides for New Zealand builders, written against the Building Code and the free Acceptable Solutions, plus construction management software that runs the job from your phone. No account needed for anything on these pages.
How the rules fit together in New Zealand
The Building Act 2004 is the law. The New Zealand Building Code is Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 1992 and says what a building has to achieve. The Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods are the how: build to one and the building consent authority must accept it as complying. All of that is legislation or published by MBIE, carries no copyright, and is quoted directly on these pages. NZS 3604 is different. B1/AS1 cites it, but section 27(1C) of the Copyright Act 1994 preserves copyright in a New Zealand Standard even where legislation refers to it, so its span, bracing and lintel tables are not free and we do not reproduce them.
The default is that building work needs a consent. Schedule 1 to the Act lists the exemptions, and they are narrower than most people assume. The building consent authority has 20 working days to decide an application, the clock stops every time it asks for more information, inspections happen at the stages the consent names, and a code compliance certificate at the end is a second 20 working day decision. Restricted building work has to be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner, who provides a record of work on completion.
Where to start
- Working out whether you need consent. The building consent guide covers Schedule 1, the 20 working day clock, the CCC and what a certificate of acceptance costs you if you skip the process.
- Building in Auckland. The inspections guide has the booking rules, what has to be on site, the fee schedule from 1 July 2026 and what a failed inspection means for the timeline.
- Framing to NZS 3604. Read the scope guide first, because stepping outside the standard on wind zone, roof mass or building height sends the whole job to specific engineering design. Then the lintel calculator gives you the loaded dimension the table asks for.
- Setting out a stair. The stair calculator checks riser, tread and pitch against D1/AS1 Table 6 for your stair class, and barriers are on F4, not D1.
Three things this section corrects
New Zealand has no 2R+G rule. It is imported from British and Australian sources and D1/AS1 does not apply it. New Zealand has no numeric non-climbable zone for barriers either; F4/AS1 addresses climbability differently, and the Australian figure does not transfer. And being cited by an Acceptable Solution does not make NZS 3604 free to copy, which is why no site can lawfully give you its tables, including this one.
Built to New Zealand standards, not translated from somewhere else
Every guide and calculator in this section is written to the New Zealand Building Code. The maths in a calculator does not change between countries, but the rules it has to satisfy absolutely do, so these are separate pages with separate figures rather than an Australian page with the currency swapped.
| Calculators | Built to D1/AS1 and F4/AS1, which are free to publish, using New Zealand terms throughout. |
| Standards | We quote the Building Code and the Acceptable Solutions freely, because regulations carry no copyright. We do not reproduce NZS 3604 tables, because they do. |
| Terminology | Building consent, CCC, tread, barrier, dwang. Not permit, going, balustrade or noggin. |
| The app | Scheduling, estimating, team tracking and defects. Not localised to New Zealand payroll or tax, and billed in Australian dollars. |
Run the whole job, not just the numbers
Built Simple handles scheduling, estimating, team tracking and defects in one place. The calculators are free forever on the starter plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these written for New Zealand? Yes. They follow the New Zealand Building Code and the free Acceptable Solutions, and they flag where British and Australian rules do not transfer, which is the most common source of wrong advice here.
Why do you not publish NZS 3604 span tables? They are copyright. Section 27(1C) of the Copyright Act 1994 preserves copyright in New Zealand Standards even where legislation refers to them. We calculate the inputs instead and point you at the free BRANZ tool.
Do I need an account? No. Every calculator and guide here is free and needs no signup.
Is Built Simple a New Zealand company? No. Built Simple is Australian. These guides are written specifically for New Zealand practice, but the app is billed in Australian dollars, converted at checkout.
