Occupational Licensing

Part 4, sections 282-360, Building Act 2004 [for LBPs], Registered Architects Act 2005, Electricity Act 1992, Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006.
Engineers
Not all engineers are Chartered Professional Engineers (CPENG) and the title of “engineer” is not protected.

To become a CPENG, see the membership section on engineeringnz.org.


Architects
The titles of Registered Architect (RegArch) and Architect are protected by the Registered Architects Act 2005.

However, not all architectural graduates are registered. 

To apply to become a Registered Architect, see the initial registration page on the Board’s website.
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Electrical Workers
Electrical workers are regulated under the Electricity Act 1992.

They are administered by the Electrical Workers Registration Board as established in 1992.

EWRB.govt.nz

Electrical workers self-certify their work and produce Certificates of Compliance.

To apply to become a Registered Electrician, see the registration section on the EWRB website.


Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers
These trades are registered by the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006.

Gasfitters self-certify their work, while plumbers and drainlayers are subject to inspections by the Local Authority to sign off the work.

To apply to become a Registered Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer, see the registration section on the Board’s website. 


Licensed Building Practitioners
The Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) registration system was introduced in 2007 and effective from March 2012. 

They are subject to the Licensed Building Practitioners Board which is a part of MBIE.

LBP.govt.nz 

Registered architects and chartered engineers are considered LBPs.

LBPs are licensed for the particular type of work they do.

These licence classes include:
  • design
  • carpentry
  • roofing
  • brick-laying and block-laying
  • external plastering
  • foundations
  • site-work


The government restricts the type of building work that you need a licence for. Presently (2022) RBW covers cladding and structure for homes and residential apartment buildings no more than 10m high.

Building practitioners must be licensed in order to carry out or supervise work that is “Restricted Building Work” (RBW).

To become an LBP, see the licensing section on LBP.govt.nz.


Others
The remainder of the building industry are not registered or licensed.

Various industry groups have voluntary systems or industry codes of practice that members adhere to.


Decisions made by Regulatory Boards
See LBP Board Past Complaint Decisions; for decisions made on disciplinary grounds for LBP under section 314 of the Building Act 2004.

There is also a section on notable or significant decisions for the LBP Board.

Disciplinary decisions from the Registered Architects Board can be found here.

Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board decisions can be found here. 
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Recent Court Cases

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment v Maloney, [2017] NZDC 21605
  • This case involved three charges laid under s 314(1) Building Act 2004 where the defendant held himself out to be a licensed building practitioner entitled to carry out, supervise or inspect building work while not being in fact licensed. Fined $10,000 (rounded down).


Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment v Bell, [2018] NZHC 1662
  • This case was an appeal from the District Court, following an LBP Board decision. It involved a charge of work carried out in a negligent or incompetent manner. Appeal was allowed, decision remitted to LBP Board.
  • LBP Board concluded that he had been negligent in his supervision of design work by failing to take into account the impact of resource consent issues in the development of a design and its submission for a building consent. Fined $2,000 and ordered to pay costs of $1,000.


Beattie v Licensed Building Practitioners' Board, [2015] NZHC 1903
  • Charge that the defendant had carried out building work in an incompetent manner. Matter turned on whether security costs were required.


Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment v Guo, [2020] NZDC 11441
  • Defendant, described as “orchestrating a situation of deception and deliberate subterfuge so that he could obtain building contracts when he was not a licensed building practitioner”. $4000 fine.