Is licensing for me? How do I apply?
Application packs for the Trade, Specialist, Site and Design classes are available by:
You will need to specify which class(es) you are applying for so that you get the right application pack.
The packs contain a generic application form and an application form for the specific class you are applying to be licensed in. Accompanying guidance notes will help you complete your application.
You can apply to be licensed in more than one class, but you must be able to show that you can meet the standard of competence of each class you apply for.
How can I show my competence?
The Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme is based strongly on practical skills, knowledge and experience – that is, evidence that you do competent work to legal requirements and industry standards.
Your application pack will ask for two types of information:
- Essential evidence, which you must supply to demonstrate your work in the industry and your competence in the class(es) you are applying to be licensed in, and
- Supporting evidence, where applicable, which will support your application.
Essential evidence will include:
- your work history (like a CV) showing the work you have done through your career in the building industry
- a record of selected projects (and a portfolio of work for Design applicants) that demonstrate your competence and the type of work you do
- contact details of clients and technical referees who can verify your competence in the projects you have selected, and statements from these referees where required (this will depend on the class you are applying to be licensed in).
Note: Examples of technical referees may include your employer, a subcontractor or a consultant. They must be able to confirm that you competently carried out the work outlined in your selected projects. An example of a client may include the building owner, or the person you directly worked for.
Supporting evidence, where applicable, may include:
- relevant qualifications
- industry organisation membership
- recent learning (such as having attended trade supplier events, industry seminars/conferences or trade shows).
Qualifications
If you have a relevant qualification, such as a trade certificate, technical or academic qualification, this will be good supporting evidence for your application.
If you have started a relevant qualification or apprenticeship within the last five years, but are still on the way to completing it, you can provide those details. If you are currently undergoing relevant training, you should carry on and complete your course or programme - it will be an important part of your total knowledge and skills.
If you have just completed a qualification or apprenticeship, you will also need to be able to demonstrate sound industry experience in your application - a qualification on its own will not be enough for you to be licensed.
To be accepted as supporting evidence, overseas qualifications must have been verified by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) before you apply to be licensed. Information about how to do this is on the NZQA website 
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Regulatory environment
Applicants in every class will also need to demonstrate relevant knowledge of the regulatory environment in which the building and construction industry operates.
Your application pack contains a booklet covering all the information you need to meet this requirement for your class(es).
Your application will be assessed by someone who has extensive knowledge relating to your class(es).
You will be asked to read the booklet. When your assessor is reviewing your application they will ask you some questions about this information.
Note: The information contained in the booklet only provides brief summaries of certain pieces of building-related legislation. The booklet does not attempt to provide comprehensive information about each Act and is not a substitute for you obtaining your own legal advice on how to comply with the requirements of each Act.
It is important that you make sure your application is fully completed.
- Read the guidance notes and forms carefully before you start filling in your application.
- Complete all the relevant forms.
- Ensure your referees are happy to be contacted and to supply statements if required.
- Prepare your work history and project records in a way that clearly demonstrates your competence in the class(es) you are applying to be licensed in.
This will make it easier for the assessor to evaluate your application.
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How will I be assessed?
A team of experienced and credible people with design and building industry backgrounds will assess the applications.
Your application will be assessed by someone who has extensive knowledge relating to your class(es).
The assessor will consider whether your application demonstrates, on the whole, that you have the practical experience, skills and knowledge to meet the standard of competence for the class you are applying to be licensed in.
For Trade and Site class applicants:
The assessor will:
- review your work history and selected project records
- contact your referees to confirm that the work in your selected projects was done competently
- contact you and ask some questions about the regulatory environment
- where required, ask you for more information.
Note: The assessor will request a face-to-face assessment if they do not have enough evidence to make a recommendation about your application from the process above. You will be contacted if this is the case. The assessor will come to you on site.
There will be a separate charge for face-to-face assessments, so it is important that you think carefully about the information you are providing in your application before you send it in. You can phone the Licensed Building Practitioner Helpline on 0800 60 60 50 for help with your application.
For Design class applicants:
The assessor will:
- review your work history and selected project records
- contact your referees to confirm that the work in your selected projects was done competently
- contact you and arrange for a face-to-face assessment to discuss your portfolio of work
- where required, ask you for more information.
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What if there's a conflict of interest?
The assessors will be asked to declare whether there is any conflict of interest with every application they are assessing, such as where the person is personally known to them or is in direct business or professional competition.
Similarly, you can ask for another assessor for a face-to-face assessment if you identify a conflict of interest. You will not be able to specify which assessor you want but you will be given a list of available assessors so you can identify any conflicts.
After considering all the information, the assessor will recommend to the Registrar of Licensed Building Practitioners whether you meet the relevant class standard.
If the Registrar is satisfied that you should be licensed, they will:
- send you a letter stating you are now licensed plus a 'welcome' pack that includes information on the requirements for continued licensing
- issue your ID card, which includes your photograph, your unique LBP number and the class(es) in which you are licensed
- enter your name and details in the register of licensed building practitioners.
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What if my application is declined?
If, at the end of the assessment, the assessor recommends to the Registrar that you do not meet the relevant class standard, the Registrar may decide not to license you.
You will receive a letter explaining why your application was declined, and how you can appeal in writing against this decision to the Building Practitioners Board (freephone 0800 60 60 50).
Even if the Board upholds the Registrar's decision, you can apply again at any time when you feel that you can demonstrate that you meet the relevant standard of competence required for the relevant class.
Note: The Registrar can decline your application, without an assessment taking place, if you have been suspended or cancelled for disciplinary reasons under the Building Act or from any other substantially equivalent occupational registration scheme.
Your licensing application - how the assessment works
| You decide which class(es) to apply for and request the relevant application pack(s). |
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| You read the information about the regulatory environment carefully, then complete the application and licensing class forms fully and send them to the Registrar with the required documents attached. |
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| The assessor receives your application (after initial processing) and reviews the information provided. The assessor will ask you some questions about the regulatory environment. They will also contact your referees. |
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| If required, the assessor will request a face-to-face assessment (Note: All Design applicants will have a face-to-face assessment). |
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| The assessor will recommend to the Registrar that either you do or do not meet the standard of competence required for the class you applied to be licensed in. |
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| The Registrar will write advising you are now a licensed building practitioner. You will receive your ID card separately. |
The Registrar will write to you advising that your application has been declined. |
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| The Registrar will enter your details in the public register. |
You can appeal this decision in writing to the Building Practitioners Board, stating your reasons and why your application should be reconsidered. |
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The Board will uphold or reverse the Registrars decision. |
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How much will it cost?
The cost of becoming licensed includes:
- a one-off application of $80
- a one-off assessment fee (see table below)
- an annual administration fee of $170 (this is refunded if application is declined)
| Licensed class |
Assessment fee |
Face to face
assessment fee
(if requirement)1 |
| Design 1 |
$760 |
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| Design 2 |
$875 |
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| Design 3 |
$990 |
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| Site 1 |
$275 |
$470 |
| Site 2 |
$305 |
$485 |
| Site 3 |
$315 |
$500 |
| Carpentry |
$275 |
$470 |
Carpentry and Site 1
combined |
$330 |
$470 |
| Roofing |
$275 |
$470 |
Bricklaying and
Blocklaying |
$275 |
$470 |
| External Plastering |
$275 |
$470 |
Roofing, bricklaying and blocklaying and external plastering applicants can be assessed in more than one area of practice. If you choose to be assessed in more than one area of practice it will cost an extra $55.
The fees will go towards:
- processing and assessing applications
- maintaining the public register of LBPs
- producing your ID card
- providing a freephone service to help LBPs and people wishing to be licensed
- promoting the Register to the public
- running a fair and impartial complaints and appeals process for licensed building practitioners
Trade and Site applicants may be required to take part in a face-to-face assessment if the evidence provided in their written application does not demonstrate that their skills and experience meet the relevant licensing class standard(s). This will require the additional fee as noted in the right-hand column.
A face-to-face meeting with the assessor will help them make a decision whether you have the required skills and experience and can meet the relevant standards.
The combined Carpentry and Site 1 fee covers people who wish to apply for both of these licensing classes together. There is an application pack specifically for this combination.
The annual fee and board levy
Once licensed, an annual fee of $170 plus a board levy of $25, totalling $195, will be payable per annum.
Please note: All charges are inclusive of GST.
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Staying licensed
What will my responsibilities be?
Once you are licensed you must:
- work within the scope of your licence class and your own competence
- ensure your details on the register of licensed building practitioners are up to date
- have a current licence identification card
- reply to the Registrar's annual contact with you
- pay the annual fee
- demonstrate your current competence by:
- continuing to practise in a field relevant to your class and
- undertaking a skills maintenance programme(s) relevant to your class(es) every 2 years, to ensure your skills and knowledge remain current.
What is 'current competence'?
| Continuing to practise in the industry |
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Completing a relevant skills maintenance programme |
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| The Registrar will contact you each year to confirm that you are still working in a role relevant to your class and that you want to remain licensed.
Note: You may ask the Registrar to suspend your licensing for a period if you are not currently working in the industry. The Registrar may need to assess your current competence when you want to revive your licensing if you have missed the normal 2-yearly skills manitenance requirements.
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>The skills maintenance requirements will be specific to each class and could include but are not limited to, for example: reading specific information; attending short courses, trade sessions or conferences; on-the-job training; formal study or supervising an apprentice or trainee. <
Depending on your class, your skills maintenance programme may have some compulsory elements or allow you to develop your own programme, or be a combination of both.
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| Note: Once you become a licensed building practitioner, complaints about your competence can be made to the Building Practitioners Board. If that occurs the Board will consider the information relating to the complaint, including talking with you, and then decide whether to investigate further by holding a hearing. |
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If a complaint against you is upheld, the Board has a range of penalties available to it, including censure, fines, suspension, cancellation, or limiting the scope of your licensing. You must abide by any disciplinary measures if you want to remain licensed. |
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What should I do next?
Application packs for the Trade, Site and Design classes are available now.
To help you decide whether to apply, and to find out more about the Scheme:
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The Building Practitioners Board
The Building Practitioners Board is appointed by the Minister for Building and Construction to:
- recommend the Rules of the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme, for approval by the Minister
- hear appeals against certain decisions of the Registrar (for example, where a licensing application has been declined)
- receive, investigate, hear complaints about, and discipline licensed building practitioners.
The Board must have at least 6 members but not more than 8. The current Board members have significant industry experience, as well as legal expertise.
The Board can be contacted on:
Department of Building and Housing
PO Box 10-729
Wellington
Attn: Building Practitioners Board
Freephone 0800 60 60 50.
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