Issue Date: March 2012
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR BUILDERS & PLASTERBOARD INSTALLATION CONTRACTORS
LICENSED BUILDING PRACTITIONERS SCHEME – RESTRICTED BUILDING WORK
INTRODUCTION
st
As of 1 March 2012, Restricted Building Work (RBW) must be carried out, or supervised, by a Licensed Building
Practitioner (LBP). This will result in major changes to the way that the building industry operates. It is important that all
people involved in the industry are familiar with these changes.
This document aims to explain how these changes will specifically affect the relationship between builders and
plasterboard installation contractors. It is by no means a full description of the RBW or the LBP system. For more detailed
information you will need to visit the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) website (www.builditright.govt.nz).
Disclaimer
The information and opinions contained in this document are based on currently available data and is subject to change. Key points that
affect you directly are shaded in bold italics. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this article but WWB accepts no
liability for any errors of fact or opinion expressed herein. This article is not to be relied upon as legal advice.
First, some basic facts…
1. WHAT IS RESTRICTED BUILDING WORK (RBW)?
see Note 1
The construction or alteration of external moisture management systems of residential buildings*
i.e. anything relating to the weather-tightness of the building.
see Note 1
The construction or alteration of the primary structure of residential buildings*
: This includes
bracing systems and covers the installation of plasterboard bracing systems.
2. DOES RBW APPLY TO ALL BUILDINGS?
see Note 1
No, RBW applies only to the design, construction, and alteration of residential buildings*
.
Non-residential buildings are specifically excluded at this time but the scheme may be extended to include them in
the future.
Only some of the work to be carried out on residential buildings will be RBW.
Work not included in RBW includes:
Installation of interior joinery, insulation, hardware, etc.
Non-bracing plasterboard linings
Plasterboard stopping
Painting
3. WHO CAN CARRY OUT RBW?
All RBW must be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP).
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Issue Date: March 2012
4. WHAT IS A LICENSED BUILDING PRACTITIONER (LBP)?
An LBP has been assessed, approved and licensed by the DBH as being competent in their trade skills. There are
licence classes for the following trades:
Carpentry
Brick and block laying
Roofing
External plastering
Foundation
There is currently no licence class for interior linings.
Internal linings and plasterboard bracing systems are covered by the carpentry licence class.
5. CAN A PLASTERBOARD INSTALLER GET LICENSED?
No. Currently there is no licence class for plasterboard installation. However if you have a carpentry
qualification and can demonstrate recent carpentry activity you may qualify for a carpentry licence.
6. HOW DOES THE SYSTEM OPERATE?
Before construction starts, the names of all LBPs who will be carrying out RBW on the building must be
provided to the Building Consent Authority (BCA), usually the local Council. These are the people who will
either be carrying out, or supervising the restricted building work on that job.
At the completion of any RBW a memorandum (basically a record of work noting who carried out a particular
section of the RBW) must be completed by the LBP who carried out or supervised the RBW.
All these memoranda must then be provided to the home owner or the owner’s agent who will need to give
them to the BCA before Code Compliance Certificate can be issued.
Every LBP (no exceptions) who works on the RBW MUST complete a memorandum.
Withholding a memorandum is an offence which could result in disciplinary action against the LBP by the
Building Practitioners Board.
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Issue Date: March 2012
7. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR A PLASTERBOARD INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR WHOSE TASK IS TO
SIMPLY INSTALL ALL THE PLASTERBOARD WALL AND CEILING LININGS IN A HOUSE?
Not all plasterboard within a house falls under RBW. Only the sections that form part of the primary
structure of the house are RBW. For example:
Wall bracing elements
Ceiling diaphragms
Strictly speaking this means that the plasterboard installer can install all the non-bracing elements as per normal
but the bracing components must be installed, OR supervised, by a carpentry LBP.
If the owner (or the owner’s agent, usually the building contractor) has engaged a plasterboard installer to install
all the plasterboard, it is their responsibility to ensure that the installation of any plasterboard bracing is
adequately supervised by an LBP. Unless you hold a carpentry LBP licence or employ someone who does, you
will not be able to carry out RBW unless supervised by another nominated LBP. This should be discussed with
the owner or owner’s agent before starting any RBW.
Because plasterboard bracing installation is easily verified by a visual inspection, supervision of the actual fixing
process is generally not required and viewing the completed work should be acceptable.
Bear in mind that the building inspector still has to approve the installation and is responsible for ensuring that
the fixing meets manufacturer’s instructions.
8.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Firstly you should familiarise yourself with the role you now play in the construction process. Visit the DBH
website for detailed information and feel free to use their help-line.
Website: www.builditright.govt.nz or Phone: 0800 242 243 or E-mail: [email protected]
Talk to the owner or the builder who is engaging you to ensure that they are aware of the supervision
requirement. Especially at the early stages of this new process it is important to communicate with owners and
builders.
With any new system there is likely to be some initial confusion. There will be different interpretations of the
way the system operates. Good communication will be essential especially during the early stages. If you are
not sure about your responsibilities please contact the DBH Helpline on 0800 242 243.
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Issue Date: March 2012
LOOKING AHEAD
Any new system, especially one as major as this, is bound to have some shortcomings. As you can see there are some
issues that will require a different approach to what is currently in place which may initially lead to some onsite confusion.
However, the system is here to stay and we as an industry must look at ways to make it work rather than creating
obstacles.
The DBH will be monitoring the introduction of the scheme closely and in the near future will be calling for submissions
regarding improvements and changes that are required.
This will be your chance to have your say.
The Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries NZ (AWCI) is the association acting on your behalf. To help create a
unified constructive voice you should seriously consider joining the AWCI or at least make your opinion known to them.
They can be contacted on 0800 292 469.
As building contractors become more aware of their responsibilities surrounding restricted building work they will be
looking to employ subcontractors who have the skills to install RBW.
Preferred sub-contractors will ideally be members of an industry organisation such as AWCI.
Note 1:
Refer below for the definition of residential buildings as per the DBH website: www.builditright.govt.nz
Residential Building
RBW only relates to residential construction and design. In this guidance, “residential” means houses and small-tomedium apartment buildings.
For the purpose of RBW, a house is:
A free standing, fully detached building consisting of a single residential unit (and can also have 1 or more residential
facilities such as a foyer, laundry, garage, etc.).
A small to medium sized apartment is a building which:
Contains 2 or more residential units (apartments) or residential facilities (foyer, laundry, garage, etc.)
Does not contain commercial units or facilities
Has a maximum height of less than 10m (the vertical distance between the highest point of its roof – excluding
aerials, chimneys, flagpoles and vents – and the lowest point of the ground).
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