If you are altering an existing building you may trigger upgrade provisions for the whole building.

These provisions are in the Building Code and ensure the quality of New Zealand’s building stock improves over time.

Upgrade provisions relate to:

• means of escape from fire
• access and facilities for people with disabilities (if relevant).

All other aspects of the building must continue to comply with the Building Code to at least the same extent as before the alteration.

Councils can allow people to alter their building use without ensuring it complies with the Building Code’s relevant provisions if they are satisfied the alteration:

• will not take place if the building has to comply
• and will improve the means of escape from fire or access and facilities for people with disabilities
• and outweighs (through improvement) any detriment likely to arise from not complying.

Typically this type of report is required if your development involves the following:

• Building Extension
• Construction of Mezzanine Floor
• Internal Fitout
• Internal portioning e.g. open plan to individual rooms

If you have any questions about whether a new build fire report is required for your property, please contact us to discuss.

Chester’s will undertake a site inspection to assess the following:

• Existing Building Construction
• Means of Egress
• Existing fire safety precautions.

Once the site inspection has been undertaken Chester’s develops a Fire Engineering Design Report for the purpose of Building Consent Application which assesses the following:

• Building Use
• Occupancy Load Assessment
• Fire Safety Precautions
• Internal Fire Spread
• External Fire Spread – Where applicable
• Fire Service Access

Within the fire engineering design report, Chester’s provide recommendations/improvements required for compliance.