COVID-19 Resources for Tradespeople and Homeowners

Find the information you need for carrying out jobs at different alert levels, and learn how you can keep yourself and everyone around you safe.

The following information is current as of 10AM 15 February 2021.

Please note that while we will regularly update the information on this page, the evolving nature of our nation’s response to COVID-19 means you will always find the most up to date information regarding all matters on the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

What Can Tradespeople and Homeowners Do At Alert Levels 1, 2, 3 And 4?

Below, you'll find a general overview of the allowances and conditions of all Alert Levels.

	Level 1, 2 and 3	Level 4
Summary
Summary	All types of jobs	Essential jobs only (what is Essential?)
Description
Description	Tradespeople can provide any repair, maintenance or construction service if the appropriate health, safety and physical distancing measures are met by both tradespeople and homeowners.	Tradespeople can provide an essential service, required to address immediate health or life safety risks, or to prevent serious environmental harm at home or work. Appropriate health, safety and physical distancing measures must be adhered to by both tradespeople and homeowners.
Job stages
Job stages	All stages of a job can be undertaken and completed.	All stages of an essential job can be undertaken and completed. Some stages of a non-essential job can be undertaken, but not all stages can be completed. For example: Homeowners can post a job Tradespeople can chase a job Homeowners and tradespeople can discuss job details and plan for when the restrictions are lifted, however Works on site can not be undertaken or completed for a non-essential job.
Examples of jobs
Examples of jobs	The following situations apply for any repair, maintenance or construction service required or desired. For example: Landscaper: If you need tree’s pruned or lawn mowed Builder: If you’d like a new deck to be built Plasterer: If you’d like to convert your garage into a home office Tiler: If you need your bathroom or kitchen tiled Electrician: If you’d like new lighting installed Painter: If you’d like the interior or exterior painted Plumber: If you need tap washers replaced Gasfitter: If you’d like to install a new heat pump Multiple trades: If you’d like to renovate or extend your home.	The following situations only apply if they are required immediately to address health or life safety risks at home. For example: Glazier: If your window is broken, and you are exposed to the elements Electrician: If your household is without power, and you cannot cook or cool food Plumber: If your water supply is broken, and you do not have access to sanitation Roofer: If your roof has experienced storm damage, and you are at risk of injury Gasfitter: If your gas, fire or hot water system is leaking or broken, and you are without heating Drainlayer: If your drains are blocked, and your house is flooding Locksmith: If you get locked out of your house, and cannot enter your own home.
Hardware suppliers
Hardware suppliers	Level 1 and 2: Can open their premises to trade and public customers. Level 3: Open to trade and public customers via remote ordering online or over the phone. Bunnings, Placemakers, Mitre 10 and other retailers may deliver your supplies, or you may collect them (e.g. a drive-through system).	Open to trade customers who need supplies in order to provide an essential service. Not open to the public. Bunnings, Placemakers, Mitre 10 and other retailers essential to the supply chain for building and construction are open to trade customers for essential purposes only.

What Advice Should I Follow?

There are multiple resources available to keep yourself, your employees and your household safe, while continuing to do business.

Health and safety advice

• CHASNZ: Residential Construction Protocols
• Building Performance: Building and construction sector guidance
• Worksafe: Managing health and safety (COVID-19)
• Ministry of Health: Latest updates, information and advice on COVID-19
• Unite Against COVID-19: What you need to know

Business advice

• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Business.govt.nz: COVID-19 Information for businesses

Alert Level 1: Are There Any Restrictions?

There are no restrictions or requirements for tradespeople and homeowners at Alert Level 1. Governing bodies encourage proper hygiene, physical distancing and keeping track of who you’ve been in contact with, as a rule of thumb to operate safely.

Alert Level 2: What Does It Mean For Carrying Out Jobs?

All businesses operating at Level 2 will have their COVID-19 control plan in place. Level 2 still requires physical distancing, contract tracing and proper hygiene measures. In summary:

• Keep a 1 metre distance from others
• Keep track of who you’ve been in contact with - as multiple trades can now work on a property at the same time.
• Reduce, and regularly disinfect, shared surfaces.

Alert Level 3: What Do I Need To Know?

Tradespeople

Before returning to work, contractors and businesses must read and implement the new health and safety standards and protocols released by CHASNZ (Construction Health and Safety NZ), in conjunction with the joint government and industry Construction Sector Accord.

To develop your control COVID-19 control plan, read the CHASNZ Residential Construction Protocols.

These protocols should be in place in order to work safely at Alert Levels 2 and above. While there is no requirement to register your plan, you must have one in place and brief any employees on the new standards.

Some of the new protocols require tradespeople to keep a one metre distance between workers, record who is working together, limit interaction between groups of workers and maintain high hygiene standards like hand washing with soap and water, sneeze and cough etiquette, and disinfecting surfaces.

Homeowners

Tradespeople will be adhering to stringent new health and safety standards, and as part of this, it requires homeowners to keep a two metre separation from tradespeople in the house (and vice versa).

All persons involved

Record your daily interactions as a form of contact tracing. You can use Builderscrack’s messaging function to essentially record who was on site with you including both employees and people in the household.

Alert Level 4: How Do I Decide Which Jobs Are Essential?

You will need to use your discretion on a case-by-case basis. Any person involved in organising or carrying out works on site will need to justify their reasoning.

If a business, or homeowner, chooses to ignore official advice and continues to operate as usual, there will be actions taken to stop this by the New Zealand Government, and enforcement measures may be used.

In which case, you might like to keep a paper trail of communication to demonstrate how your discretion was exercised, and your process for deeming the works were necessary immediately for the household health and safety.

Please remember, the purpose of Alert Level 4 is to stop the virus in its tracks and reduce contact between people. We need as many businesses as possible to strictly adhere to the Government’s advice.

For further guidance, the Building Performance website can help you decide whether a service is essential.

Tell Us What We Can Do

Right now, we’re in unprecedented times, and we’re of the mentality that ‘we will get through this together’. Our team is working on ways to help our tradespeople get back on their feet when the time allows, and how we can best support our homeowners.

If you have any questions that have not been answered by the information and resources on this page, or have any concerns or suggestions, please get in contact with us.