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Finding a builder in Auckland can seem like such a daunting task at times! Where do you look, what qualifications and experience do they need and how much do they cost? Luckily we have made it simple here at Builderscrack to let the tradespeople chase you, rather than you chase them! Yet how will you know they can safely and correctly do your job?

Firstly it depends on the type of building work you want done. If the work is going to be structural, affect the water tightness of your home or involves designing a fire system, you have to use a Licenced Building Practitioner (LBP). For other building jobs, a builder who is not an LBP is okay to use, but you still could pick an LBP if you wanted. It is compulsory to use an LBP for those three types of work in order to ensure that all restricted building work (RBW) is done to a high standard.

How do I know if my builder is a Licenced Building Practitioner?

Once you have chosen one or more builders to find more details about, you can quickly check if they are an LBP by looking on the Licenced Building Practitioner website. This website holds a public register of all the LBPs in NZ. You can search for them by location, name or the details they will have on their LBP photo ID card. If you have not yet found a builder, you can also search the register to specifically find builders within the Auckland region who are LBPs.

There are six different types of building jobs in the register such as designers, carpenters and site or foundation specialists.  You'll need to make sure you hire an LBP who is registered to work on the type of job you want done. You will also need to check that they are certified to work on the type of building you are hiring them for. That's because there are three different categories of building types with each one requiring specific experience or qualifications from the builder.

What do I do if my builder is not an LBP?

While it is compulsory to use an LBP for all RBW, not every job you want doing needs an LBP. If your work is not restricted, then hiring a builder who is not an LBP is fine. There are two trade organisations which help regulate the building trade and provide homeowners with the confidence to hire a builder that they do not know or have had a recommendation of. They are the Registered Master Builders Association (RMBA) and the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ).

The RMBA checks out the financial records and building history of all builders before it will accept them into their association. They also require members to either hold specific industry based qualifications or have a certain level of experience too. Members will also have their work inspected by the RMBA mobile team a couple of times a year and must follow the Constitution and Code of Conduct the association sets. As a homeowner, another big plus is that your RMBA builder is required to give you a third party written guarantee on all work they have done for you.

A builder who is a member of the CBANZ will also have had to have specific qualifications or a certain level of experience before they will be accepted. Their members also have to follow the Code of Ethics and Conduct, provide insurance to cover their work for the duration of their contract with you and give you a 10 year Homefirst Builders guarantee on the job they’ve done.

We can help you to find a builder quickly and easily with the City of Sails. List your building job with us here today!