Required certification · New Zealand
LBP (Licensed Building Practitioners)
New Zealand licensing scheme for builders and designers who do or supervise Restricted Building Work on homes
Market position
The Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme licenses people assessed as competent to carry out building work essential to the structure or weathertightness of residential buildings. It started in November 2007 under the Building Act 2004 and is overseen by the Building Practitioners Board, part of MBIE. Licence classes are Design 1-3, Site 1-3, Carpentry, Roofing, External Plastering, Brick and Blocklaying, and Foundations.
New Zealand-specific note
Restricted Building Work (consented work on a home's primary structure, weathertightness or certain fire safety design) must be done or supervised by an LBP, and breaches can bring an instant fine or a court fine of up to $50,000. Homeowners can check a practitioner on the public LBP register, and LBPs must relicense every year and keep up skills maintenance.
Pros
- + Required to do or supervise Restricted Building Work on homes
- + Public register lets homeowners check a practitioner
- + Published application and assessment fees, including GST
- + Classes cover design, site, carpentry, roofing, plastering, masonry and foundations
Cons
- − Relicensing every year plus ongoing skills maintenance
- − Several classes and areas of practice to choose from
- − Only Restricted Building Work needs an LBP, not all building work
- − Applicants may need a face-to-face interview, at extra cost, if the written application falls short
Typical New Zealand pricing
Official fees, incl GST: application fee $250 plus an assessment fee per class, for example $281.11 for Carpentry, Site 1, Roofing, External Plastering, Brick and Blocklaying or Foundations (one area of practice), $776.89-$1,012.00 for Design 1-3; streamlined assessments from $127.78 where available; licences are renewed every year (renewal fee not shown on the pages read)
Why this matters for New Zealand trades
Only EWRB-registered and licensed workers can carry out or supervise prescribed electrical work, with the practising licence renewed every 2 years; the PGDB registers and licenses plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and prosecutes unauthorised work; and Restricted Building Work on homes must be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. WorkSafe enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and says amendments take effect on 1 April 2027. The payroll tools listed here file payday information with Inland Revenue, and some act as PAYE intermediaries that pay PAYE to Inland Revenue for you. Master Builders and Master Plumbers membership is voluntary and does not replace licensing.
New Zealand trades vendor selection is shaped by registration and licensing (the EWRB for electrical workers, the PGDB for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, and the LBP scheme for Restricted Building Work on homes), payday filing with Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver deductions, Holidays Act leave calculations, 15% GST, and health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Frequently asked
Is LBP (Licensed Building Practitioners) a good fit for New Zealand trades?
The Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme licenses people assessed as competent to carry out building work essential to the structure or weathertightness of residential buildings. It started in November 2007 under the Building Act 2004 and is overseen by the Building Practitioners Board, part of MBIE. Licence classes are Design 1-3, Site 1-3, Carpentry, Roofing, External Plastering, Brick and Blocklaying, and Foundations. Restricted Building Work (consented work on a home's primary structure, weathertightness or certain fire safety design) must be done or supervised by an LBP, and breaches can bring an instant fine or a court fine of up to $50,000. Homeowners can check a practitioner on the public LBP register, and LBPs must relicense every year and keep up skills maintenance.
What does LBP (Licensed Building Practitioners) cost in New Zealand?
Official fees, incl GST: application fee $250 plus an assessment fee per class, for example $281.11 for Carpentry, Site 1, Roofing, External Plastering, Brick and Blocklaying or Foundations (one area of practice), $776.89-$1,012.00 for Design 1-3; streamlined assessments from $127.78 where available; licences are renewed every year (renewal fee not shown on the pages read). Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current New Zealand pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Other New Zealand vendors
EWRB (Electrical Workers Registration Board)
Required certification
PGDB (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board)
Required certification
WorkSafe New Zealand
Required certification
Registered Master Builders Association
Required certification
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ
Required certification
Fergus
Software