Leaky building changes could add $5000 to house costs

1.00pm

Changes to building regulations could add $5000 to the cost of a new, non-brick house but they could also save the country $800 million in the next 25 years, the Building Industry Authority (BIA) says.

The authority announced changes to the Building Code today and the way buildings should be designed and built to reduce problems caused by leaky homes.

It said the changes would save $800m in 25 years, mostly because building would not be damaged by water leaks and would not have to be repaired.

The authority said the additional cost for a simple brick house would be about $500 but the changes could add $5000 or more to a non-brick house requiring a drained cavity and $3000 to a new apartment.

BIA chairman Barry Brown said it was a relatively small cost when considered over the life of the building and the tens of thousands of dollars required to fix leaky buildings.

The changes apply to most timber-framed buildings up to three storeys high which includes most standard houses and low-rise apartment buildings.

The main changes include a risk management approach; more detail on water protection such as flashings and parapets; more cladding types to be covered under the regulations; the need for drainage cavities in a wider range of buildings; and more detail on problem areas such as decks, balustrades and balconies.

The BIA said it would also introduce a testing method for cladding so manufacturers could include a performance rating when the cladding was used in conjunction with a cavity.

The changes will apply to building consents applied for from February 1 next year.

Projects with consents issued before February 1, 2005 would have until January 31, 2006, to finish the building and obtain a code compliance certificate.

NZPA