Claims about anti-competitive practices in New Zealand's plasterboard market have been added to by a former Christchurch building sector worker who says he has first-hand experience of it.

The French elite may scorn McDonald's for what they see as an economic and gastronomic horror in the same bun, but citizens in a town in northern France have taken to the streets to demand a branch of the US fast food chain.

The Commerce Commission is so concerned about construction industry cartels, price-fixing and bid-rigging that it has launched a website calling for whistleblowers.

Almost three-quarters of owners of new homes had to call their builder back to fix something, a new survey says.

Building supply merchants are reluctant to stock products of Winstone Wallboards' rivals and are squeezing alternative goods.

A property developer Tony Gapes will be back in control of one of NZ's most intensive affordable housing projects if he settles a debt within 20 days.

If your roof is leaking, your furnace is broken or you need a new gas fire installed, you may have to wait for a tradesperson.

Carter Holt Harvey, which sold its pulp, paper and packaging businesses last month, more than tripled gross margins at its Australian building supplies in 2013.

Sometimes, good fortune arrives disguised as disaster. That's what happened on Karangahape Rd in central Auckland.

Australian housing construction approvals have dipped in the past couple of months, but are still at 19-year highs.

Building consents for residential housing rose to a six-and-a-half year high in March, snapping two months of decline.

Shipping containers are being put to new uses in Auckland, as builders make inroads on two prominent city sites.

A big new Takapuna beachfront development started a few weeks ago has left an Auckland councillor unimpressed

Editorial: Inevitably, there will be opposition to the demolition of Auckland's Civic Building. Some see the Aotea Square structure as one of the country's finest modernist buildings.

Alice the tunnel-boring machine sometimes seems to work at its own pace.

Finance Minister Bill English has hinted at changes in the Budget to make it easier for housing developers to build smaller and cheaper.

One of the world's biggest and oldest insurers is underwriting a new building warranty insurance scheme being launched in New Zealand.

New Zealand's crane population is booming with 71 up, compared to just 10 two years ago.

The country's busiest house builder expects to put up a third more homes this year and could build more than 1000.

The Australian home building sector is still going quite strong despite an across-the-board fall in building approvals figures for February, economists say.

A Parnell group is upset about approval for a big new apartment building, saying office workers' cars already clog their street.

A couple who paid $913,000 for a leaky Meadowbank house fought for four years to get it reclad after an earlier repair continued to let water into the home.

Franchisees at the country's biggest house builder remain dissatisfied with Auckland Council, despite claims of more speed and efficiency.

New Zealand building consents for residential housing fell 1.7 percent in February, the second straight monthly decline.

Around $47,000 could be shaved off the cost of each new place built in factories under Labour's planned KiwiBuild 100,000-house scheme, an opposition spokesman says.

Twin brothers Maui and Mihaka Hohua say they got into carpentry to repair their Kawhia home which needs a bit done to it.