Foundations laid for building system efficiencies

Building product manufacturers, suppliers and retailers must now provide better information about the products they supply in Aotearoa New Zealand and ensure they have evidence to support any claims they make about their building products, says Simon Thomas, Head of Building System Delivery and Assurance.

“Readily available and consistent information about building products will help designers, builders, building consent authorities and consumers with product selection for their projects and substitution if applicable.”

The Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 introduced the new minimum information requirements for building products, among other things, to promote higher levels of compliance with the building regulatory system.

“The building product information requirements are part of a broader suite of Building System Reforms and form part of our response to the Commerce Commissions market study into residential building supplies.” said Mr Thomas.

You can find more information about the new requirements on the Building Performance website:

Building product information requirements(external link) — Building Performance

You can read the Minister’s press release on the Beehive website:

Building product requirements to improve sector efficiency(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz

Additional information on building product information requirements

Required information includes:

• a description of the product (or product line from which the product is customised) and its intended use
• a product identifier (in most circumstances)
• the legal trading name of manufacturers and importers (if applicable),
• specified information about the manufacturer if they are based outside of Aotearoa New Zealand
• a statement specifying the relevant clauses of the Building Code and how the product is expected to contribute to compliance
• any design, installation and maintenance requirements
• either a statement that the product is not subject to any warnings or bans, or a description of warnings or bans applicable to the product.

Building products are split into 2 classes with different requirements based on whether the product is mass-produced or produced in batches, or based on a line of products where each unit is customised to the specification of an individual client.

A product in class 1 is defined as a product that is:

• mass-produced or produced in batches to a general specification
• available for wholesale or retail purchase
• a new product (and not used)
• when used in building work, may affect whether the building work complies with the building code
• is not exempt from the regime under regulation 7.

Examples of products in class 1, depending on the circumstances, might include:

• cladding (for example, weatherboards, profiled metal cladding)
  • Cladding is often made up of several products that work together as a system.
  • If the cladding system meets the criteria listed above, then it is a class 1 product.
  • Some customisable cladding systems may meet the criteria for a class 2 product.

• mechanical fixings (for example, nails, nail plates, screws, bolts, fasteners)
• insulation products (for example, wall, ceiling and floor insulation)
• internal lining products (for example, plasterboard, plywood)
• roofing products (for example, profiled metal sheet, shingles, membrane roofing)
• structural wood-based products (for example, structurally graded timber, laminated veneer lumber)
• structural steel and reinforcing products (for example, reinforcing mesh)
• sanitary plumbing and drainage products, including tapware (for example, shower mixers, bath spouts, toilets)
• low-pressure laminate and natural or engineered stone benchtops that are mass produced and contribute to compliance with the Building Code (customised products of this kind may be class 2 designated building products)
• fire doors and windows, fire alarms and sprinkler systems, unless these are customised for an individual building design or consumer – this includes products that may be made to customised measurements, for example, where the properties and how the product contributes to code compliance remains the same as specified in the building product’s information
• concrete (for example, bagged concrete or mixes where the components and ratios are predetermined)
• flashings, where these are 'ready-made' and not customised for an individual building design or consumer.

A product in class 2 is defined as a product that is:

• based on a line of products where each unit is customised to the specification of an individual client
• new (and not used)
• when used in building work, may affect whether the building work complies with the building code
• is not exempt from the regime under regulation 7.

Examples of products in class 2, depending on the circumstances, might include:

• external window joinery, doors, and skylights that have been customised to the specifications of individual clients (for example, specifications on dimensions and glass type)
• customised concrete mixes for a specific building or application
• fire doors and windows (or other specialty doors), fire alarms or sprinkler systems that have been necessarily customised for an individual building design or consumer.