Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation

On his last email, the builder told us that: The Council requirements are being strictly enforced and these taps do not comply with current regulations.

Hi Asri & Jane H, This question about some problem with installing bidet taps (the technical arguments are not clear to me, maybe someone can explain) seems to have been going on for a while. So I’m a bit puzzled as to why you don’t just ask the builder and/or designer to explain it clearly. I see no reason why a builder should object to that. Or you ask the same person in Council the builder spoke to. Regarding making ‘minor changes’ to consented building plans, you can try looking at: https://www.building.govt.nz/projects-and-consents/build-to-the-consent/making-changes-to-your-plans/minor-variations-guidance/examples-minor-variation-or-amended-building-consent/ As it’s very difficult to advise on cost and time required to make changes, without knowing exactly what’s involved. So general questions to this blog are unlikely to get you the answers you need.

We had a bidet spray tap (hot and cold water) installed in Wellington in 2020. But it would have been consented in 2017 and it was included in the plans lodged with the council. Have the regs changed in this time? Is this something that can differ from council to council? Is it because it’s just a cold water tap? Or the type of tap itself? If you can get more information, you may be able to find a work around. I would contact the council directly and maybe even a plumber. But I would do this discretely because as you said your build is in the final stages. Builders often create difficulties in the final stages of the build, this is because they have realised by then that it’s going to be inconvenient for them to actually finish to the original agreed timeframe, cost or both. The reason I suggested making discreet enquiries is that if the work is otherwise going well, it’s best not to ruffle the builder’s feathers if you can avoid it. They can be an excitable lot and given to inventing variations, reasons something can’t be completed and/or was never included/costed in the first place when they feel under pressure in the final weeks or months.

Hi Jane, thank you for sharing your experience and insights. When an item is not included in the building plans, it may not have been part of the approved building consent. is that right? Does adding it to the building consent would be a huge additional cost and time consume? Thanks again for your input!

Hi Asri, The council should have been supplied with a full and detailed set of plans before they issued a building consent so if the item isn’t on the plans/specs then it may need to be added. Once, nearly 20 years ago as part of a renovation, I had the council amend a consent. From memory it cost about $1000 but I can’t remember how long it took or even why it was needed. I can remember though that the change was needed at the beginning of the job and it was a time and materials contract.