The short answer
Most ground-level and low decks in Palmerston North do not need a building consent. Decks where someone could fall more than 1.5 metres usually do. But exempt does not mean anything goes: the deck still has to meet the Building Code, and the council's district plan can still have a say.
This is general information, not legal or council advice. Rules change and every site is different. For anything close to the line, check with Palmerston North City Council (or Manawatū District Council for Feilding) or read the government guidance on building.govt.nz.
Deck height without consent: the 1.5 metre rule
Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 lists building work that does not need a building consent. One of those exemptions covers decks, platforms, bridges and boardwalks from which it is not possible to fall more than 1.5 metres, even if the structure collapses.
Fall height is not the same as deck height
The test is how far someone could fall, not how high the deck is where it meets the house. On a flat section they are much the same. On a sloping section, like plenty of properties around Aokautere, Summerhill and the river terraces, the ground falls away under the deck. A deck that is 900mm high at the back door can be well over 1.5 metres at the outer edge. It is the highest point that matters.
Exempt work still has to comply
An exemption only removes the need to apply for a consent. The deck still has to meet the New Zealand Building Code: structure, durability, and safety from falling. That is why we build every deck the same way, consent or not.
When you will need a consent
- Where someone could fall more than 1.5 metres from any part of the deck
- Where the deck is part of other building work that needs a consent
- In some situations involving pool barriers, or where the work affects how the house itself performs
Deck balustrade height in NZ
Separate from deck building consent, the Building Code (clause F4, Safety from Falling) requires a barrier wherever someone could fall one metre or more. So a deck can be exempt from consent and still legally need a balustrade, anywhere between one metre and 1.5 metres of fall height.
Barriers have rules of their own. Under the Acceptable Solution F4/AS1, a balustrade on a residential deck is typically at least 1 metre high, measured from the deck surface, with openings small enough that a 100mm sphere cannot pass through, and no footholds that would let a small child climb it. Stairs have their own, slightly lower, handrail height. Those are the commonly used figures; the Building Code itself sets the performance standard.
We build balustrades in timber, powder-coated aluminium or glass that meet those requirements. See raised and sloping-site decks.
NZS 3604 and what a deck permit costs
NZS 3604 and decks
NZS 3604 is the New Zealand standard for light timber-framed buildings, and it is what most decks are designed to. It sets pile sizes and spacings, bearer and joist sizes for a given span, and fixing requirements. Whether or not your deck needs a consent, building it to NZS 3604 is how you know the frame is right. Read how a deck is built in NZ.
How much is a permit to build a deck?
If your deck does need a building consent, expect the council's fees plus the cost of drawings, and a few weeks added to the timeline. Check current fees with Palmerston North City Council or Manawatū District Council. See the full deck cost guide.
Boundaries and the district plan
The Building Act is not the only set of rules. Palmerston North City Council's district plan, or Manawatū District Council's plan for Feilding, controls things like how close structures can be to a boundary, how much of a section can be built on, and how much a structure can block a neighbour's sunlight. A raised deck close to a boundary, or one that looks straight into the neighbour's yard, is where this most often comes up.
If a deck does not meet the district plan rules, it may need a resource consent, which is a separate process from building consent. We will flag it at the quote if we think your deck is getting close.
Pool decks, pergolas and roofs
Pool decks
Residential pools must have a barrier that meets the Building Code, and councils inspect pool barriers regularly. A deck next to a pool can make a barrier climbable, or become part of the access to the water. Plan pool decks with the barrier in mind and confirm the layout with council. More on our pool decks page.
Pergolas
An open pergola is generally exempt from building consent. Add a solid or polycarbonate roof and it starts to behave like a verandah, awning or carport, which have their own size limits for exemption. Check before you roof it. See pergolas.
Feilding and the Manawatū District
Feilding, and rural properties outside the city boundary, fall under Manawatū District Council rather than Palmerston North City Council. The Building Act rules are the same nationally; the council you deal with and its district plan are different. Ashhurst and Bunnythorpe are within Palmerston North City.
What we do about consent on your job
- At the on-site quote we measure the fall height across the whole deck footprint, not just at the door.
- We tell you straight whether we think the deck is exempt, needs a balustrade, or needs consent, before you spend anything.
- If it is close, we look at design changes, like a multi-level layout, that can bring it under the threshold where that makes sense.
- If it needs consent, we explain what is involved, the rough cost and the time it adds, and build it into the plan.
Want a rough idea of what a consented deck costs? See our deck cost guide.