Certificate of acceptance - what is this?
A Certificate of Acceptance (COA) is a document issued by a Territorial Authority, in this case the Marlborough District Council, for building work that has been undertaken without building consent. The certificate indicates that the Council accepts that the building work, or part of it, complies with the NZ Building Code. It does not take away any responsibility or liability people may have for undertaking the work in the first place.
A Minor Certificate of Acceptance can be applied for, however a Minor Certificate of Acceptance is considered only for work that meets the following criteria:
- Work that would not usually require a Project Information Memorandum or Planning and Services Confirmation.
- Internal work with no roofing or cladding involved.
- Installation of log fires or solar water heating systems.
- Low level open decks greater than 1.5m high.
- Playgrounds and play equipment greater than 3m high.
- Minor plumbing and drainage work such as relocating a shower or bath into another room other than an existing bathroom.
A Certificate of Acceptance has some similarities to a (but should not be mistaken for) Code Compliance Certificate in that it provides a certain amount of assurance for a building owner or future owners that part or all of the building work complies with the Building Code.
