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Should remote building inspections be the default approach?

28 November 2024

BRANZ supports the Government’s aim of making the building consenting process faster and more efficient. We all want housing to be more affordable for New Zealanders to build and maintain.

The impact of delays in the consenting process are well-known and costly. To help address this, the Government is considering a range of options, including whether to introduce remote building inspections as the default approach in building. This means that instead of in-person site visits, building consent authorities (BCAs) can inspect building work remotely.

BRANZ has provided a submission to MBIE on this proposal. Here’s our take:

Remote inspection tools will help speed up consenting, improve efficiency and reduce costs

We support the move to remote inspection tools, which can help improve productivity and reduce delays, which in turn will reduce costs.

Remote inspection tools allow inspectors to see building progress remotely and in real time, rather than needing in-person site visits. Builders can point their video cameras at parts of the build, while inspectors view through their desktop screen. Both builders and inspectors need to be present at the same time for this process.

These tools reduce travel time for BCAs, and also mean inspectors can consent across different areas, which reduces backlogs of work and allows better productivity.

Adding a record of quality to remote inspection tools will improve efficiency and reduce costs even further – with benefits for industry, BCAs and all New Zealanders

We encourage the Government to consider including a record of quality (“evidence-based inspection tools”) as part of remote inspection tools by default.

Real time remote inspections save time and travel. However, a record of quality saves even more time and travel, reduces rework, and supports better quality building.

Our sector insights have long pointed to a need for better remote inspection and record of quality options. In 2015, BRANZ developed Artisan, a remote quality assurance app, as a practical solution to address this need and benefit the building sector and all New Zealanders.

Through developing, testing and using this tool, we’ve seen the following benefits:

1. Quicker inspections by reducing travel time and real-time meetings for both BCAs and builders

A record of quality is based on a series of photographs. Builders take photos of different elements as they go, which means they can carry on with their work without waiting for approvals. The inspector can then check the evidence of quality at any time, which means less delays in scheduling and waiting for inspection appointments.

If work isn’t compliant, the builder is notified immediately. The specific fault can then be fixed, photographed, resubmitted and approved – which can all happen within hours, rather than weeks. It means no waiting for a follow up inspection, and work can continue as planned.

2. A better understanding of what's needed to comply with the Building Code and standards, meaning less rework and delays

It’s estimated that up to half a million working days per year are lost during the consent process, according to a recent study led by the University of Auckland and supported by BRANZ*. It found that each request for consent generates 2-3 requests for further information. 86% of these requests for information were mainly due to missing (66%) or incorrect (10%) documentation in the consent application.

Records of quality set clear expectations about what is needed to comply with the Building Code and standards compliance. The requirements for each photo are clearly prescribed, so builders know exactly what they need to supply before an inspector even looks at it.

*University of Auckland, (2024). ModelDocs: Transforming Building Consenting Behaviour for Better Housing. In collaboration with Auckland Council, Tauranga City Council, MBIE, Building Officials Institute of New Zealand (BOINZ), New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), Licenced Building Practitioners, Engineering New Zealand, Simpli, Objective Build, EBOSS and industry, and funded by the Building Research Levy with support from NZIA. branz.co.nz.

3. A valuable permanent record of evidence for each build, meaning less risk of remediation and liability disputes

Managing risk and liability is an ongoing issue in building and construction. Records of quality create an enduring record of work, which can help with liability concerns and reduce the likelihood of remediation and repairs. It also helps to quickly see where an error has been made, which can lead to faster resolution.

Remote inspection + record of quality = better buildings & lower costs for New Zealanders

As well as reducing costs even further, an efficient and evidence-based inspection process will help support higher quality workmanship, which ultimately means better buildings for New Zealanders.

Achieving affordable buildings is a key focus for New Zealand. We are committed to working with the sector and decision makers to help lift quality standards to support buildings that are safe, durable and healthy, as well as affordable.

We believe remote inspections as the default approach will help achieve this – and we think more benefits could come through expanding the proposal to include record of quality tools.