What is involved and who takes care of it?
At Ultimate pools, we manage the whole consent process for you from start to finish. This includes coming to site and consulting with you on the pool, fence and pump shed placement, taking measurements and then drawing scale plans to submit for your consent. You can also use these plans to provide to fencing and concrete suppliers when obtaining quotes.
We submit engineering drawings, plans, producer statements and other relevant documentation to council on your behalf. As the consent is vetted by council, any questions which may arise come back to us to be managed.
Every swimming pool is required to have a consent to ensure it complies with nz regulations and is durable, safe and long lasting.The information is held on your property file for future reference and council will come to check that the pool fencing is safe and compliant every three years.
Designer vs Ultimate
In some cases, our clients are already working with designers or architects to plan their swimming pool, or a larger project such as a house extension or new home build.
We are happy to work with your architect or landscape designer if needed. We can supply engineering drawing, producer statements and advice on what is required to streamline the project. Often the swimming pool is just one part of a large project so it’s easier and cheaper to have the pool consent processed with your other site works. We still assist with any questions – called RFI’s or request for further information that council may have.
Consent just for pool vs house build etc
Often if the swimming pool is just one part of a larger project, for example a new house build or renovation project, just one consent can be submitted to council for all the work. This helps to keep costs down too, rather than paying for multiple consents. This can still be done if the work is to be done in stages, for example the pool is put in before the house is built to allow access.
While Ultimate pools don’t assist with consents for anything other than pools and fencing, we can still supply your designer, housing company or supplier with all the documentation and information they need to put in with their application. If you are putting in a consent for a project but haven’t finalised pool details, for example what pool model you want to use, just mark your plans with “Future Pool”. This means later down the track when you have chosen your pool, the application can be treated as a minor amendment to your existing consent, rather than a whole new application.
What type of consent do I need?
There are two common types of consents for swimming pools – a standard building consent or a ‘Pool Fencing Only ‘consent. If you are planning on putting in a pool which is under 35,000L (this is basically the whole Compass Range from the 8.2m length pool down) then you will only need a permit for the fencing itself – this is quite a bit cheaper than a full consent as it is based on the total project cost. The same type of information is required, for example the type and manufacturer of the fencing, and we also submit the engineering documents for the pool so for historical purposes it is all held on your property file. If your pool is going to be over 35,000L like our Xtrainer 9.4m or larger, then you need a full standard building permit.
What information do we need to submit a consent?
The information we submit to the council is very specific and very detailed. We use a checklist to ensure that all the information council requires is submitted with every consent. Council vets every application and it can be rejected at lodgement if a full set of documentation is not supplied at the outset. Items that are required include a full set of scale drawing of the pool and fencing, engineering drawing, producer statements and technical documentations. We need to be very specific about the type and manufacturer of the fencing you want to use, for example so the council can ensure it meets NZ standards. When we meet on site with you to discuss your pool plans we talk about these requirements in great detail, and offer advice to make sure your plans will meet NZ regulatory requirements. We have a list of other items such as the Certificate of Title for the property that we also need to submit with the consent – we will supply a detailed list of these items for you at the time.
How much does it cost?
The council work on a fixed deposit cost depending on the total project value. So for a fencing only consent – the deposit cost is $1130.00. For a building consent for a pool over 35,000L and value up to $100,000 the deposit cost is $2850.00. This usually covers the whole project and in some cases a small amount is refunded. The cost can however grow depending on the complexity of the project, and how many requests for more information we get from council. This is one of the reasons it is so important to give as much information as we can at the outset. We do our very best to anticipate any extra issues from the outset. In extreme circumstances a resource consent may be required at a cost of $4000.00, however this is very unusual and only needed in special areas such as listed heritage sites.
How long does it take?
Auckland Council’s advertised time frame for processing a consent is 20 working days, however anytime they ask for more information, this clock starts again! Another important reason we are very quick to provide any information they might require from day one. Sometimes though, we might need to source more information from 3rd parties such as engineers and this can take a little longer. It is comfortable to allow 6 weeks for a consent to process in Auckland, and Kaipara council is around 4 weeks. The fastest we have ever had a full building consent granted was just 3 working days!
Resource consent versus normal building consent
Certain properties are listed as having special characters, heritage value or covenants on them which require special permission for building work to be carried out. These are usually listed on your property file or certificate of title. If your property is in one of these areas, you might need permission from your neighbours to build, and be able to prove that the planned work will not have an undue impact on the local environment.
We can’t always tell if resource consent is required, in some cases a property has a neighbour with a pool yet they are still required to get a resource consent. This can come down to the individual planner at council who is processing the application.
We always do our best to research before an applications made and let you know if there could be any extra costs involved.
What if I can’t get a consent?
We will advise you on the best options to make sure your project is attainable before you decide to purchase a pool or apply for a consent.
In the most extreme cases it’s a matter of getting permission from surrounding properties or environmental impact reports to show that your planned swimming pool installation won’t have a negative impact on any affected parties.
As we have many experienced staff on our team who are familiar with these processes you can be assured you are in good hands. I am also an Independently Qualified Pool inspector for Auckland Council which gives me a great insight into current regulations and council processes.
We have been successful in 100% of our applications and been granted every consent we have applied for installation of an Ultimate swimming pool.
What happens after I get my consent?
We celebrate! This means you are one step closer to installing your dream pool! We send you a copy of all the consent documents which you can share with your contractors, landscapers or other parties assisting with the project. We also print a hard copy which is kept on site when work begins. You have up to one year to start work after the consent is issued but everything usually kicks off much sooner than that!
The final stage – applying for code of compliance
Once all the work is completed on site, including your pool surrounds and fencing, you can get the final inspection done by council and then apply for Code of Compliance.
A council inspector will visit your property and check the work has been carried out in accordance with the plans and that it meets NZ standards, for example that the gates are self closing.
If you pass the inspection, you fill in an application for Code of Compliance online and upload producer statements from the people that carried out the work to show that it was done of a high standard.
The file is closed and goes on to your property records for future reference. Council allocates your pool an individual number and then every 3 years an inspection will be carried out to make sure that it is still safe and compliant.
Book a Consultation with Ultimate Pools
Have a chat with our team and discover why people researching pools usually end up installing a Compass one.
