The Building Code Update Cycle: What's Changing and Why It Matters

What used to happen

The Building Code is the set of performance requirements every building in New Zealand has to meet. For years, updates to the Building Code system - the Acceptable Solutions, Verification Methods, Building Product Specifications and other guidance documents that sit under the Code - were made on an ad hoc basis, with new updates typically announced each November once changes were ready.

What's changing

In July 2025, the Government announced that full reviews of the Building Code system will now happen on a fixed three-year cycle, with the next review due in 2028. The goal is to make changes more predictable for everyone who has to plan around them - builders, designers, manufacturers and engineers alike.

Two reasons were given for the move. A fixed cycle gives the building sector more certainty to plan investment, particularly where a change might add cost. It also brings New Zealand closer to the approach used in Australia, our closest trading partner, which reviews its own code on a similar timeframe.

Out-of-cycle changes haven't gone away entirely. MBIE can still make updates outside the three-year schedule when something needs fixing sooner - for example, to address a safety issue.

Separately, Building Product Specifications (a newer part of the system, with a first version launched in 2025) are expected to be updated more frequently than the main Code review cycle, mainly to widen product choice rather than change requirements.

How a change actually gets made

Whichever cycle it falls under, the process for changing the Code follows a similar path:

• Topic selection: Engineers, architects and other technical experts in MBIE's Building Performance and Engineering team recommend topics, weighing current priorities, available resources and public feedback.
• Development: Preparing a change can take several years of research, technical analysis and expert consultation before it's ready to put to the public.
• Public consultation: MBIE consults on proposed changes before anything is finalised.
• Decisions and publication: Submissions are considered and analysed, decisions are made, and the updated documents are published.
• Transition period: Each change usually comes with a transition period - commonly around 12 months, though this can vary - before it must be used on new consents.

Work already underway continues alongside the new cycle, including changes to H1 energy efficiency settings, a review of fire safety requirements, and work to make it easier to use overseas building products in New Zealand builds.

What it means for your project

For most homeowners, a Code update isn't something you need to track day to day - your engineer, architect or builder keeps an eye on what applies at the time your consent is lodged. But if you're planning a build or renovation over the next couple of years, it's worth knowing that the rules you design to today should hold steady for longer than they used to, since the next scheduled review isn't due until 2028. If you're ever unsure whether a recent update affects your specific project, that's a conversation worth having with your engineer before you lodge for consent.

Thinking about how a current or upcoming Building Code requirement affects your project? Get in touch with Fil Engineers - we're happy to help you work through it.

Sources:

• Building Code reviews moving to a three-year cycle - Building Performance (MBIE)
• Building Code updates - Building Performance (MBIE)
• Programme of work - Building Performance (MBIE)

This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for site-specific engineering advice. Talk to a qualified engineer about your particular project.