Prep yourself for remote inspections
 

Late last year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) consulted the building and construction industries on increasing the use of remote inspections.

The aim is to make the building consent process faster and more efficient, reducing project delays and costs as well as making consents more consistent across the country.

While some councils have already started using remote inspections, the Government plans to make this approach more common. Remote inspections allow building inspectors to assess work without being on-site. Instead, they use video calls or photos to check that work meets the required standards.

Inspectors will save huge amounts of time as the element of travel is removed. They’ll be able to inspect properties outside of where they’re based, potentially reducing backlogs in some areas. The proposal also includes making it an offence to try to deceive a building inspector, which is a strong deterrent for poor behaviour.

MBIE is now considering all the feedback on its consultation. It’s not yet decided whether building consent authorities (BCAs) will need to make remote inspections the default, or simply have the capability to do inspections remotely if asked.

If the default option is chosen, further consultation will be needed to iron out all the details, such as the circumstances when in-person inspections would be allowed. Feedback has also been sought on using more private organisations with accreditation to carry out inspections, to take some of the load off councils.

Whatever happens, it’s likely that remote inspections will play a much bigger role than they have previously.

For tradespeople, this means being prepared to use technology for inspections. You'll need a smartphone or tablet with a good camera and a reliable internet connection. It's also important to understand how to show your work clearly during a video call or through photos. If a building inspector isn’t satisfied with the quality of the images, they will still have the right to call for an in-person inspection.

There are tools available that make this process very easy, and allow you to keep records of the consent process. The leading solution in New Zealand is the BRANZ Artisan app, which is free to use. A number of councils already use this app and are reporting great results. Everyone from the client and design team through to product manufacturers and the BCA inspector can be alerted when a new stage is ready for review, as well as when the review is completed. Inspectors communicate with the build team and sign off work virtually through the app. Master Brick and Blocklayers also has its own tool for inspecting brick and blockwork.

For more information on the changes being considered, visit the MBIE website.