Does your project need consent? Prepare a question someone can answer

Give the enquiry a fixed version

I would start with a dated sketch showing the work you currently want assessed. It does not need to look polished. Label the rooms or outdoor areas, mark the changes and number a few photographs to match. Include dimensions you know and mark anything unmeasured.

Keep optional ideas separate. If replacing a window is definite but enlarging the opening is only a possibility, show both clearly. Otherwise, an answer about replacement could be mistaken for an answer about the larger opening.

• What exists now?
• What would be removed, added or moved?
• Which parts of the proposal are still alternatives?

Put the uncertainty beside the change

Imagine a hypothetical homeowner wanting a wider doorway between a kitchen and dining room. They have an old plan, but do not know what the wall supports. I would put that uncertainty directly beside the proposed opening, rather than describe the wall as non-structural because it looks thin.

The useful next question is who can establish the wall's role and what information they need. An investigation may be needed before anyone can give a reliable consent answer. Ask what that investigation involves before arranging it; do not start removing parts of the building simply to make the enquiry easier.

MBIE recommends seeking appropriate expertise when you are unsure whether work is exempt, including when working near load-bearing walls. Its guidance identifies councils and suitably qualified professionals as sources of advice.

Show the surrounding work too

I would attach an overview of the whole proposal even when asking about one part. A doorway enquiry might sit within a wider kitchen project, with other alterations still to be assessed. Give those changes names so they can be considered deliberately.

The Mitchell St project, for example, combined changes to living spaces with roof work and an extension. That published scope is a useful reminder to look beyond a room label. It does not establish the consent answer for another property.

• Ask whether the answer covers the whole proposal or only the highlighted item.
• Ask separately about resource consent and other applicable approvals.

Ask for the basis, then check what remains open

MBIE explains that exemptions apply in defined circumstances and that Building Code obligations still apply to exempt work. Some exemptions also require particular professional involvement. Your council can advise on planning requirements and other permits.

I would ask the adviser to identify the relevant exemption or consent pathway, the conditions being relied on and any facts still needing confirmation. Keep the response with the sketch it refers to. If the answer depends on a fact nobody has verified, leave that question open.

Before work starts, confirm the required approvals for the actual proposal. If the design changes, send the revised scope back for assessment rather than carrying an earlier answer across automatically.

Bring your sketch, photographs and unanswered questions to an initial conversation with Modal Architecture. We can discuss what needs investigating and the design work that would help you take the next step.