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NZ Building Code · BRANZ ResearchBRANZ resources for NZ builders: free and paid
A quick map of which BRANZ resource to reach for at each stage of a job — what’s free, what’s worth paying for, and the tools that back it up.
BRANZ puts out a stack of building information for New Zealand — some free, some paid — and knowing which resource to reach for saves you time on site. This is a quick map of what’s available and where each piece fits into a job.
Free BRANZ resources
Plenty of BRANZ content costs nothing and is worth having bookmarked:
- BRANZ Build magazine — free articles you can search by topic, with 100+ issues archived.
- BRANZ Find — a free directory of building information, plus an 0800 advisory service.
- Maintaining My Home — homeowner repair and maintenance guidance, handy for s362T disclosure.
- BRANZ Appraisals listing — check a product’s compliance.
Paid BRANZ resources
The paid material is where the detailed technical guidance sits — and it’s well worth it.
BRANZ Bulletins
Paid technical bulletins covering specific jobs. A few examples:
- BU498 — Slab prep
- BU560 — Pile foundations
- BU585 — Moisture measurement
- BU611 — Timber slat decks
- BU677 — Roof H1
- BU678 — H1 calc method
Good Practice Guides & the House Insulation Guide
- Good Practice Guides — cladding, decks, roofs, linings and wet area.
- House Insulation Guide, 6th ed v2.7 — construction R-value tables for H1 compliance. The older 5th edition is invalid for current H1, so make sure you’re on v2.7.
BRANZ tools
BRANZ also has tools that back up the guidance on site and in design:
- BRANZ Heating Tool — sizes a heat pump for Healthy Homes Standard 1.
- BRANZ Moisture Probe (loan) — verifies framing moisture is under 18% before you line.
- BRANZ ALF (Annual Loss Factor) — house energy modelling for the H1 modelling method.
Plain-English guide, not advice. This page helps you understand and navigate the rules — it is general information, not design, engineering or consent advice, and it does not reproduce the copyrighted tables of NZS 3604 or any Standard. Always check the current Standard or Acceptable Solution and your BCA, and use a suitably qualified LBP, engineer or QS where it matters.
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Common questions
Which BRANZ resources are free?
Free BRANZ resources include BRANZ Build magazine (free articles searchable by topic, with 100+ issues archived), BRANZ Find (a free building-info directory plus an 0800 advisory service), Maintaining My Home (homeowner repair and maintenance guidance, useful for s362T disclosure), and the BRANZ Appraisals listing to verify product compliance.
What are BRANZ Bulletins and are they worth paying for?
BRANZ Bulletins are paid technical bulletins that cover specific jobs — for example BU498 (Slab prep), BU560 (Pile foundations), BU585 (Moisture measurement), BU611 (Timber slat decks), BU677 (Roof H1) and BU678 (H1 calc method). Alongside the paid Good Practice Guides and House Insulation Guide, they’re considered well worth it.
Which edition of the House Insulation Guide do I need for H1?
Use the House Insulation Guide 6th edition v2.7, which has the construction R-value tables for H1 compliance. The older 5th edition is invalid for current H1.
What BRANZ tools are available?
The BRANZ Heating Tool sizes a heat pump for Healthy Homes Standard 1, the BRANZ Moisture Probe (available on loan) verifies framing moisture is under 18% before lining, and BRANZ ALF (Annual Loss Factor) does house energy modelling for the H1 modelling method.
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