Licensed Building Practitioners: the accountable person behind every critical build

The LBP scheme puts a named, accountable practitioner behind the structural and weathertightness work that decides whether a house stands up and stays dry.

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The Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) scheme is the leaky-homes legacy in action. The structural and weathertightness work that determines whether a house stands up and stays dry is Restricted Building Work (RBW), and only an LBP in the right class may do it or supervise it. The point is simple: a named, accountable person behind every critical element — proven by the Record of Work they must lodge.

The license classes

Your class sets what work you’re allowed to do or supervise. The classes are:

Design — architecturally designs residential up to category Area 1/2.
Carpentry — the most common builder class, covering structural framing, weathertightness, internal linings and the like.
Bricklaying & Blocklaying
Foundations
External plastering
Roofing
Site — Site 1, Site 2, and Site AOP.

What you must do as an LBP

Holding a license comes with ongoing duties. As an LBP you must:

Do or supervise all RBW within your class.
Lodge a Record of Work (RoW) with council within 5 working days of completing any RBW item.
Maintain your skills and complete CPD (Continuing Professional Development) annually.
Hold a valid, current license — check it on lbp.govt.nz.

Checking a practitioner

Every LBP appears on the LBP register, so you can search any practitioner and confirm their license is valid and current before they touch Restricted Building Work.

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

What is Restricted Building Work (RBW)?

It’s the structural and weathertightness work that determines whether a house stands up and stays dry. Only a Licensed Building Practitioner in the right class may do it or supervise it.

How long do I have to lodge a Record of Work?

You must lodge a Record of Work (RoW) with council within 5 working days of completing any RBW item. It’s the proof that a named, accountable person stood behind the critical work.

Which LBP class do most builders hold?

Carpentry is the most common builder class. It covers structural framing, weathertightness, internal linings and similar work. Other classes include Design, Bricklaying & Blocklaying, Foundations, External plastering, Roofing and Site (Site 1, Site 2, Site AOP).

How do I check that a practitioner’s license is valid?

You can search any practitioner on the LBP register. An LBP must hold a valid, current license, which you can check on lbp.govt.nz.

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