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🔍 Quality & Defects — the plain-English guide

MBIE Guide to Tolerances, defect process, critical lighting, viewing distances. Free, plain-English NZ Building Code reference for builders — 8 topics.

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Tolerance TablesFrom MBIE Guide to Tolerances, Materials and Workmanship 2015. Helps decide if something is a defect under s362Q…
Defect Process (6-step)How to handle a defect claim — for builders and clients. Process per MBIE Guide to Tolerances 2015 + Building Act…
Viewing DistancesThe MBIE Guide to Tolerances (§10) sets a simple, fair principle: a building element is judged from the distance…
Critical LightingCritical lighting = light raking sharply across a surface, exaggerating any imperfection. NOT how walls/ceilings are…
Common Defect MythsHalf of all "defect" disputes are really expectation disputes — natural material behaviour or normal tolerances that…
Stairs (D1/AS1)NZBC D1/AS1 governs stair geometry — riser height, tread depth, pitch, landings, handrails. Get the geometry wrong at…
Balustrades (F4/AS1)NZBC F4/AS1 — Safety from Falling. Whenever someone could fall ≥1m, a barrier is required. The rules cover height,…
Accessibility / Barrier-FreeBarrier-free (accessible) design isn't just good manners — for buildings the public has access to (and many…

More of the NZ Building Code guide: Standards & Codes · Contracts & Compliance · Build Sequence · Materials · Structural · Linings & GIB · Weathertightness · Fire & Acoustic · Energy & H1 · Site Conditions · Trades · Healthy Homes · Health & Safety · BRANZ Research · Pro Tips & Facts

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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