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NZ Building Code guide

🏗 Structural — the plain-English guide

Span tables, lintels, foundations, bracing, connections, uplift fixings — load paths from ground to ridge. Free, plain-English NZ Building Code reference for builders — 12 topics.

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Span Tables (joist/bearer/rafter/stud)Span tables are the heart of NZS 3604 — they let you size joists, bearers, rafters and studs without an engineer , as…
Lintel SizesRead the required lintel size off NZS 3604:2011 Tables 8.10 / 8.11 for your opening width, roof weight (light vs…
Pile Types & SpacingNZS 3604:2011 §6 pile types. Pile selection depends on what load it carries (vertical only? bracing? cantilever…
Footing SizesSize a timber-pile footing by reading NZS 3604:2011 Table 6.1 (and 6.4 for the loaded dimension) for your pile load…
Bracing Demand & CapacityBracing demand is calculated per NZS 3604:2011 §5 — the earthquake demand (NZS 3604:2011 Table 5.8) and wind demand…
Bracing — Worked ExampleHow a bracing calculation works under NZS 3604:2011 §5 — a worked example for a typical NZ residential floor. The…
Connections (hangers, straps, ties)A building only stands up if every load has a continuous path to the ground — roof → rafters → walls → floor → piles…
Wind Uplift FixingsHigher wind zones need closer-spaced, higher-capacity uplift fixings tying rafters/trusses down to the top plate.…
Subfloor SetupThe subfloor is the foundation → pile → bearer → joist → floor stack that gets a timber floor up off the ground (NZS…
Retaining WallsRetaining walls hold back ground higher on one side than the other. NZS 3604 effectively caps prescriptive design at…
Decks Deep-DiveNZS 3604:2011 §7.4 covers timber deck design — bearers, joists, decking, piles, bracing. Decks <1.5m above ground are…
Fences (incl. pool)Fences in NZ are governed by the Fencing Act 1978 (cost sharing + disputes) + the District Plan (height limits +…

More of the NZ Building Code guide: Standards & Codes · Contracts & Compliance · Quality & Defects · Build Sequence · Materials · 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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