Building consents · Stats NZ figures to September 2026
Building consents in Queenstown
1,981 new homes were consented in the Queenstown-Lakes District council area in the year to September 2026, up 11% on the year before. They also consented $237m of non-residential building work, up 91% on the year before. Below: 19,953 consents we hold in Queenstown, searchable and on the map.
Stats NZ publishes building consents down to the council, so the official figures on this page are for the Queenstown-Lakes District council area.
New homes consented each month
Dwellings in new building consents, Queenstown-Lakes District, the last five years.
Since 1991: houses and everything else
New homes consented each year, houses against townhouses, flats, units, apartments and retirement village units. The most in one year was 1,729 in 2025.
Non-residential building work each month
The value of new and altered non-residential buildings consented — offices, shops, factories, warehouses, farm buildings, schools, hospitals — Queenstown-Lakes District, the last five years.
What is being built
Non-residential building work consented in the year to September 2026, by type: the value of new and altered work, new floor area, and what new floor area cost to build per square metre.
- Hotels and motels$82.4m
8 buildings · 13,675 m² new floor area · $5,115/m² new · +88% on the year before
- Shops, restaurants and bars$57.1m
15 buildings · 14,795 m² new floor area · $3,258/m² new · +61% on the year before
- Social, cultural and religious$25.9m
7 buildings · 3,497 m² new floor area · $6,822/m² new · +268% on the year before
- Hostels, boarding houses and prisons$25.8m
3 buildings · 6,050 m² new floor area · $4,264/m² new
- Offices$20.7m
6 buildings · 2,766 m² new floor area · $5,998/m² new · +33% on the year before
- Education$12m
5 buildings · 2,611 m² new floor area · $4,475/m² new · +391% on the year before
- Factories and industrial$7.2m
5 buildings · 1,617 m² new floor area · $3,348/m² new · +310% on the year before
- Warehouses and storage$4.3m
3 buildings · 1,774 m² new floor area · $2,430/m² new · +100% on the year before
- Farm buildings$892k
3 buildings · 591 m² new floor area · $1,509/m² new · −75% on the year before
- Hospitals and health$800k
−93% on the year before
Consents on record in Queenstown
Individual building consents we hold, each on its property: 19,953 from 22 Feb 1988 to 29 Sep 2026. Councils publish their records unevenly, so these are what we have, not every consent issued — for the full count, see the official figures above.
What the work is
Consents in the last five years by the kind of work their description names.
- New homes1,525
286 in the last 12 months · typically $720k
- Alterations and additions616
158 in the last 12 months · typically $180k
- Fires and heating266
60 in the last 12 months · typically $5,000
- Garages, sheds and carports234
41 in the last 12 months · typically $366k
- Commercial alterations211
52 in the last 12 months · typically $259k
- New commercial buildings172
45 in the last 12 months · typically $965k
- Fit-outs106
15 in the last 12 months · typically $374k
- Multiple homes92
28 in the last 12 months · typically $1m
- Pools and spas78
16 in the last 12 months · typically $80k
- Minor dwellings and sleepouts71
19 in the last 12 months · typically $250k
Consents on record by month
The last three years. A recent dip is often records still to arrive.
Largest in the last 12 months
- $46mStage 2 of 2 - Construction of 7 storey hotel - Stage 2 includes Superstructure. Services, Architecture, Facade and Fire 2 Hylton Place, Queenstown
- $13.8mConstruction of 12 residential units (Units 1-5 are two levels, Units 6-12 are three levels) and a common basement carpark of 12 parking spaces under the units 1 5. 2 St Lukes Lane, Queenstown
- $13mStage 1- construction of substructure works (slab is excluded) for staff accommodation building with external carparking. 90-94 Thompson Street 90 Thompson Street, Queenstown
- $12mAlteration and addition: two storey addition to the carpark building for worker's accommodation/apartments - The Club Apartments 10 Prosperity Avenue, Frankton
- $11m22 Townhouses - Building structure, envelope and interiors including all services. 13 Hallenstein Street, Queenstown
19,953 consents
- New commercial buildings$1.2m
Construction of two storey multi-unit dwelling with attached garage
- Alterations and additions$830k
DINEX: Construct a single level multi unit dwelling with double garaging - Future Lot - 1153
- Alterations and additions$6,000
Alterations to 2-storey dwelling: Remove old gas fire and install in built Firenzo Topa, Firenzo/SFP Flue Kits or Davin Flue.
- Commercial alterations$3.6m
Swimming pool fencing
- New homes$750k
Construction of single storey residential dwelling and attached double garage and residential flat.
- Alterations and additions$200k
Alteration to existing 3 bedroom house to remove existing outdoor kitchen and fire, and add new outdoor living area.
- New homes$6.5m
Construction of single storey dwelling with attached garage and detached garden shed
- New homes$800k
Construction of a single storey multi-unit dwelling with attached garage.
- New homes$800k
Construction of single storey multi-unit dwelling with attached garage
- New homes$655k
Construction of single storey dwelling with attached garage
- Retaining walls$450k
Stage 1 of 3 - Construction of timber and UC column retaining walls, rockfall fence, safety barriers, road and drainage for a proposed new housing development
- New commercial buildings$1.8m
Construction of a two storey commercial building with associated landscaping
- Alterations and additions$40k
Stage 8b - staged consent for site wide landscaping to the lower terrace of the site which includes stairs & balustrades
- Alterations and additions$11m
22 Townhouses - Building structure, envelope and interiors including all services.
- New homes$2m
New 4 bedroom single storey house with swimming pool and outbuidling. - Future Lot 2
- New homes$1.2m
New multi unit dwelling
- New homes$761k
Construction of single storey multi-unit dwelling with attached garage - Future Lot 1188
- New homes$761k
Construction of single storey dwelling with attached garage
- New homes$720k
Construction of single storey dwelling with attached garage and flat. Future Lot 1140.
- Alterations and additions$744k
Single storey multiunit residential dwelling
- New homes$905k
Construction of new dwelling with garage and a 2 bedroom unit attached.
- Fit-outs$300k
Fitout of Night n Day Superette - Ventilation, ceilings, WC, food preparation, and external cleaner's cupboard (Base Build BC260232).
- Garages, sheds and carports$600k
Single level three bedroom home with attached double garage
- Decks, pergolas and verandahs$20k
Extend the existing deck and balustrade with stepped framing so that the spa falls under small heated pool exemption.
- Garages, sheds and carports$1.8m
A construction of two storey dwelling with attached garage on the lower level.
ResidentialCommercial The dots are this page of the list.
Suburbs in Queenstown
Where the consents we hold are, most in the last 12 months first.
- Jacks Point289 / 2,812
- Queenstown95 / 4,707
- Frankton76 / 2,344
- Lake Hayes66 / 2,150
- Lower Shotover35 / 1,673
- Arthurs Point33 / 817
- Fernhill24 / 1,083
- Dalefield21 / 516
- Kelvin Peninsula17 / 939
- Arrow Junction17 / 355
- Queenstown Hill15 / 106
- Speargrass Flat14 / 609
- Gibbston13 / 319
- Kawarau Falls12 / 485
- Mount Creighton5 / 226
- Drift Bay3 / 86
- Sunshine Bay2 / 370
- Ben Lomond2 / 134
- Coronet Peak1 / 61
- Closeburn0 / 122
- Wye Creek0 / 26
- Skippers0 / 13
Questions
How many building consents were issued in Queenstown?
In the year to September 2026, Stats NZ counted 1,981 new homes consented in the Queenstown-Lakes District council area, with $1.22b of residential and $237m of non-residential building work.
What is a building consent?
Written approval from a council (a building consent authority) that planned building work complies with the Building Code. Most new buildings, additions, structural alterations, fires and plumbing and drainage work need one; some minor work is exempt under Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004.
Where do these figures come from?
The official counts are Stats NZ’s monthly Building consents issued release (CC BY 4.0), covering every consent every council issues. The individual consents listed are ones we hold from councils’ records and other public sources; they are not a complete list for every council.