Building consents · Stats NZ figures to September 2026
Building consents in Manawatū-Whanganui
1,042 new homes were consented in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region in the year to September 2026, up 1% on the year before. They also consented $359m of non-residential building work, up 2% on the year before. Below: 13,833 consents we hold in Manawatū-Whanganui, searchable and on the map.
New homes consented each month
Dwellings in new building consents, the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, 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 1,611 in 2021.
Non-residential building work each month
The value of new and altered non-residential buildings consented — offices, shops, factories, warehouses, farm buildings, schools, hospitals — the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, 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.
- Hospitals and health$76m
7 buildings · 8,103 m² new floor area · $7,333/m² new · +885% on the year before
- Offices$57.5m
16 buildings · 7,703 m² new floor area · $6,725/m² new · −48% on the year before
- Warehouses and storage$56.4m
16 buildings · 24,828 m² new floor area · $1,791/m² new · −42% on the year before
- Social, cultural and religious$46.6m
12 buildings · 7,418 m² new floor area · $4,154/m² new · +465% on the year before
- Factories and industrial$38.9m
16 buildings · 7,515 m² new floor area · $3,337/m² new · +237% on the year before
- Shops, restaurants and bars$27.1m
7 buildings · 1,076 m² new floor area · $6,608/m² new · −28% on the year before
- Farm buildings$22.6m
172 buildings · 43,499 m² new floor area · $461/m² new · +23% on the year before
- Education$20.8m
7 buildings · 1,345 m² new floor area · $4,268/m² new · −44% on the year before
- Hostels, boarding houses and prisons$8.1m
1 building · 779 m² new floor area · $1,947/m² new · +69% on the year before
- Hotels and motels$5.3m
4 buildings · 470 m² new floor area · $10,957/m² new · −71% on the year before
Councils compared
The year to September 2026 against the year before.
| Council | New homes | Change | Non-residential | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerston North City | 417 | +4% | $188m | +8% |
| Whanganui District | 190 | +40% | $72.5m | −27% |
| Horowhenua District | 185 | −22% | $21.6m | +28% |
| Manawatu District | 156 | +11% | $18m | −13% |
| Rangitikei District | 41 | −9% | $33.6m | +28% |
| Tararua District | 33 | +50% | $17.9m | +222% |
| Ruapehu District | 20 | −59% | $6.9m | −15% |
Consents on record in Manawatū-Whanganui
Individual building consents we hold, each on its property: 13,833 from 1 Sep 2008 to 1 Oct 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.
- Fires and heating2,550
536 in the last 12 months · typically $6,394
- Alterations and additions2,084
343 in the last 12 months · typically $35k
- New homes1,738
340 in the last 12 months · typically $500k
- Garages, sheds and carports936
140 in the last 12 months · typically $48k
- Plumbing, drainage and wastewater354
70 in the last 12 months · typically $17k
- Relocated buildings326
58 in the last 12 months · typically $46k
- Pools and spas204
38 in the last 12 months · typically $50k
- Multiple homes195
44 in the last 12 months · typically $965k
- Minor dwellings and sleepouts152
29 in the last 12 months · typically $55k
- Repairs, recladding and strengthening151
32 in the last 12 months · typically $46k
Consents on record by month
The last three years. A recent dip is often records still to arrive.
Largest in the last 12 months
- $5.3mRbw - construction of ten two-storey detached dwgs. Units 1-3, 5, 8-10 have three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Units 4, 6, 7 have four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Each with kitchen, laundry & gge. 592 Waitarere Beach Road, Waitārere
- $4.5mRbw - 16 new 2 level dwgs. Lots 1-10 contains 3 bedrooms & 2.5 bathrm, lots 11-16 contains 2 bedrooms & 1.5 bathrm. Site retaining wall, sw tanks to lots 1 & 2, lots 11 to 16 & joal. 4 River Road, Taumarunui
- $4.2mConstruction of 7 attached dwgs with attached garages in 2 buildings 122 Rugby Street, Awapuni
- $4.1mRbw: ten new two storey res dwgs, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, kitchen, dining & living areas, internal single gge. Brick veneer & fibre cement weatherboard cladding over cavity, new 5 Calder Place, Feilding
- $3.2mNew four bdrm res dwg plus attached 2 bdrm secondary dwg 37 Clarkson Avenue, Westmere
13,833 consents
- Alterations and additions$30k
Dwg (additions) - Dwelling Addition Including Wet Floor Shower
- Fires and heating$7,000
Free standing fire - Kent Haast Freestanding Fire
- Fires and heating$4,500
Metro Ltd rural xtreme rad leg freestanding fire
- Fires and heating$150k
Extend & alt internal layout of dwg, install solid fuel burner
- Alterations and additions$240k
Dwg (re-located on to property)
- Alterations and additions$150k
R1 - alterations to single story detached dwg. New ensuite, upgrading bathrm & laundry. Thermal insulation to exterior walls.
- New homes$345k
New dwg with attached gge
- Fires and heating$3,000
Masport uleb freestanding logburner 7 kahu St Pegasus lot 601 dp 429165
- Alterations and additions$1
Amendment 1 - change roofline to include parapet+ internal gutter to south elevation to match rma/2026/2199, wall underlay+ selected window w0.7
- Alterations and additions$60k
Alterations to existing block 11 building - changes to fibre cement cladding on parapet & end walls only
- Alterations and additions$30k
Rbw - removal of internal wall between living & entry area. Existing exterior entry closed in to create larger internal entry. Opening between entry & kitchen. Existing gge converted to a bedro
- Multiple homes$5.3m
Rbw - construction of ten two-storey detached dwgs. Units 1-3, 5, 8-10 have three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Units 4, 6, 7 have four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Each with kitchen, laundry & gge.
- Demolition$60k
Rbw - converting the existing laundry to bdrm 1, converting the shower room, w.C. Room & bathrm 1 into bathrm 3 & bathrm 4, & demolishing walls in the living room, dining room & kitch
- Fires and heating$5,000
Install replacement freestanding woodfire & flue into existing fireplace - woodsman kanuku ped
- Fires and heating$5,000
Fire installation - freestanding woodsman Brunner mkii wood burner
- Alterations and additions$50k
Alt internal layout of dwg
- Fires and heating$7,000
Install solid fuel burner in dwg
- Fires and heating$5,000
Install solid fuel burner in dwg
- Fires and heating$8,100
Install a metro ambie one freestanding wood fire into the lounge room.
- New homes$1.2m
New res dwg new 277m� 3-bdrm house with gge
- Relocated buildings$31k
Existing dwg relocated onto site to relocate a second hand two bdrm dwg to site as per the plans provided. Foundations & services.
- New homes$325k
New res dwg 2 bdrm, 1 bathrm versatile home
- Fires and heating$5,000
Fireplace freestanding install freestanding kent Ruapehu woodburner
- Relocated buildings$10k
Existing dwg relocated onto site relocate a tiny 36m2 tiny home from 26 norbiton Rd to 77a norbiton Rd. Tiny home is in good condition with very little remedial work to be done
- New homes$552k
New res dwg new single-storey, 3-bdrm, 1-bathrm home with 2 car gge
ResidentialCommercial The dots are this page of the list.
Towns and cities in Manawatū-Whanganui
Where the consents we hold are, most in the last 12 months first.
- Whanganui297 / 2,510
- Palmerston North264 / 3,111
- Feilding161 / 1,068
- Levin149 / 1,472
- Dannevirke112 / 587
- Marton94 / 657
- Pahiatua70 / 380
- Foxton65 / 575
- Ohakune49 / 361
- Taumarunui45 / 390
- Raetihi38 / 181
- Ashhurst36 / 339
- Taihape36 / 183
- Bulls32 / 238
- Woodville29 / 185
- Eketāhuna19 / 82
- Ōhau16 / 64
- Shannon15 / 177
- Rongotea15 / 149
- Manakau15 / 135
- Halcombe12 / 72
- Aokautere11 / 75
- Kairanga10 / 47
- Brunswick9 / 37
- Ōwhango8 / 86
- Tangimoana8 / 61
- Herbertville8 / 15
- Ōhura7 / 34
- Himatangi Beach6 / 109
- Sanson6 / 72
- Fordell6 / 33
- Hunterville5 / 60
- Kimbolton5 / 35
- Himatangi4 / 25
- Pongaroa4 / 12
- National Park3 / 35
- Kuku3 / 15
- Glen Oroua2 / 20
- Mangaweka2 / 15
- Waiouru2 / 12
- Taringamotu2 / 8
- Āpiti1 / 20
- Norsewood1 / 13
- Kakahi1 / 11
- Upokongaro1 / 6
- Kaiwhaiki1 / 2
- Matiere1 / 2
- Ormondville0 / 11
- Ongarue0 / 6
- Kumeroa0 / 3
- Waimiha0 / 1
Questions
How many building consents were issued in Manawatū-Whanganui?
In the year to September 2026, Stats NZ counted 1,042 new homes consented in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, with $587m of residential and $359m 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.