Building consents · Stats NZ figures to September 2026
Building consents in Wellington
2,403 new homes were consented in the Wellington Region in the year to September 2026, up 15% on the year before. They also consented $639m of non-residential building work, down 46% on the year before. Below: 11,319 consents we hold in Wellington, searchable and on the map.
New homes consented each month
Dwellings in new building consents, the Wellington Region, the last five years, with Stats NZ’s trend line through the month-to-month noise.
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 3,871 in 2022.
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 Wellington 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.
- Offices$178m
14 buildings · 11,706 m² new floor area · $2,902/m² new · −52% on the year before
- Education$156m
23 buildings · 14,573 m² new floor area · $6,844/m² new · +37% on the year before
- Social, cultural and religious$130m
15 buildings · 4,607 m² new floor area · $14,659/m² new · −1% on the year before
- Shops, restaurants and bars$49.3m
7 buildings · 1,111 m² new floor area · $5,342/m² new · −33% on the year before
- Hospitals and health$35.2m
3 buildings · 221 m² new floor area · $7,805/m² new · −82% on the year before
- Factories and industrial$28.6m
13 buildings · 3,923 m² new floor area · $4,365/m² new · −88% on the year before
- Hotels and motels$28.3m
6 buildings · 834 m² new floor area · $3,301/m² new · +476% on the year before
- Warehouses and storage$18.3m
11 buildings · 6,163 m² new floor area · $2,388/m² new · −40% on the year before
- Hostels, boarding houses and prisons$8.3m
−49% on the year before
- Farm buildings$6.5m
50 buildings · 10,326 m² new floor area · $610/m² new · −37% on the year before
Councils compared
The year to September 2026 against the year before.
| Council | New homes | Change | Non-residential | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington City | 824 | +66% | $377m | −45% |
| Lower Hutt City | 432 | −8% | $88.6m | −50% |
| Porirua City | 331 | +30% | $80.1m | −8% |
| Kapiti Coast District | 276 | −11% | $32.2m | −14% |
| Masterton District | 252 | +79% | $20.8m | −41% |
| Upper Hutt City | 200 | −35% | $30.3m | −78% |
| South Wairarapa District | 53 | +4% | $5m | −64% |
| Carterton District | 35 | −33% | $5.3m | −33% |
Consents on record in Wellington
Individual building consents we hold, each on its property: 11,319 from 1 Jul 2019 to 1 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.
- Alterations and additions2,728
440 in the last 12 months · typically $45k
- New homes1,766
415 in the last 12 months · typically $220k
- Fires and heating751
136 in the last 12 months · typically $5,000
- Garages, sheds and carports327
36 in the last 12 months · typically $60k
- Decks, pergolas and verandahs317
45 in the last 12 months · typically $50k
- Repairs, recladding and strengthening256
34 in the last 12 months · typically $70k
- Plumbing, drainage and wastewater247
43 in the last 12 months · typically $10k
- Retaining walls186
28 in the last 12 months · typically $50k
- Insulation172
20 in the last 12 months · typically $6,000
- Minor dwellings and sleepouts140
19 in the last 12 months · typically $70k
Consents on record by month
The last three years. A recent dip is often records still to arrive.
Largest in the last 12 months
- $15.1mMulti-unit dwg - new multi unit retirement villas - 40 blocks of 2-3 bdrm, 2 bathrm units & attached gge 72 Exploration Way, Whitby
- $5mR3 - 16x new dwgs over 4 blocks composed of two storey & single storey attached dwgs - above ground works only. Consent has been granted subject to s75. 39-45 Bell Street, Tawa
- $4.5m7x new 2-storey dwgs :- (house a) 5 x 3 bdrm (house b) 2 x 3 bdrm 58C Raroa Terrace, Tawa
- $3.2mNew multi-unit dwgs - block 1 - 5x 2 storey, 2 bdrm units, block 2 - 2 x 2 bdrm units 27-29 Mana Avenue, Tītahi Bay
- $3.2m4x 2 storey multi-unit dwgs: - block a 3 x2 bdrm domestic dwgs - block b 4 x2 bdrm domestic dwgs - block c 3 x2 bdrm domestic dwgs - block d 3 x2 bdrm domestic dwgs 30 Whanga Crescent, Tītahi Bay
11,319 consents
- New homes$380k
Foundations & services to allow for modular built construction of a three-level dwg
- Decks, pergolas and verandahs$25k
Alt to existing dwg. First floor deck extensions
- Alterations and additions$100k
R1 - foundation & services works only for two transportable homes.
- New homes$500k
R2 - new two-storey detached dwg with attached gge.
- Alterations and additions$80k
R2 - alterations to dbl-storey house including new windows, door, ensuite, woodburner & internal reconfiguration
- Alterations and additions$15k
R2 - alterations existing detatched dwg - ensuite & bathrm
- Alterations and additions$48k
R2 - alterations to single storey detached dwg. Elevate roof. Relocation of wc & laundry. Removal of some existing windows. Re-roofing for lower pitch.
- Alterations and additions$5,000
R1 - minor works - single storey detached dwg. New tiled shower & toughened glass screen
- New homes$395k
Construction of dwg with attached gge - lot 18
- Fires and heating$9,000
Alt to dwg - installation of woodsman strongman multi-fuel, freestanding, wet-back, wood burner
- New homes$158k
Rbw - mou000019-rbw-f381, 12.5x4.2m, prefabricated transportable unit, comprising of two bedrooms, one bathrm with laundry, an open plan lounge with kitchen-dining area.
- Alterations and additions$1
Amendment to aba-2025-1722 - install racking system
- New homes$490k
New 4 bdrm plus study detached dwg with internal dwg
- Alterations and additions$4,500
Install xtreme rad base heating
- Fires and heating$4,500
Install metro tiny rad woody heating
- Fires and heating$8,000
Install masport Rangitata insert woodfire
- Alterations and additions$15k
Alterations to dwg. Remove two windows in existing bdrm & water closet & replace with one large. Extend slab entry approx. 2m2 within existing roofline. Add 2 new doors into proposed laun
- Alterations and additions$100k
C1 - alterations of lower floor to create an additional unit in 2 storey multi unit dwg.
- New homes$720k
R2 - new two-storey detached dwg.
- New homes$1.5m
R3 - new 3 storey detached dwg & demolition of existing raised gge.
- Alterations and additions$200k
R3 - add & alt to existing three-storey detached dwg.
- Alterations and additions$150k
R2- external alterations to two storey detached dwg. New metal roofing.
- Retaining walls$75k
R1 - new retaining walls.
- Alterations and additions$15k
R2 - alterations to two-storey detached dwg. Convert basement space into a bdrm.
- New homes$672k
R3 - new 2 storey detached dwg.
ResidentialCommercial The dots are this page of the list.
Towns and cities in Wellington
Where the consents we hold are, most in the last 12 months first.
Questions
How many building consents were issued in Wellington?
In the year to September 2026, Stats NZ counted 2,403 new homes consented in the Wellington Region, with $1.2b of residential and $639m 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.