Connect Granny Flats
A granny flat, without a building consent.
Since 15 January 2026 you can put a standalone one-bedroom unit of up to 70 m² on your section without a building consent — as long as it's built to the exemption's rules and the council paperwork is done properly. We build them, we live here, and we handle that paperwork.
Roughly what it costs
$280,000 – $420,000 for a finished 70 m² unit
A one-bedroom unit carries a kitchen, a bathroom and its own services over a small floor area, so it costs more per square metre than a whole house does. Site works, service connections, the PIM fee and any development contribution sit on top — on an awkward site the groundwork alone can run well into five figures. We price yours properly after a site visit, and that visit is free.
No consent doesn't mean no paperwork
The exemption skips the building consent, not the rules. It's still restricted building work: licensed professionals have to do or supervise it, the Certificate of Work and Record of Work have to be filed, and the council has to be told when it's finished. Miss any of it and the unit isn't lawful — which shows up the day you sell the house. We handle the lot.
What the exemption actually requires
No building consent, but not no rules. This is the shape of it, and we take care of all of it:
- No bigger than 70 m², single storey, standalone — not attached to the house
- A simple design that still has to meet the Building Code in full
- Done or supervised by licensed professionals — LBP for the building work, plus a registered plumber, drainlayer, gasfitter and electrical worker for their parts
- A project information memorandum (PIM) from the council before anything starts
- The LBP completes the Certificate of Work and the Record of Work, gives them to you and files the Record with council
- The council gets notified when it's finished, with the final plans, Records of Work and certificates of compliance
Resource consent is a separate question. A national environmental standard that started the same day lets a minor residential unit go ahead without resource consent where the permitted standards are met, but your district plan and your site still decide. We check both before you spend anything.
What's in it
- Site visit, measure-up and a fixed-price quote
- Plans and the PIM application lodged with council
- Foundation — RibRaft, slab or piles, engineered for your ground
- Full build: framing, roof, cladding, windows and doors
- Bathroom and kitchenette, fully plumbed and wired by registered trades
- Insulation, lining, painting and flooring
- Decking, steps and paths where you need them
- All the certificates, and the completion notice to council
How it goes
- 1
We come and look
Free visit. We walk the site, check the ground, work out where services come from and whether the district plan lets a minor unit go there at all. You get a straight answer before you've spent anything.
- 2
Fixed price and plans
A fixed-price quote and a design that meets the exemption and the Building Code. No allowances that mysteriously grow later.
- 3
PIM from council
We lodge it and wait for it. Nothing starts on site until it's in hand — that's a condition of the exemption, not optional.
- 4
We build it
Our own crew, with registered plumbing, drainlaying and electrical. Usually 12 to 20 weeks on site depending on the spec and the weather.
- 5
Paperwork and handover
Certificate of Work and Record of Work to you, Record of Work to council, and the completion notice with the final plans and certificates of compliance. Then you get the keys.
Questions people ask
Can I rent it out?
Usually yes, but that's a district plan question rather than a building one, and some areas treat a rented minor unit differently from family use. We check your zone before you commit.
Does it add value?
A legal, certified, self-contained unit generally does. One built without the right paperwork tends to come off the valuation and hold up the sale, which is the main reason to do it properly.
Is 70 m² enough?
It's a comfortable one-bedroom with a real kitchen, a bathroom and a living area — bigger than most people picture. Over 70 m² and you're into a full building consent, which we can also do.
What about the Coromandel ground?
Half the peninsula is sand, clay or fill, and some of it is flood-prone. That drives the foundation and sometimes an engineer's input. We'd rather find that on the first visit than halfway through.
How long does the whole thing take?
Allow six to nine months start to finish. The PIM and the design take a few weeks, the build is the bulk of it, and the council notification is quick.
Also from Connect Build
Smaller job, or want a few prices rather than ours? Post it on Connect and vetted local tradies will quote it. Or email admin@connectcoromandel.co.nz.