Don't Build My House Unless You're Certified

When medical practitioner Darshan Singh wanted his executive home built on the rural approaches to Palmerston North he requested that the building team was certified.

Darshan, who works privately and publicly as a dermatologist, was taking no chances with his million dollar home and sought the opinion of his brother, Harjinder Singh, a co-director of the Riddet Centre at Massey University.

Harjinder had recently had his own home built and, before he engaged the creative team, he researched a number of builders and their qualifications. His choice was Fowler Homes. And he had a very good reason.

The Managing Director of Fowler Homes in Palmerston North, Shane Walker, was one of the first builders in the Manawatu to study the government’s Building Act Review. He soon discovered the first of the review’s major changes is the Restricted Building Work which comes into effect on March 1 this year.
This means that any residential building project which involves structural change or weather tightness must use a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP).

Darshan’s new home was indeed a residential building project and, for Shane to build it, he needed to be licensed.

So Shane, with 20 years experience under his tool bag and the required trade qualifications, applied to the Department of Building and Housing early in 2010 and was certified.

But he didn’t do it because it was another hurdle to overcome if he was to remain in business. He considered it was “a great idea.”

He saw the licensing programme as one that offered a consistent standard and quality of work. “Our industry has faced problems of shoddy workmanship. The Restricted Building Work scheme will address that and eliminate the builder who has produced sub-standard work in the past,” Shane says.

“Being a LBP means I’m accountable for the quality and standard of my work. Personally when I build something then the owner’s got me for life. If there’s a fault then it’s my job to come and fix it.”

His assurance didn’t end there. Shane Walker guaranteed that his sub-contractors would also be certified before he engaged them.

Now that assurance and peace of mind appealed to Darshan and he engaged Fowler Homes, part of a nationwide group of companies, to build his two-storey home.