Fire

All new building work in New Zealand is required to demonstrate compliance with the New Zealand Building Code, including the fire safety requirements set out in Clauses C1–C6 (Protection from Fire). As a result, fire design inputs are typically required for all new construction and for any alterations to existing buildings that affect fire safety performance. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Passive fire or fire rating remediation.
• Installation of new external wall cladding systems (i.e. re-clad projects).
• Tenancy reconfigurations
• Building services upgrades or re-servicing (e.g. HVAC, electrical, Fire protection)
• Seismic strengthening
• Tenancy subdivisions and building subdivision
• Changes in legal title (e.g. unit title subdivision)
• Change of use under the Building Act 2004

In each of these cases, a fire design report is necessary to confirm that the building, as modified, continues to comply with the fire-related provisions of the Building Code — whether through the use of Acceptable Solutions or via a performance-based Alternative Solution approach.

Engaging a fire engineer early, ideally during concept design, provides clear fire safety requirements and practical advice while creating opportunities for value engineering through efficient and cost-effective design solutions.

A fire report is a document prepared by a fire engineer that outlines the building’s fire safety strategy and demonstrates how the proposed design meets the fire safety requirements of the New Zealand Building Code. It identifies fire risks, assesses fire protection and life safety measures, and provides design solutions for issues such as fire spread, evacuation, smoke control, and emergency response.

A fire report is typically required for new developments, building alterations, changes of use, fire protection system changes, building or title subdivisions, occupancy changes, and other projects where fire safety requirements need to be assessed or demonstrated for building consent.

Complete our online Fire Report Request Form. Our team will review your enquiry and contact you to discuss the next steps.

Performance-based fire engineering is design approach that demonstrates compliance with the New Zealand Building Code by using engineering analysis rather than relying solely on prescriptive requirements. It applies fire science, modelling, and engineering principles to assess building fire performance, occupant safety, fire spread risk, and emergency response considerations. This approach provides flexibility for complex or innovative buildings and supports value engineering by developing practical, compliant, and cost-effective fire safety solutions and achieving the required level of safety.

Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) modelling is an advanced computer simulation tool used to predict fire development, smoke movement, heat release, and temperature conditions within a building during a fire event. It applies computational fluid dynamics (CFD) principles to model how fire and smoke behave under different scenarios, helping fire engineers assess building fire safety, evacuation conditions, smoke control systems, and the effectiveness of fire protection measures. FDS modelling is commonly used for complex buildings or performance-based fire designs where detailed analysis is required to demonstrate compliance and support practical, cost-effective fire safety solutions.

Traditional timber cladding and fibre cement claddings are permitted, alongside the more modern PVC cladding, and aluminium cladding. If the cladding system incorporated a foamed plastic insulation core, it requires to pass the specific fire tests for surface finishes and combustibility.

All units are required to have an independent exit. External escape routes are required to situate 2 m from the buildings unless alterative egress directions are available.

Minimum 30 minutes fire resistance rating between units, with construction details and fire stopping to control the spread of fire and smoke between units. There are a number of construction methods and fire rated systems for inter-tenancy fire walls and with their pros and cons.