Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Council rules: Auckland Council A mate of mine in Albany swapped his own kitchen tap last month, then rang me in a bit of a panic wanting to know whether he had to tell the council. He didn’t. The week before, a client on… Read More: Does Plumbing Work Need Consent in Auckland? »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Consumer guidance: Consumer NZ My name’s Dave Mercer, and I’ve spent 22 years up ladders repainting houses across Auckland’s isthmus suburbs — Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Mount Eden, that whole belt. Ponsonby’s actually a good street to explain why cladding matters more than… Read More: Weatherboard vs Plaster: Painting Considerations for Auckland Homes »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Consumer guidance: Consumer NZ I look after a fair few of these jobs around Devonport, on Auckland’s North Shore, and every winter the same question comes over the back fence: how often should I actually clean my gutters — or “spouting,” as plenty of… Read More: Gutter Cleaning in Auckland: How Often and Why It Matters »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Code reference: Building Performance NZ (MBIE) My name’s Steve Harrison, and I’ve spent better than twenty years building and landscaping around Auckland’s western suburbs — Titirangi, Glen Eden, Swanson, that whole stretch where the city gives way to the Waitākere Ranges. This one was… Read More: Landscaping a Sloped Section in the Waitakere Foothills »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Background: Wikipedia: Concrete My name’s Grant Sullivan, and I’ve spent the last 19 years pouring, patching and swearing at clay soil on driveway jobs right across Auckland — Albany, Torbay, Browns Bay, the lot. A neighbour of a client in Albany repaved his driveway… Read More: Concrete, Resin or Asphalt Driveway? An Auckland Comparison »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Code reference: Building Performance NZ (MBIE) My name’s Steve Harding, and I’ve spent 22 years doing flood and water-damage restoration work around West Auckland, which means I’ve stood in more New Lynn lounges full of brown water than I’d like to count. The 2023… Read More: Flood Recovery for Auckland Homes: A Practical Guide »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Council rules: Auckland Council People ask me all the time whether they need to ring council before they touch anything on their section, and the answer catches a lot of Henderson homeowners off guard: a solid chunk of everyday renovation work is exempt from… Read More: Building Work You Can Do in Auckland Without Consent »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Trade body: New Zealand Certified Builders Three licensed builders walked through the same Manukau bathroom and priced the same walls, pipework and fittings. Their final numbers came back almost $14,000 apart. That gap didn’t happen because one of them was ripping me off —… Read More: How to Get Accurate Quotes from Auckland Tradies »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Council rules: Auckland Council My name’s Grant Ellison. I’ve spent 22 years building and renovating houses around Titirangi and the wider Waitākere foothills, and there’s one thing I tell every client before we even get to the build itself: buying a bush section here… Read More: Protected Trees in Auckland: What the Rules Mean for You »
Last reviewed: July 2026 · How we research these costs · Council rules: Auckland Council I get the same phone call most wet winters: a Massey homeowner ringing in a flat panic because the back lawn has turned into a paddling pool overnight. The first thing I ask them is whether it’s stormwater or wastewater… Read More: Stormwater vs Wastewater: An Auckland Homeowner’s Guide »