Getting your Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) licence is a major milestone — but staying licensed is an ongoing responsibility that many tradies underestimate. If you hold an LBP licence in New Zealand, there are three key compliance obligations you must meet every licence cycle: completing your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, issuing Records of Work for restricted building work, and renewing your licence every two years.
Miss any of these and you risk fines, suspension, or having your licence cancelled entirely. Here is what you need to know to stay on the right side of MBIE in 2026.
What Is an LBP and Who Needs One?
The Licensed Building Practitioner scheme is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) under the Building Act 2004. Any building or trade professional who carries out or supervises restricted building work (RBW) in New Zealand must hold a current LBP licence in the relevant licence class.
Restricted building work covers work that is critical to the structural integrity or weathertightness of a home. This includes:
- Design — architectural or structural design of dwellings
- Carpentry — structural framing and weathertightness elements
- External plastering — any stucco, EIFS, or similar cladding systems
- Bricklaying and blocklaying — structural masonry
- Foundations — site preparation and concrete foundations for homes
- Roofing — installing or replacing roof cladding on dwellings
If you are doing any of this work on residential buildings that require a building consent, you need an LBP licence. Doing RBW without a licence is an offence under the Building Act and can result in fines of up to $20,000.
For a full overview of how to obtain your LBP licence, see our guide: How to Get Your LBP Licence in New Zealand.
Record of Work: Your Most Important Ongoing Obligation
Every time you carry out restricted building work, you are legally required to provide a Record of Work (previously known as Form 6) at the end of the project.
The Record of Work must be:
- Completed by you (the LBP) as soon as practicable after the restricted building work is done
- Given to the owner of the building
- Provided to the territorial authority (your local council) — usually submitted alongside the Code Compliance Certificate application
The Record of Work confirms what restricted building work you carried out, your LBP licence number, and that you are satisfied the work complies with the building consent and the Building Code.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Forgetting to issue the Record of Work at practical completion — this is one of the most common complaints MBIE investigates
- Submitting only to the council and not to the owner (or vice versa) — both must receive a copy
- Carrying out RBW under another LBP's name — this is a disciplinary matter and can result in cancellation of both licences
MBIE maintains a public register of LBPs and disciplinary decisions. Failures around Record of Work come up regularly in published decisions. Do not treat this as optional paperwork.
CPD: Keeping Your Skills Current
All LBP licence holders must complete 30 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points within each two-year licence cycle. The cycle runs from the date your licence was issued or last renewed.
MBIE provides Skills Maintenance activities — short technical articles paired with a set of questions — as one of the main ways to earn CPD points. These are available free on the MBIE LBP website and are updated regularly. Each activity is worth a set number of points (typically 2–5 points per activity).
Other accepted CPD activities include:
- Attending recognised training courses or workshops (e.g. BCITO, Certified Builders Association events)
- Completing manufacturer product training relevant to your licence class
- Participating in mentoring or structured peer learning
- Attending LBP roadshow events run by MBIE
Tips for staying on top of CPD:
- Don't leave all 30 points to the last few months of your cycle — spread activities throughout the year
- Keep records of every CPD activity, including dates and the number of points claimed. MBIE can audit your records
- Use the MBIE LBP portal (lbp.govt.nz) to log your activities and track your progress in real time
Missing your CPD requirement means your licence will not be renewed. You cannot carry out restricted building work without a current licence.
Licence Renewal: What to Expect
LBP licences must be renewed every two years. MBIE will send you a renewal notice before your licence expires — but it is ultimately your responsibility to renew on time.
The renewal process involves:
- Confirming your personal and business details are up to date
- Declaring that you have completed your 30 CPD points
- Paying the renewal fee
As of 2026, the LBP renewal fee is $200 + GST ($230 incl. GST) for a single licence class. If you hold licences in multiple classes, each class requires a separate fee.
If your licence lapses — even by a day — you must stop carrying out restricted building work until it is renewed. Continuing to work without a current licence is an offence regardless of how long you have held it.
Use our Hourly Rate Calculator to make sure your pricing accounts for the cost of licence renewals, CPD training, and other professional obligations across the year.
Disciplinary Process: What Happens If You Breach Your Obligations
MBIE's Building Practitioners Board handles complaints and disciplinary matters. Complaints can be made by building owners, councils, or other tradies. The Board can:
- Issue a warning or censure (recorded on the public register)
- Order you to complete additional training
- Fine you up to $10,000
- Suspend your licence
- Cancel your licence entirely
Disciplinary decisions are published on the MBIE website and remain visible on the LBP register — which potential clients and other builders can search at any time. Protecting your licence record is every bit as important as protecting your reputation on the tools.
Running a Compliant LBP Business Day to Day
Staying compliant doesn't need to be stressful if you have good systems in place. A few practical steps:
- Set a calendar reminder three months before your licence renewal date
- Keep a simple CPD log — a spreadsheet or note in your phone will do
- Have a Record of Work template ready to complete at each project handover
- Make sure your licence number appears on your quotes, invoices, and marketing materials (this is a legal requirement)
If you manage a team of LBPs, tools like Fastcrew can help you track which team members hold current licences, making it easier to assign the right person to restricted building work.
Use our Job Cost Calculator to factor compliance costs — insurance, CPD, licensing — into your overhead when pricing jobs. Underpricing because you forgot to include your professional obligations is one of the most common financial mistakes LBP-licensed tradies make.
Download Our Free Templates
Download our free NZ tradie templates at tradietools.nz/templates/ — including job handover checklists and a Record of Work tracking template.
NZ Tradie Tools provides free calculators, templates and guides for New Zealand tradies. Visit tradietools.nz.