What is a PS1? Producer statements, explained simply

A PS1 (Producer Statement, Design) is a formal statement signed by a qualified engineer confirming that a design complies with the New Zealand Building Code. Councils rely on producer statements instead of re-checking specialist engineering themselves, which makes the PS1 one of the most important documents in your building consent application.

The four producer statements, in one minute

• PS1, Design: the designer's statement that the design complies with the Building Code. Lodged with your consent application.
• PS2, Design Review: an independent engineer's peer review of someone else's design. Councils request it for complex or unusual structures.
• PS3, Construction: the contractor's statement that they built the works in accordance with the design.
• PS4, Construction Review: the engineer's statement, after construction monitoring, that the built work matches the consented design. Council wants this before your Code Compliance Certificate.

When does a building consent need a PS1?

Whenever your project includes specific engineering design: anything outside the standard "acceptable solutions" such as NZS 3604 timber framing. Common triggers include removing a load-bearing wall, steel beams and portals, decks above 1.5 metres, retaining walls over 1.5 metres or carrying surcharge, swimming pools, difficult ground, and almost every commercial structure. If your project stays entirely within NZS 3604, you may not need one at all: a good engineer will tell you that for free rather than sell you paperwork you do not need.

Who can issue a PS1?

Producer statements are only worth what the signature behind them is worth. Councils generally accept PS1s from Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng), the legally protected quality mark administered by Engineering New Zealand. At Stable Structure every PS1 is signed by our director, Gajanthan Vethanathan, CPEng, a chartered structural engineer with more than 20 years of experience across New Zealand, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

How much does a PS1 cost in NZ?

The PS1 itself is the last page of a body of engineering work, so the real question is what the design behind it costs, and that scales with scope: a single engineered element is a far smaller job than complete structural design for a renovation or new build. Reputable engineers quote a fixed fee from your drawings before starting. Be wary of very cheap PS1s advertised online: a producer statement signed without real design work behind it is exactly the kind councils reject.

Is a PS1 a guarantee?

No, and it is worth understanding why. A PS1 is the designer's professional statement about the design. It does not certify the construction: that is the PS4's job, issued after the engineer has monitored the build. This is why councils commonly require both on engineered projects, and why we offer design, monitoring and PS4 as one continuous service, so nothing falls between the gaps.

Where the PS1 sits in your consent timeline

The sequence for a typical engineered residential project: your designer completes the architectural drawings, the engineer designs the structural elements and issues the PS1 (one to two weeks for simple scopes), the full package is lodged with council, and council's 20 working day clock starts. If engineering is engaged late, it becomes the critical path, so the cheapest schedule decision you can make is bringing the engineer in while the drawings are still being finished. To lodge, your engineer will need the current drawing set, the site address and any geotech report that exists: three things you can send in one email.

Common questions

Need a PS1 for your project?

Send us your plans and we will confirm the scope, quote a fixed fee, and deliver consent-ready documentation with the PS1 signed by a chartered engineer. See our building consent documentation service for what is included.