Producer Statements PS1 and PS4 for Retaining Walls in Christchurch
Top Retaining Walls Christchurch arranges the producer statements that go with an engineered retaining wall. A PS1 from the designer at consent stage and a PS4 from the reviewing engineer at completion, both from a suitably qualified chartered professional engineer.
- PS1 with the consent application
- PS4 on completion for the property file
- Both arranged as part of the job
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People treat these as council paperwork. They are actually the two documents a future buyer's lawyer will ask about, and the absence of a PS4 on a wall that clearly needed one is a real problem at settlement rather than a technicality.
What PS1 and PS4 producer statements do on a retaining wall
PS1, design
The design engineer states that the wall as designed will comply with the Building Code. It goes in with the building consent application and it is what council relies on when granting the consent.
PS4, construction review
The reviewing engineer states that the wall as built matches the design. It comes at the end and it depends on the engineer having actually inspected the critical stages while they were open.
Why the inspections matter
Reinforcing, footings and geogrid layers all get buried. An engineer cannot certify what they never saw, so the inspection regime is set at consent stage and it is not optional.
What retaining wall engineering and producer statements cost
Structural design and producer statements typically run $520 to $2,100 depending on the wall and its complexity, with geotechnical investigation separate where required. Council fees are separate again.
We quote it as a line at cost so you can see exactly what is engineering, what is council and what is construction.
Why retaining wall producer statements matter years later at sale
When the property sells, the LIM will show the consent and a buyer's lawyer will look for the code compliance certificate. That certificate depends on the PS4.
Walls built without consent, or consented but never signed off, turn up at exactly the moment when they are most expensive to resolve.
Producer Statements at a glance
- PS1
- Design statement, lodged with the building consent application
- PS4
- Construction review statement, issued at completion
- Author
- Suitably qualified chartered professional engineer
- Dependency
- PS4 depends on inspections at the stages set in the consent
- Cost
- About $520 to $2,100 for design and statements, quoted at cost
- Why it matters
- Code compliance certificate at completion, and the file at sale
Producer Statements in Christchurch: common questions
What is the difference between PS1 and PS4?
PS1 says the design complies. PS4 says the wall as built matches the design. You want both.
Can I get a PS4 after the wall is finished?
Not reliably. The engineer has to see the reinforcing and the footing before they are buried, which is why the inspection regime is set at consent stage.
Who provides them?
A suitably qualified chartered professional engineer. We arrange and coordinate it.
Why do they matter at sale?
Because the code compliance certificate depends on the PS4, and a buyer's lawyer will look for it.
Can I get a PS4 for a wall that is already finished?
Not reliably, because the engineer has to see the founding material, the reinforcing and the drainage before they are buried. That is the entire reason the inspection regime is set at consent stage. Where a wall is already built without one, the route is a certificate of acceptance, which needs the structure assessed and often partly exposed.
Who keeps the producer statements?
Copies go to council with the consent and at completion, and you should keep your own set. They end up on the property file, and a buyer's lawyer will look for the code compliance certificate that depends on them. Filing them with the house documents saves a lot of searching years later.
Is a producer statement the same as a guarantee?
No. A PS1 is the engineer's statement that the design will comply with the Building Code, and a PS4 is their statement that the work was built to that design. They are professional opinions relied on by council, not warranties on the workmanship, which is a separate matter between you and the builder.
Recent Christchurch jobs
Boundary wall between us and the neighbour on a new build. Sorted the levels, the consent question and the fence on top in one job. Turned up when they said and left the site clean every night.
Builder here. I use them on subdivision work because the paperwork comes back complete. PS1 up front, PS4 at the end, no chasing.
Wall failed after the big rain and took part of the bank with it. Made safe within two days and rebuilt a month later with real drainage behind it.
Terraced the back lawn into two levels. Fast, tidy, fair price, and the drainage was done properly.
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