What Are The Rules for Deck Balustrades In New Zealand?

By assembling a deck in your garden, you can create a flat wooden surface where you can host BBQs and dinner parties, to entertain your guests. A garden deck is also elevated above the ground and so can afford you stunning panoramic views of the outdoors.

You will need a balustrade for the deck if it has a drop of more than a metre. This is just one of several deck balustrade regulations in the NZ Building Code (NZBC)…

A Closer Look at the New Zealand Building Code

The NZBC specifies that “a barrier is needed when someone could fall one metre or more”. Also, a deck balustrade must be “positioned between 900 and 1000mm above the pitch line” as per the NZBC.

Balustrades can come in many different forms. Many homeowners have chosen timber balustrades due to their charmingly traditional look, but they can also require regular painting. Metal-framed balustrades can be easier to maintain but can come across as inelegant.

So, you can strike a happy medium with the deck balustrades we offer in frameless glass. Often, dirt that does end up on this glass can just be wiped away with a cloth and cleaning solution.

Heed These Updates to Glass Balustrade Regulations

In 2016, New Zealand introduced new rules for frameless glass balustrades, requiring those with standard 12mm toughened glass to have a continuous top rail. This rail, in turn, has to be securely fixed to some form of support — e.g. a wall or post — at each end of the balustrade.

When we send you a frameless glass balustrade, it will come with a ‘PS1’ producer statement confirming that the structure complies with the Building Code.

We only install balustrades in the Auckland region. However, if you are based elsewhere in the country, we can give you instructions on how to not only install your balustrades but also subsequently issue a ‘PS3’ document verifying that this installation work, too, is in line with the NZBC.

If you have any remaining questions about our products or deck balustrade regulations in NZ, you can chat with us over the phone on (09) 4789778 or 027 7557705.