Bathrooms, wall removals, fires · Northland to Invercargill

Renovating your home?Leave the consent to us.Fixed price, no surprises.

If it needs a building consent, we handle the drawings and the council, from first plan to stamped approval, for a fixed price you know up front.

Start your applicationFind out in 2 minutes if you need consent
20+
Years drawing consents
ADNZ
Qualified architectural designer
5.0 ★
Across 33 reviews
NZ-wide
Northland to Invercargill
Daniel Cullen
Who we are

Meet the team behind Mr Draughty

Daniel Cullen has just over 20 years’ experience in architectural design, in New Zealand and overseas. He’s a professional member of Architectural Designers NZ (ADNZ) and a Licensed Building Practitioner.

Mr Draughty started because most homeowners adding a bathroom or taking out a wall don’t need a full architectural service. They need the consent done right, at a price that doesn’t eat the renovation budget.

  • ADNZ qualified architectural designer
  • 20+ years' experience in consent drafting
  • Northland to Invercargill
  • 5.0 ★ across 33 Google reviews
Read Daniel's story
Mr Draughty mascotWhat we cover

Common consent scenarios we deal with

If it's on this list, it almost certainly needs a building consent, and we can handle it.

  • New bathrooms & ensuites

    Adding a new bathroom or ensuite to your home. New plumbing, fixtures, ventilation, the lot.

  • Altered bathrooms

    Renovating an existing bathroom. New fixtures, level-entry showers, tiled showers, layout changes.

  • Wall removals

    Removing load-bearing or braced walls. Structural plans, engineer’s input, council approval.

  • Kitchens & laundries

    Altered or new sanitary fixtures, plumbing changes, ventilation. Consent across the wet zones.

  • Solid fuel fires

    New wood fires and replacement installations. Hearth, clearances, flue, the consent paperwork.

  • Multi-scope projects

    A bathroom and a wall removal in the same job? Several changes can go through on one consent application, not three separate ones.

Note: We don’t help you obtain a resource consent for your renovation. Resource consent is about planning rules and boundaries, and that is not part of our service. We handle building consents for work like the above.

Check if you need consent for your project

What It Costs

Fixed price. And less than you might think.

One fixed quote covers the plans, submitting the building consent (not including the council consent fees), and every bit of back-and-forth with them. You see the number and approve it before anything is submitted, so there is no meter running and no surprise invoice at the end.

$5,000 to $9,000
quoted elsewhere
$2,760
that same job with Mr Draughty

The full picture, up front. Council charges its own fees, and some projects need an engineer, geotech or stormwater report on top of our fee. We will tell you what to expect before you commit, so the only surprise is how straightforward it turned out to be.

Get an indicative priceGet an indicative price
How it works

First time dealing with a building consent?

Most people who come to us have never done this before, and that is completely normal. We do this every day. Our job is to take the council side off your hands, so you can get on with the part you actually care about, the renovation itself.

  1. Sketch it

    A rough floor plan of what's there now and what you want changed. Photos of the space help too. We'll show you exactly what to include when you apply.

  2. Apply online

    Our application form captures what we need to get started. Fill it in at your own pace — save and come back if needed. We'll be in touch once we've reviewed it.

  3. Approve your plans

    We draw preliminary plans within five working days of a signed fixed quote. Nothing goes to council until you've seen the plans and given the go-ahead.

  4. We submit

    We lodge the building consent and handle every council question through to approval. You get the stamped consent — without ever dealing with council yourself.

★★★★★

We were fearful that the building consent application process would be stressful and frustrating, but Daniel's professionalism ensured it was quite the opposite.

Russell Black

Happy customers

See what our clients say about our work

  • ★★★★★

    Going in we were unsure of what to expect except that it was going to be a mission. Daniel made it the complete opposite.

    Jamie Beale
  • ★★★★★

    Our original quotes came in anywhere between $5,000 to $9,000. People warned us Mr Draughty's pricing was too good to be true. They were wrong.

    Jamie SmithWall removal
  • ★★★★★

    Have used Mr Draughty a couple of times for bathrooms now and is always very quick and thorough, exactly what we have needed.

    Windy City BuildersTrade

Read all reviews

For builders & trades

Refer your clients- or work with us directly.

Consent paperwork holds up jobs you’d rather be building. Hand it over and your client gets walked through the process while you stay on the tools. Plans drawn, council questions answered, stamped consent back, without it bouncing around to you.

Or, use our fixed pricing structure and you engage Mr Draughty directly. So you can keep work in your pipeline. Use us job by job, or set up something steadier for regular work. Pick what suits the way you run things.

See the trade options
★★★★★

What was meant to be a fast and easy job turned into a small major! From start to finish, my experience with Mr Draughty was speedy and efficient, making my life as the builder easy.

Bradley Hodges, Builder

Need more than minor consent?

Bigger than a minor consent? Here’s who takes it on.

For bigger projects

For major consents like new builds, extensions beyond the existing footprint, recladding or larger structural work, Daniel’s other practice handles the full architectural service.

Same standard, different scope, and one referral with no chasing.

Visit Cullen Keiser

Ready to get started?

Three-stage application. Save and resume. Fixed quote back to you within five working days.

Start your applicationTalk to us first