Do you need building consent for a bioethanol fireplace in NZ?

Short answer: a freestanding or tabletop bioethanol fire is placed in the room, not installed, and it has no flue, so there is usually no building work to consent. A fire that is built into a wall or hung from the ceiling does involve building work, so check with your council before you start.

This is a general guide, not building or legal advice. Councils interpret the rules for their own district, and your council has the final say.

Why the question is confusing

Council rules for fireplaces are written around solid fuel heaters. Wellington City Council, for example, says that installing a solid fuel heater such as a free-standing wood burner, in-built fireplace or pellet burner needs a building consent, and that it cannot be used until it has been inspected. Some councils also mention liquid fuel heaters such as diesel burners.

A decorative bioethanol fire is a different kind of appliance. It has no flue and no fuel line, and council guidance rarely mentions it by name. That is why a short phone call is worth making for anything fixed to the building.

By type of fire

Freestanding and tabletop

These are appliances you place and light, like a piece of furniture. There is no flue and nothing fixed to the building. Follow the manufacturer's clearances to walls, furniture and curtains. See freestanding fires.

Wall-mounted

A wall-mounted fire hangs on a bracket and has no flue. The manufacturer specifies the wall construction it can go on and the clear space it needs around it. If you are not sure about your wall, ask before you fix anything. See wall-mounted fireplaces.

Suspended

A suspended fire hangs from a pole fixed to the ceiling, so the fixing has to go into structure that can carry the load. Have a builder confirm the fixing point, and ask your council whether the work needs consent in your situation. See suspended fireplaces.

Built-in fireboxes and burner inserts

Building a firebox into a wall or joinery is building work. The manufacturer sets the framing, lining materials, clearances and ventilation. If the fire is part of a new build or renovation that already has a consent, include the fireplace details in your plans. If it is a standalone job, ask your council first and use a suitably qualified installer. See our built-in range.

Converting an existing fireplace

A bioethanol grate or insert sits inside an existing opening and does not use the chimney. Check the manufacturer's requirements for the opening, and ask your council if you plan to alter the fireplace itself. See fireplace inserts and grates.

What a council or builder will want to see

• The manufacturer's installation manual, with clearances to combustible materials.
• What the surrounding walls, linings and joinery are made of.
• How the fire is fixed to the building.
• The size of the room and how it is ventilated.

Every product page on our site has the brochure and manual to download, so you can send them with your question.

Other permissions to check

• Body corporate. Apartments and townhouses often have their own rules about open flames and stored fuel.
• Your landlord, if you rent.
• Your insurer. Tell them you have a fire, as you would for any heating appliance.

How this compares with wood and gas

A wood burner needs a flue and a building consent. A gas fire needs a flue and a gas connection installed and certified by a licensed gas fitter. A bioethanol fire needs neither a flue nor a gas line, which is why it suits places those fires cannot go.

Ask us first

Tell us what you are planning and we will send you the right manual and tell you what we have seen work. Call 0800 468 836 or email sales@nakedflame.nz.

Source: Wellington City Council, Install a fireplace or solid fuel heater. Reviewed October 2026.