Capability statements for NZ construction and trades firms: what main contractors and councils look for
Short answer. A capability statement is a short document, usually two to six pages, that tells a main contractor, council or agency whether your firm can do their job safely and well. In New Zealand it should lead with what the buyer checks first: your health and safety prequalification (usually Tōtika), your licences, relevant projects, your people and plant, and proof. Write it for the person shortlisting, who is reading quickly and looking for reasons to say no.
Checked October 2026.
Why does a capability statement matter now?
Because the work is coming back and the competition for it is sharp. In the year to June 2026, 40,581 new homes were consented in New Zealand, up 19.4%, and 17,097 of them were in Auckland, according to Stats NZ figures reported by PlaceMakers. Commercial and civil buyers are prequalifying suppliers for the work ahead, and the shortlist is often decided before anyone picks up the phone.
Most of the advice you will find online is Australian. It names the wrong schemes and the wrong portals. This guide is for New Zealand.
What do NZ buyers check first?
Health and safety prequalification
For most commercial and civil work, this comes first. Tōtika is the New Zealand health and safety prequalification scheme, run by Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ). It provides one standard that many buyers recognise, so you are not filling in a different questionnaire for every main contractor.
NZTA moved its contractor health and safety prequalification away from ISN in 2021, and Auckland Transport also works with Tōtika. If you want public-sector work, check which prequalification each buyer requires and put your status, level and expiry date on the first page.
Licences and memberships
List what applies, with numbers a buyer can check:
Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) numbers and licence classes for your key people.
Electrical or plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying registrations, where relevant.
Trade body membership, such as Registered Master Builders, NZ Certified Builders, Master Electricians or Master Plumbers.
Quality, environmental or safety certifications you actually hold, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or ISO 45001.
Only list what you hold today. A buyer who checks one item and finds it out of date stops trusting the rest.
What goes in a capability statement?
In this order:
One paragraph on who you are. What you do, where you work, how long you have been doing it, and the size of job you are best at.
Prequalification and compliance. Tōtika or equivalent, licences, insurances (public liability and professional indemnity, with cover levels), certifications.
Relevant projects. Three to six, chosen for the buyer reading it. For each: client, location, value band, your scope, dates, and one line on what went well. Photos of your own work, not stock images.
People. Key people with their roles, licences and experience. Buyers are hiring the team, not the logo.
Plant and capacity. Main plant and equipment, crew size, and how much work you can take on at once.
Systems. How you manage quality, safety, programme and communication on site.
Referees. Two or three, with permission, who have worked with you recently.
Contact. One named person, a direct phone number and an email address.
How long should it be, and what format?
Two to six pages for most firms. A PDF that opens on a phone, under about 5MB. A version on your website as well, so a buyer who searches for you finds the same information.
Keep a master version and tailor the project section for each buyer. A road contractor and a school property manager want to see different jobs.
Where do you find public-sector work in New Zealand?
Most government work is advertised on GETS, the Government Electronic Tender Service. Registering costs nothing, and agencies also publish notices of future opportunities there, so you can see work before it is tendered. Councils and council-controlled organisations, including Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, publish their own supplier requirements as well.
What makes a statement stand out?
Most capability statements say the same thing: experienced team, quality workmanship, safety first. The ones that stand out are specific:
Numbers a buyer can check: licence numbers, project values, dates, crew sizes.
Projects that match the job they are tendering, not your biggest job.
Your own photos of finished work and of crews on site.
One clear contact who answers the phone.
Specific beats impressive. A buyer can check a detail. They cannot check "award-winning".
How this fits with the rest of your marketing
A capability statement works harder when everything around it matches: a website with the same projects and people, a Google Business Profile in the same brand, and consistent details everywhere. When a buyer searches for you after reading it, they should find the same firm.
We build capability statements as part of the brand and website work, and we use them in Molten Outbound, our outsourced business development service, to open conversations with main contractors and buyers. To talk it through, email us at hello@moltengroup.co.nz or visit moltengroup.co.nz.
Questions owners ask
What is a capability statement in construction?
A short document, usually two to six pages, that shows a buyer you can deliver their job: your prequalification, licences, relevant projects, people, plant and referees.
Do I need Tōtika prequalification?
For many commercial and public-sector buyers in New Zealand, yes. Tōtika is the health and safety prequalification scheme run by CHASNZ, and buyers including NZTA use it. Check what each buyer requires.
How long should a capability statement be?
Two to six pages is right for most firms. Lead with what the buyer checks first, and keep the project section tailored to the job.
Where are New Zealand government tenders advertised?
Most are on GETS, the Government Electronic Tender Service. Registration costs nothing, and agencies also post notices of future opportunities there.