Builders in North Otago face delays in inspections because the Waitaki District Council faces a prolonged staffing shortage in its building control team.
It was not expected to be fully resolved for several months, council regulatory services manager Steven May said.
In the worst-case scenario, the team would have two full-time building control officers, significantly down from normal staffing of four full-time officers and one part-time.
That would improve from the middle of next month and was expected to return to normal by mid-September, or possibly earlier.
The staff shortage meant building control service over the next two to three months would not be as expected, and Mr May said this might cause frustration.
The council aimed to carry out inspections within 24 hours, but this target could not be met and builders have been asked to give three days' notice of an inspection requirement.
Building consent processing had dipped to about 85% processed in 20 working days and it would be a struggle to maintain that level during the next few months.
"This situation is expected to get worse before it gets better.
"However, the council is looking at every possibility to resolve this issue," Mr May said.
Recently, it borrowed a building officer from Lakes Environmental (Queenstown) for two weeks. However, it had been unable to draw on any further resources from other southern councils and had cast the net nationwide.
It would have a North Island contractor working for three weeks from this week.
Builders had been sent a letter outlining the situation, and asking them to direct any specific concerns or frustrations to Mr May, rather than council customer service or building control staff.
"We sincerely regret any inconvenience to builders or their clients for frustrations which may arise due to factors outside everyone's control. Our staff are doing the very best they can and the situation is completely beyond their control," he said.
The staffing shortage was due to a combination of factors, including recruitment, illness and injury, and planned annual leave, he said.
