UPDATED: 9.19am There's a rise in the use of dodgy imported building materials on new building projects across Auckland.

LISTEN ABOVE: Ian McCormick talks to Rachel Smalley

The council's building control manager Ian McCormick said non-compliant materials staff have come across include toughened safety glass shower doors, electrical wiring and roofing tiles.

He said recently they issued notices to fix five separate buildings where someone had substituted asphalt tiles with a product they hadn't seen before.

In another questionable case of products not meeting building code, waste pipes which normally retail for $10 a metre, are being sold for $1 a metre.

"We're still trying to track that down if they're selling it that cheaply we'd expect that the product probably isn't compliant. When the deal seems too good, there's usually something wrong with it and building products are no exception," Mr McCormick said.

He understands these types of products are not being sold through major retailers, but are being imported privately.

"I think it's probably coming through from builders. I think in some cases they try to, through one avenue or another an opportunity to get some product which might be cheaper than the product they can get from the suppliers that they normally use."

Mr McCormick said it holds up building jobs until the issue is rectified.

"Those builders are not able to get onto another job are actually doing rework. We'd much rather have the industry working on new stuff and doing it in a compliant way, and I'm sure they would, rather than actually doing rework."

E tu union spokesman Joe Gallagher said: "We don't want to have repeat of the leaky buildings syndrome where we've got this low cost product, and inferior gear being out into these houses. Someone needs to take responsibility to create a proper standard."

Building Industry Federation chief executive Bruce Kohn told Mike Hosking there's pressure right across the industry.

"You've got an open slather on imports, that means inspectors from the council are having to be particularly vigilant to see that stuff, which is below quality, doesn't sneak into the system too much.

"Site supervision needs to be improved. Design elements that are put into councils for inspection need to be lifted in quality and were addressing those right now."

Chief executive of the Builders Association Grant Florence said the recommendations he makes to members is to buy materials from recognised New Zealand suppliers.

"You know we've got a whole merchant framework and network across New Zealand and that's where we direct our members to make their purchases, not necessarily off the back of a truck because that will always come back and haunt you in the future."

Auckland Council said non-compliant products are not being sold through major retailers, but are being imported privately.

Mr Florence agrees.

"That's my understanding as well. If they are being imported privately they may not be going through the necessary controls or meet the necessary standards, which is a concern for us as an industry as a whole."