Approved Plans For A House Missing – 5 Headings
If you are selling your house, and don’t have approved plans, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.
DAMS – City of Cape Town Planning Joins Digital Age
City of Cape Town Planning Departments Now Accept Plans On a Memory Stick After at least two years of development, the City of Cape Town has implemented and introduced its new DAMS (Development Application Management System). This new Development Application Management System allows all new development applications to be made and processed through the new DAMS and…
Swimming Pools, Boundary Lines and Plans – JHB
A stunning swimming pool picture aboveWould you need to submit plans for a pool like this? See the post below.Pool by Prim City of Johannesburg Relaxes Swimming Pools Plan Submissions The City of Johannesburg’s Planning Department has confirmed that they have relaxed the by-laws relating to swimming pools and plan submissions. These regulations concern the…
Balustrade Installation
Ensure Your Balustrade System is Installed Correctly As it currently stands, the individual or professional company commissioning a balustrade sub-contractor has far more responsibility regarding their project than they realise. The Building Owner is responsible for ensuring that their project is SANS-compliant and signed off by a qualified Engineer. The Owner is therefore responsible for…
Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | Municipality | National Standards | Walls and fences
The PAJA: A Law to Protect Your Rights
The PAJA: The SA Law that Protects Your Rights We get questions daily about buildings blocking views, balconies overlooking neighbours’ bedrooms, building approval without neighbours’ consent, developers not putting in correct storm-water drains; complaints that the neighbours wall is on “my” property; the list goes on and on. People also want to know who they…
Bathroom Ideas – 10 Tips
Great Bathroom Layout and Design Ideas Over the years, the bathroom has earned a reputation as an area unworthy of attention, probably because it has always been regarded as no more than a room in which to wash. Nobody can deny that this is still its most important function but, nevertheless, it seems a poor…
Building Plans | Competent Person | Disasters | News | Roofs
Engineers Specs Are Professional & Vital
The Photograph above: By Valenciano – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29802079 Engineers Design Buildings for a Purpose Engineers around the world will design a structure based on the brief given to them by a developer. The basis for any good design is to have a structure that is “fit for purpose” for which it is…
Nkandla – At What Cost?
Nkandla is Probably the Most Costly Owner Building Project in the History of South Africa Traditions come and go, and it seems once again to be a growing trend to have extended family living together in one home. But the numbers have grown out of hand at Zumaville, with the President’s brothers, many wives, and…
Kitchen Ideas That Are Eye-opening
Picture Above: A wide open kitchen in contrasting light and dark colors. Great Kitchen Layout and Design Ideas The kitchen, say the experts, will sell the house: an axiom that can’t be proved but which nevertheless rings very true. It is part of today’s house that, more than any other, will yield handsome dividends on…
Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | National Building Regulations (SA) | National Standards | Zoning Schemes
Tshwane Town Planning Scheme 2008
The Town Planning Scheme for the Tshwane Region 2008 Make the right decisions We have included these Tshwane Planning Scheme Regulations to assist you with accessing the correct information so that you can make the right decisions when it comes to planning any construction, building, and renovation or the purchase of property with developments in mind….
Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | House building | National Building Regulations (SA) | National Standards
Municipality, Contact Your Local Authority
How to contact your Local Authority and Municipality in your District Here is the most up-to-date National Municipality Contact list We get requests almost on a daily basis about “How do I contact my local Municipality?”, “Where is my local Authority?”, “Where do I take my plans?”, “Where can I contact the Building Inspector?” Well…
Building & Alterations | Municipality | National Building Regulations (SA) | National Standards | Walls and fences
Town Planning Definitions
A List of Definitions and TermsUsed in Town Planning Schemes Includes Land Use and Zonings Terms The Johannesburg metropolitan area is the largest, most diverse and most cosmopolitan in South Africa, so we have based this list on definitions from their Town Planning document, see: town-planning-scheme-jhb. These are not only relevant to Gauteng but are…
Alterations & Additions
What the National Building Regulations say about Alterations and Additions to Existing Buildings In general, the National Building Regulations are not retroactive in their application. This means that if you are making alterations and additions. a building, you won’t have to ensure that the entire building complies with new regulations that have been imposed since…
Building | Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | House building | Municipality | Owner Building
Temporary Buildings
Temporary Buildings Must be Authorizedby the Local Authority What the term “temporary building” means
Masonry Arches
Building Masonry Arches Masonry arches can add immense character to homes, both internally and when used as part of the architectural style of the building. For instance in the house under construction on the left, large arched windows follow the same shape as the arched entrance that will welcome those entering the home. But building…
Electric Cables
Electric Cables – What is Legal We get a lot of questions about which electric cables are legal and how they must be installed. So here is a brief rundown of the different types of legal cabling available and the way an installation could be done. There are various accepted methods and we illustrate a…
Additions & Alterations | Building & Alterations | Building Plans | Garden structures | Minor Building Work | Owner Building
Minor Building Works
What is “Minor Building Work”? Whatever you construct on your property needs plans, unless it is defined as “minor building work”. Even so, the Act states very well in Part A: General Principles and Requirements (this was previously Part A: Administration), that any structural building work that is defined as “minor building work” requires approval…
Building contraventions | Building Plans | House building | Municipality | National Building Regulations (SA) | News
Illegal Building Leads to Chaos
Rapid Urban Decay in Jozi Blamed on Illegal Building The City of Johannesburg has lost control of town-planning infringements, according to an article published in The Star newspaper at the beginning of February 2013. It seems they simply can’t stop them from happening. The Accusations In the article, Ros Greeff, the City’s member of the…
Arches | Boundary Lines & Walls | Building & Alterations | Building Plans | Concrete & Masonry | Minor Building Work | Municipality | Walls and fences
Boundary Walls and Fences
Strategic Planning of Boundary Walls and Fences Boundary walls and fences are one of the most controversial topics facing homeowners. We are constantly contacted by people from all parts of South Africa who want advice – or have some sort of problem – relating to boundary walls and fences – often because neighbours have erected…
Additions & Alterations | Building & Alterations | Building Plans | Garden structures | House building | Minor Building Work | Municipality
Plans & Minor Building Work
You Don’t Need Plans for Minor Building Work … But you DO Need Permission to Build Anything you build on your property needs plans unless it is defined as “minor building work”. However, the Act states very clearly in Part A: General Principles and Requirements (this was previously Part A: Administration), that any structural building…
Building House Extensions
Planning House Extensions Whether you are building a new home or planning house extensions to an existing home, you are going to need building approval from your local authority. Even if you are simply opening up a wall or partitioning a room by erecting a new internal wall, most councils will insist on working drawings….
Building & Alterations | Facilities for disabled persons | National Building Regulations (SA) | National Standards | SANS10400-NBR (SA)
Facilities for Disabled People
The Importance of Facilities forDisabled People in our Buildings-Part S The National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act was amended and published by the Department of Trade and Industry in May 2008. Some parts of the Act were affected more than others; some changed very little. Part S, which deals with facilities for disabled people…
Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | Competent Person | National Standards | Plumbing | Plumbing repairs | Water supply and drainage for buildings
Plumbing Problems
Burst Pipe Plumbing Problems can Result in Water Water Everywhere It was a case of water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink recently when a burst pipe began to flood our rented home. Tensions were high as water dribbled out from under the fridge. Another appliance was clearly about to give up the…
Building & Alterations | House building | NHBRC | Owner Building | Project manager | Walls and fences
Pros and Cons of Owner Building
A Review Based on Personal Experience Having just finished totally updating the ever-popular title, The Complete Book of Owner Building in South Africa I am left wondering whether owner building is a good idea or not. We’ve completed the exercise three times, and not once made any money, or in fact, even got our money…
Building contraventions | Building Plans | Electrics | House building | Plumbing | Water supply and drainage for buildings
Burst Pipes
THE NEED FOR PROPER PLUMBING Burst pipes are unnecessary. I never cease to be amazed by people who ignore building rules and regulations, particularly when the regulations apply to plumbing or electrics. Not only are plumbing and electricity two of the most basic facilities in our homes, and vital for everyday life, but when installed…