Competent Person – SANS10400.org.za are the Building regulations in South Africa

Can I owner build my own house in South Africa?

Owner Build Your Own House in South Africa: A Comprehensive Guide Introduction: To “Build my own house” can be an exciting and rewarding endeavour, allowing you to design and create a home that perfectly suits your needs and preferences. In South Africa, the process to owner build your own house is certainly feasible, but it…

Owner Builder Requirements – NHBRC

What Are You Required to Do with the NHBRC as an Owner Builder? All new homes, by law, have to be registered with the NHBRC, some RDP houses are exempt from this. As an owner builder you may apply for an exemption from the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act with the NHBRC. There are certain…

Building | Competent Person | Home Design Ideas | National Building Regulations (SA)

Looking for Clean, Fresh Air

All About Insulation and Ventilation for Clean, Fresh Air We all need fresh air to live, but how can we ensure that there is always fresh, clean air in the buildings that we live and work in? The answer lies in well-designed ventilation systems that are developed by professionals to keep our buildings healthy and…

Competent Person | Concrete & Masonry | Garden structures | retaining walls | Walls and fences

Retaining Walls

Picture Above: A retaining wall constructed from specially designed, interlocking blocks The Implications of Building Retaining Walls Part K of SANS 10400, Walls in the National Building Regulations (NBR) covers the structural strength and stability of all walls, including those that form part of a house or other building, and both garden and boundary walls….

Competent Person | Minor Building Work | Owner Building | Plumbing

DIY Plumbing-What is Legal.

Plumbing Projects You Can Tackle Legally Do you know that almost all the municipalities now require a plumbing COC (Certificate of Compliance) before they will approve the sale of any house in their area? The question is what DIY plumbing work can you do yourself that is legal and will not affect your COC? Plumbing…

Building & Alterations | Building contraventions | Competent Person | Reviews

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…

Engineers report on Riga Maxima supermark

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…

SANS 10400XA – A Guide and Best Questions

How To Be SANS 10400XA Compliant – A Guide New Energy Regulations SANS 10400XA and SANS 10400X are what we get quite a few queries about on our website. Here are a few: Q: Hi,I have read through the regulations, but need clarification on whether an application is required when changing existing steel framed windows…

Concrete & Masonry | Foundations | Owner Building | Project manager | SANS 10400

Concrete Mixes by Weight and Volume

A Table for Concrete Mixes by Weight in Kilograms, by Bag, and by Cubic Meter, for Various Strengths We have had numerous requests for concrete mix ratios by weight, by volume, and by mass. Here is a table that was released by the Cement and Concrete Institute for trial concrete mixes from 10MPa to 40MPa….

Definitions for Planning and Building By-Laws

By-Law Definitions for Planning, Building and Zoning These definitions are mainly, but not exclusively, extracted from the Greater Metropolitan Area of Cape Town’s By-Laws Planning and Zoning definitions and explanations. They do and can relate to terms and phrases used nationally by other Municipalities and planning departments. We will be adding to them on an…

Alternate Building Technologies

The Assessment of Alternate Building Technologies This article from the latest issue of AKHANI, the quarterly magazine of the NHBRC, addresses the use of alternate building materials and the legal process as well as the pending changes to their manuals. It is well worth a read. Assessment of ABT (Alternate Building Technologies) Any house…

Energy Usage & Sustainability (SANS 10400X & XA)

Environmental Sustainability &Energy Usage in Buildings-Part X & XA In 2011, in an endeavour to make our buildings more sustainable, and to decrease energy usage in South Africa, a new part was added to SANS 10400, The application of the National Building Regulations. Part X deals with environmental sustainability, and Part XA deals with energy…

National Building Regulations Glossary – Complete

A to Z Glossary of Definitions and Terms Used in the National Building Regulations Code of Practice Every industry has terms and definitions that are specific to that industry, and the building industry is no exception. This glossary of National Building Regulations definitions forms part of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (Act…

Competent Person | Municipality | SANS10400-NBR (SA) | Stormwater disposal | Water supply and drainage for buildings

Stormwater Disposal

Stormwater Disposal-Part R, What the Regulations Say Property owners are responsible for the removal of stormwater from their property. They may NOT simply discharge excess water onto adjacent land or into the street unless this is permitted by neighbors and/or the local council or municipality. SANS 10400: Part R Stormwater Disposal The law is very…

Competent Person | Owner Building

A Competent Person

Understanding the Concept of Competent Persons & Competency When South Africa’s National Building Regulations were updated in 2008, several new definitions were added to the legislation, and some were rewritten. One of the most important changes was to the term competent person, because a “competent person” is now required to draw up plans and submit them…

House building | National Building Regulations (SA) | Owner Building | Project manager

Why Owner Build

Some Good Reasons to Owner Build The Pros and Cons of Owner Building: A personal review Perhaps you see the owner build exercise as a challenge. Or maybe it is an opportunity for you to prove you can do it better than we did. Maybe you’d decide to owner build just because you can! After all…

SANS 10400

SANS 10400 Governs the Design, planning and supervision of all construction work Each section of SANS 10400, the Code of Practice for The application of the National Building Regulations (NBR) is presented with the relevant extract from the building regulations (which is the law), and is then followed by a general commentary explaining how the…

Be Your Own Project Manager

Take Charge of Your Home Building Venture as Project Manager Anybody who is serious about owner building will want to have a degree of control to ensure that the project stays on track. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be hands-on. Taking on the role of project manager simply means that you are…

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…

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…

Lighting and Ventilation

Good Lighting and Ventilation is Vital for Healthy Living-Part O In terms of the National Building Regulations Part O, all habitable rooms, including bathrooms, showers and toilets (and interestingly enough garages!) must have some form of lighting and ventilation that will enable people to use these rooms safely. The most important aspect is that it…