The Site That Tells You All About The Building Regulations In South Africa
SANS10400.org.za Introduction
The Building Regulations are a set of guidelines and standards that govern the construction of buildings, ensuring the safety and well-being of those who use them. In South Africa, the primary Building Regulations are contained within the SANS 10400 series, which are developed and maintained by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). These building standards cover a wide range of topics, from fire safety and electrical installations, to energy efficiency and accessibility for people with disabilities.
SANS 10400 provides the framework for building regulations in South Africa, and it is essential that all construction work adheres to these standards. The aim of SANS 10400 is to ensure that buildings are safe, healthy, and sustainable, while also protecting the environment and preserving our natural resources.
Construction laws in South Africa are also closely tied to building regulations, and it is a legal requirement that all buildings be constructed in accordance with the SANS 10400 series. This includes both new builds and renovations, as well as extensions and alterations to existing buildings. Building contractors, architects, and engineers are all responsible for ensuring that their work meets these regulations, and failure to do so can result in legal action and penalties.
The SANS 10400 series covers a wide range of topics, including the construction of walls, roofs, and foundations, as well as the installation of electrical and plumbing systems. It also covers fire safety, ensuring that buildings are equipped with fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire-resistant doors, among other things. Additionally, the series provides guidelines for energy efficiency, ensuring that buildings are designed and constructed in a way that minimizes their energy consumption and reduces their carbon footprint.
Another important aspect of SANS 10400 is accessibility for people with disabilities. The regulations outline the minimum requirements for buildings to be accessible, such as ramps, wide doors, and grab rails in bathrooms, making it possible for people with disabilities to use and enjoy the building.
Building regulations and standards play a vital role in ensuring the safety, well-being, and sustainability of buildings in South Africa. The SANS 10400 series provides the framework for these regulations, and it is the responsibility of all those involved in the construction industry to ensure that their work meets these standards. By adhering to SANS 10400, we can help to create buildings that are safe, healthy, and sustainable for everyone.
South Africa’s National Building Regulations (NBR) were originally produced as a set of functional guidelines for anybody building any type of structure. They were not intended to be prescriptive in terms of what people should build, but they do stipulate important dos and don’ts – many of which are in fact mandatory. So if you are planning to build, this is a document you should familiarise yourself with.
While the NBR are only available from the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), sans10400.org.za has a mission to make it easier for the general public to understand what these regulations are and how they affect us all. If you want to know more about these important regulations, have a look at the drop-down menu under SANS 10400-NBR (SA). Each of the regulations listed here is published as a separate document by the SABS. The size of each published document and its cost can be found at the SABS Online Standards Webstore.
Please be aware that while the topics featured on sans10400.org.za are those found in the regulations, we have not duplicated the regulations. Instead, we have discussed the issues the regulations cover in easy-to-understand pages. Also, note that we are in no way associated with the SABS.
Parts of the South African National Building Regulations (NBR)
The Building Regulations are divided into 23 chapters as follows:
Part A: General Principles and Requirements,
Part B: Structural Design,
Part C: Dimensions,
Part D: Public Safety,
Part E: Demolition Work,
Part F: Site Operations,
Part G: Excavations,
Part H: Foundations,
Part J: Floors,
Part K: Walls,
Part L: Roofs,
Part M: Stairways,
Part N: Glazing,
Part O: Lighting and Ventilation,
Part P: Drainage,
Part Q: Non-water-borne Sanitary Disposal,
Part R: Stormwater Disposal,
Part S: Facilities for Disabled Persons,
Part T: Fire Protection,
Part U: Refuse Disposal,
Part V: Space Heating,
Part W: Fire Installation
Parts X & XA: Energy Usage
Construction Elements & more
We are constantly adding blog posts that relate to these chapter headings to provide our readers with further information. You will find these under the drop-down menu Construction Elements. Some of these posts include personal experience and/or case history-type articles that share what others have experienced in terms of the regulations. We have also included an A to Z Glossary of Definitions and Terms used in the NBR to help you understand the meaning of the various terms used in the context of the legislation and national standards.
We have a free downloads page where you can access various documents, including a variety of Department of Public Works Guidelines:
- The National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act. This is the original legislation published in 1977 that governs all building and construction work in South Africa. Various updates have been made since this time, and these are also available for download.
- Guide for Architects Concerning Drainage Water and Storm-water Drainage.
- Standard Electrical, Mechanical & Architectural Guidelines for the Design of Accessible Buildings including Facilities for Disabled Persons.
- Hardware sample list (guidelines for the required finishes etc. of hardware when submitting tenders).
- A “Norms Calculator” for quantity surveyors.
- Drainage Details that provide guidelines in the form of technical drawings covering most aspects of drainage.
More Links…
Feel free to browse the site. To help you get orientated, here are a few articles that you may find useful:
Building Extensions
Alterations & Additions
SANS 10400X & XA – Energy Use In Buildings
Boundary Walls & Fences
New Electric Fence Laws
Waterproofing Roofs
Stormwater Disposal
Download Regulations
NHBRC Questions & Answers
Competent Person
Concrete Mixes
Concrete Mixes – By Weight & By Volume
Owner Building – The Pros & Cons
In the drop-down menu under the free downloads you will also find Links to several local South African websites of interest including:
- NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council),
- SAIA (The South African Institute of Architects)
- SABS (The South African Bureau of Standards)
These contain some information about the NBR.
International links on our Links Page will take you to information-rich sites such as the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Code Council (ICC) entries on Wiki (or you can go directly to the ICC here).
If there is something specific you need guidance on, please post a comment on the relevant page and we’ll see if and how we can help.
Hi Basil,
I have known the people from Terraforce for many years and I put your question to them as the experts, and this is the reply:
It is necessary to call in an engineer to help with walls higher than 1.2m as retaining walls hold up tremendous weight and need to be properly designed to prevent them from collapsing.
This is a guideline only but should help you find the right answers:
1. Retaining walls over 1m in height should be designed by professionals, with calculations provided by structural engineers. They will assess soil conditions as well as the loading on the walls, contributing essential information to the design process. To ignore this could not only damage your property but potentially cause accidents should structures collapse due to a lack of experience in construction.
2. Care should be taken during the construction of any retaining wall, as excavated banks can easily collapse due to soil type or heavy rain. Seek professional and skilled advice. Without careful planning, problems that arise out of shoddy or unsafe work could lead to a project taking much longer than it should.
3. Soils such as heavy clay will have an impact on the design of retaining walls. These soils shrink when dry and expand when wet, creating additional problems for construction and maintaining the structure’s integrity through the seasons.
4. Always consider the drainage implications of creating retaining walls and structures of any type. Inadequate drainage is likely to have serious implications in the long term.
As far as the servitude, and I assume you mean “pipe” servitude, then the same applies, a low wall should be OK but any higher get the assistance of an engineer. As far as tar is concerned then yes you can lay tar over a servitude, but just be aware that if there is a problem with the pipe in any way then the tar will have to be dug up and relaid, more than likely at your expense. I hope this helps.
Hi Mark,
It all depends on the zoning of the land that you intend buying. Different zones have different by-laws saying what percentage of the area of an erf is allowed to be built on, and how many dwellings and the number of people allowed to live in those buildings. The title deeds of a particular erf could also have restrictions registered on it that limit the number of houses and how big or high they are allowed to be. So I suggest that before you buy get the estate agent to get the relevant cadastral sitemap, erf number and zone restrictions for you to look at. You can take these to the Ethekwini council and double check before investing your money.
Hi, I’d like some advise please. I’m in the process of purchasing a property. It’s a deceased estate, and didn’t think the voetstoots clause would be an issue. However, when requesting the plans, I picked up that the house on the plan does not match the existing property at all. The sellers attorneys said “you have no recourse whatsoever as you purchased the property voetstoots”. Surely there’s limits to what is considered voetstoots. Such latent defects has not specifically been excluded in the deed of sale. Please assist.
Hi
Can anyone one please help i have recently bought a property were a storm water pipe runs through the land i am considering building can i to so?
Hi Penny
I have just discovered this useful site and I think it is amazing. Can you please assist me? I would like to build my own house in an estate, using my own money and my own builders. Will I be breaking any rules since I am not a registered builder?
Paying off a bond for 20 yrs is not an option since I am not too far from retirement. Please tell there is way
Hi Penny
Trust you are well.
1. Please advise me when is there a need for a building plan submission for a Loffelstein Wall i.e, is it regarded as a temporary/permanent structure?
2. Can a Loffelstein Wall or Tar paving be layed over a servitude?
Hey there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!
Angie, your best bet is to get quotations from three or four people. Alternatively go by personal recommendation from friends. You could also post this question on our Facebook page – perhaps someone will have an idea. Just say which area you live in.
thank you penny for your prompt response.
Boundaries as such are not set by the National Building Regulations Basil. This falls under the local authority by-laws. I personally have never been asked to submit title deeds when submitting plans (and we have built in areas governed by two different local authorities), but the local authority may call for these. There are certain things that are found only in the title deeds – e.g. servitudes.
Hi Penny
1. Does the National Building Regulations have a section that covers building over a cadastral boundary, ie. doe the NBR prevent me from building over a cadastral boundary?
2. Is it a requirment to submit title deeds when submitting a building plan to the Local Authority, in terms of NBR?
Thanking you in advance.
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Hi, who can tell me what a reasonable rate for building plans is? We are wanting to enclose an outdoor braai area (approx 30m2) and make some interior changes (break through a wall or 2). How do I know if the quote I’ve been given is competitive?
hi.need help.I want know if once a land is bought,is there a law holding me from building duplexes,fourplexs etc?…I’m planing on buying a land soon but I want to build something that can hold four families.(2 families on top n 2 on bottom).what must I do in order to get my huge buildings up coz I’m venturing of into real estate.also if there is a rule what must I do so that the ethekwini can grant me permission to build a fourplex? I want to become a owner of many buildings on the future.many thanx guys
Tristero
James, this is covered in an article under the section on Roofs, viz. Waterproofing Roofs. I have given you the link.
The key paragraph is this one:
“All roofs with a pitch less than 26 degrees or more than 45 degrees, and all roofs in coastal areas (to a distance of 30 km from the sea) should have an undertile membrane that is loose-laid so that water can drain between the rafters. If an undertile membrane is properly laid it will provide a very effective, impermeable barrier against wind-driven rain and dust. For this reason the SANS states that underlays should be provided for all slate and tiled roofs, no matter what the pitch (or slope), and where ceilings are not installed.”
Kevin – damage to your property? Probably not. You would probably have to sue your neighbour for damages. If I were you I would report him to the local authority!
Jonny I don’t believe there is anything in the NBR that deals with heritage buildings. Contact the SA Heritage Resources Authority. They should know.
The City of Cape Town’s new Zoning Scheme Regulations that came into effect in March this year allow people to build right up to the boundary without neighbour’s consent (though they do still need plans). I can’t find anything in these by-laws that mentions distance to boundary walls > heritage buildings. It does say though that the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (Act 25 of 1999) must be complied with. But I can’t immediately see anything that gives this kind of guidance. I have given you the link to download the legislation. It seems to concentrate on “sites” – as does Part A of SANS 10400 – i.e. building on a heritage site.
Hi, we own a heritage house in Cape Town. A new apartment building is being constructed behind our home and is 3 stories high, close to the boundary wall, but I believe within regulation. What does the legislation say about building next to a heritage building (residential)?
I have a neighbour who has done several alterations to his building. He has removed internal wall upstairs downstairs and converted his garage into a bed room without planning permission.We are sectional title ( 3 units ) joined together. My question is will insurance pay out if there is any structural damage from storms ect
Is there a mandatory requirement for new construction or renovation work to install a plastic membrane between the roofing tiles and the trusses to provide run-off protection from any water ingress assocaited with storms?
Stuart if the fence is in the wrong place, then you don’t have any recourse. But you can demand that your neighbour has an independent survey (by a qualified and registered land surveyor) done to prove that it is in the wrong place! Don’t just take his word for it.
Hi – We live in a fenced complex that has been established for over 20 years. Our neighbour is now disputing the boundary fence position. Do they have any recourse after the fence has been in place for so long?
Jacque you need to contact your local authority i.e. council or municipality.
I need a permit for workers on site – where can I get this permit – for instance window cleaners in a corporate office. 3 story building.