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 by your local authority’s building control officer before you can commence with any work.
As long as you make an application to get the proper approval from the local authority, you DO NOT NEED PLANS. But the law is also very clear in terms of compliance with the regulations. Minor building work must adhere to the regulations.
Temporary Buildings
Short-term structures also need permission from the local authority. This includes builders’ sheds, on-site toilets, and any other structure you may want to build (or be obliged to erect) for the building project.
The local authority will not give you the approval to build a temporary building until you give certain information, so they are able to evaluate it. At the very least they have to know:
• what the planned use and life span of the building will be
• the space in which it is to be built (in other words where you are intending to put it)
• the availability of proper materials from which it may be constructed
The Definition of “minor building work” in Terms of the Law
a ) the erection of poultry houses (hoenderhokke or chicken coops) that are no more than 10 square metres in size,
aviaries that are no bigger than 20 square metres,
solid fuel stores (for storing wood, coal, anthracite or similar) that are no more than ten square metres in area and no higher than two metres,
tool sheds that are smaller than 10 square metres,
children’s playhouses that are no more than five square metres,
cycle sheds no more than five square metres,
greenhouses that are a maximum of 15 square metres,
open-sided car, caravan or boat shelters or carports that do not exceed 40 square metres in size,
any freestanding wall built with masonry, concrete, steel, aluminium, or timber or any wire fence that does not exceed 1,8 metres in height at any point above ground level and does not retain soil,
any pergola, private swimming pool (although most local authorities do insist on plans),
change room at a private swimming pool not exceeding 10 sq m in area.
b ) the replacement of a roof (or part of a roof) with the same or similar materials,
c ) the conversion of a door into a window, or a window into a door, without increasing the width of the opening,
d ) the making of an opening in a wall that doesn’t affect the structural safety of the building concerned,
e ) the partitioning or enlarging of any room by the erection or demolition of an internal wall, as long as it doesn’t affect the structural safety of the building,
f ) the section of any solar water heater not exceeding six square metres in area on any roof; or 12 square metres if the water heater is erected elsewhere,
g ) the erection of any building that the local council doesn’t believe plans are necessary for.
In the last example, it is up to the building control officer to make this assessment.
How This Affects You
We have had quite a few inquiries relating to when and where plans are required. As you will see, there are some exceptions, but in the end, it is up to the local authority to determine whether or not you need plans.
It also makes sense that the structures defined as minor building work will all need to be fit for purpose. So you can’t say you are putting together an aviary (which can be 20 square metres in area), and then build a brick building with windows, suitable for human habitation!
Read more about this here: Plans & Minor Building Work, A Garden Structure
hi ,i have approved plans ,on those plans it shows one big entrance gate for entrance and exit , i was wondering if i could put two gates (entrance and exit) instead of one ,and if so would i need to re submit plans ? thanks
The braai place is just the standard one build from bricks with no chimney.
Hi, I would like to know if it is legal to build your braaiplace right next to the boundary wall of your neighbours, where there are trees and big shrubs that reaches your neighbours roof??
Hi Janek
Kindly advise, I had a precast fencing on the road side of my property that was becoming unstable, Due the high accidents in my road where motorist crashed into 3 houses, smashing through their boundary walls and fences, I had the fencing removed and built a boundary wall with the highest point from ground level being less than 1.2m,the boundary wall doesn’t seperate any neighbours property but provides a barrier from reckless drivers crashing into our property.As the level of the ground declines towards the entrance of the property, the height of the wall increases to 1.6m. and the highest column is 1.8m.
Is this considered “Minor Building Works”? Do i need to submit a building plan now that the wall is completed?
Hi Gideon, depending on your municipality but with most municipalities for this extent of “addition” the owner would only have to inform the local authority in writing that they intend to erect the “carport”. The law puts the onus on the local authority to decide if plans are required for any extension or addition. A word of advice, if the owner wants to sell at a later stage and plans are called for and the addition is not reflected on the plans, or if there was no written notification relating to the addition, then there could be fines levied and they could lose a sale because of the delay this could cause.
Hi Lauren, Yes you will need to get permission and according to the regulations you will have to have both a registered electrician and a registered plumber do the work and to issue certificates for the council.
We would like to convert a wooden garden shed into a domestic worker’s quarters. Do we require councils’ permission to install the plumbing and lights?
Hello Janek,
I am a new trustee on our complex’s Body Corporate. One of the owners wants to put up a metal roof carport next to his unit to protect his vehicles from sun/hail etc.
– this parking is not next to another unit
– it will be affixed to his garage on the one side and a double wall on the opposite
– THe work is to be professionally
My question is what is needed to approve this?
– Do we just need to inform the local authority in terms of materials and cost
– I cant find any resolutions that this isn’t allowed in our complex
– All 3 trustees approve
– Similar structures have been erected at units (at the back over their patio’s)
There is one person objecting to this erection, what is his/her rights and ours.
I know this is a mouth full but appreciate your input as I am very unfamiliar in this territory.
I would like to put up a 4m X 2m Chromadek carport type roof on a balcony for the rain.
Raw bolted to the 4m wall and the front two poles raw bolted to a base plate with 4 raw bolts on the floor.
Probably not.
Technically yes, usually not. It’s like a braai. They are brick structures and although not mentioned in the section on minor building works, are usually regarded as minor building work. But check with your council to be sure.
This exterior wall sounds as though it is a loadbearing wall so any alterations to this wall will need plans to be approved before you do any work.
Be careful before you take out any walls inside your house as they could be loadbearing and essential to holding up your roof if you have a single storey or walls above if it is a double storey. Get on site advice from an expert. If it is loadbearing then you will need plans, if not then you may do this without plans but you should inform the council in writing that you have done the alteration. You must keep a copy of the letter for your records so that if you sell at a later stage you are covered when the buyer sees that the house and the plans differ.
I wish to break the dining room wall and insert a sliding door to access the entertainment area.
Hi, I have recently bought a house which has an entertainment area on the outside of the house. It is directly on the other end of my dining room wall. I wish to know if I will have to re-draw my house plans if I want to make it accessible by means of an aluminium sliding door? Kindly help me please 🙂
If you are building a braai like this against your neighbours wall then you will need to inform them in writing. They might object as the smoke might interfere with their enjoyment of their own property and by law you are not allowed to do anything that will affect your neighbour badly. The best is to discuss this with them in an open and friendly manner. You will have to inform the council in writing as well that you have have carried out “minor building work” and built a braai. Read this as well: minor-building-works
I live in plumstead and want to have a braai 2m long x 75 deep by 3m high with chimney build against the back of our shared boundary wall which is 3.5 high – does this need plans?
I want to put up a covered patio structure, similar to a car port. 4 or 6 steel columns dug into the ground and concreted in. IBR sheeting for the roof. Less than 40 square metered. Does this require building plans.
Does a pizza oven need counsil approval?
Sorry Celeste but your builder is telling you an untruth as many builders do to get work. You will need plans approved
before
you start building. Many people have been caught out this way and when the council have caught up with them then the fines can be very costly. If you want to sell your house at a later stage and you did not get plans done and the proper approval you might not be allowed to sell the house until this is put right and this could be very expensive.
Good day
I want to extend my garage by 1.3m in width and them change the roof from zinc flat roof to a a frame and will not be a boundary wall but it will be extended to the inside of my garden. The builder says it’s ok no plans needed. I want to check if this is ok.
DO I NEED BUILDING PLANS TO CLOSE ONS SIDE OF MY EXISTING LAPA?
If you have a look at our post on “minor building work” it explains what is allowed. The regulations say: “an open-sided car, caravan or boat shelters or carports that do not exceed 40 square metres in size,” so you will need plans. It may cost a lot more at a later stage if you build without plans and permission first.
Good day
I would like to know if I can extend my existing carport. I live in Centurion and my existing carport is 12x 6 m. It was there when I moved in years ago and I see it is not on the house plans.I want to extend it by 10 m. Therefore in the end it will be 22x 6 m. Do you think I ill have a problem as the existing one is not on the plans and do you think I will be able to erect it with just asking for permissions. I need to urgently extend the carport due to the hail season. I am a woman and do not know all about this kind of stuff and i do not have alot of money to pay architects ect.
Hi Ian, This is unfortunately the way it is, any municipality has the right to demand plans if they want them even though the building regulations say that what you are building is “minor building work”. If you are concerned about the repercussions then you must go in person to the planning department that deals with your area with your address and erf number, and possibly a few photos of what is there at the moment, and speak to a senior planner and ask for the reason why they want plans for “minor building work”. Please let us know the outcome.