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 questions that they ask and have to be satisfactorily answered before the exemption is granted.
There is a link at the bottom of this post so you can download the questionnaire.
The NHBRC’s Nomawethu Maqetuka has published a letter outlining some of the requirements:
Thanks you very much for enquiring about the owner builder process.
Owner Builder
It is a legislative requirement that anyone who wishes to be exempt from the provisions of the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act on the basis of being an owner builder must make submission to the Council prior to the commencement of construction.
Further is a requirement that the applicant proves, inter alia, that he displays the appropriate financial, technical, construction and management capacity to construct the residential unit.
A commissioned motivation by the Applicant:
The following information must be included in the motivation:
- Will the applicant be employing a contractor (“a person appointed by the owner builder to assist in the construction of a home or installation of subsidiary services to a home”) / skilled artisans to assist him? If so, the names of the contractors must be confirmed together with the terms of conditions. Include a copy of the contract/agreement;
- Is the Applicant the owner of the property? If so, provide the title deed.
- If the Applicant is not the owner of the property, but will only be assisting the owner in the building of the latter’s home (as per the definition of owner builder), provide the Title Deed and Power of Attorney (Annexure D) authorising the Applicant to bring the application for exemption and to build the house on his behalf.
- Details of any experience in or knowledge of the built industry (include any certified copies of the qualifications, past experience, knowledge of Home Builders Manuals etc.);
- The applicant must agree to write the Technical
- Who will be occupying the home;
- Has the applicant applied for owner builder exemption on any other property previously, or does he intend to do so in future? Provide details of property and circumstances.
Kind Regards
Nomawethu Maqetuka
Benefits of being an owner builder
Being a house owner builder in South Africa comes with several benefits.
Firstly, owning a home is an important investment and building your own home can increase its value. Building your own home allows you to customize the design and features to your specific needs and preferences, making it a personal and unique space.
Secondly, building your own home provides you with greater control over the construction process and timeline. This can result in a more efficient and cost-effective process, as you can make decisions and changes as needed, rather than relying on a contractor.
Thirdly, as a house owner builder, you have the opportunity to choose the materials, products and suppliers you want to use, which can result in significant cost savings. Additionally, you can oversee the workmanship and quality of the construction, ensuring that your home is built to your standards.
Furthermore, being a house owner builder can provide you with valuable knowledge and experience in the construction industry, which can be useful for future projects or investments. It also provides a sense of pride and accomplishment in having built your own home.
Overall, building your own home in South Africa can be a rewarding experience, both financially and personally. However, it is important to consider the responsibilities and requirements involved in the process, including obtaining the necessary permits, meeting building codes, and managing the construction process.
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Hi Steve, If the system has an Agrément certificate from the SABS then there is no problem. The manufacturer must supply you with the installation standards that you can use as these should have been drawn up by an engineer before they had the system SABS Agrément approved.
Hi Samke, You must contact the NHBRC directly and ask them: NHBRC
hi,my boss would like to find out what would be needed for him to get a NHBRC certificate.he owns a company but now he wants to ge into building as well,he has qualified builders. what else must he have in order to get a certificate
Hi,
I’m having plans drawn up by an architect for some alterations and we are about to go into the submission phase but have hit a little snag.I would like to use a system devised by a manufacturer which is a a form of slip form shuttering. The system has been approved by the NHBRC. The architect wants to specify the method on the plan that it must be to engineers detail. Does this mean that I need to employ an engineer at additional costs that I have haven’t factored into my budget? or can the compliance certificate that the manufacturer will issue satisfy the regulatory requirements?
Regards
Hi Janek,
can my husband do the technical test ? from what I read it means we will be NHBRC exempt and then we can sell when completed ?
Thanks
Hayley
Hi Hayley, Catch 22 – all new houses must be registered with the NHBRC as you know, as an “owner builder” you are not allowed to sell the house within 5 years, this is the law. The only way is to build the normal way and then you can sell it within the 5 years.
Hi
can you answer a question for me please, my husband is going to build us a house and we will need to sell it within 5 years how does he become registered with the NHBRC in his personal capacity, he doesnt run a business, he does it as a hobby.
thanks
Hayley Sparks 082xxxxxxx
Paul, the information in this post is in the form of a letter from NHBRC’s Nomawethu Maqetuka. I presume he means technical test. Basically getting an exemption from the NHBRC means you don’t have to enroll your house and pay the relevant fees; and you don’t have to be registered as a builder with the NHBRC. But you are then taking some responsibility and need to have a modicum of building-related knowledge. The test they do is multiple choice and certainly not at the level of knowledge a trained engineer or architect would have. Nor do you need to know how to lay bricks etc.
If you are going to use an NHBRC-registered builder, then there is no reason to apply for an exemption. In any case, the National Building Regulations require you to have a competent person draw up your plans and take responsibility for the build.
Tx for your article, in which you mentioned: “The applicant must agree to write the Technical”
1. What precicely does this “technical” entails?
2. Why should I, as the Owner Builder, do a “technical exam” – if I’ll be using highly skilled and competent builders, artisans, engineers and architects?
3. I’ve had it “hinted” at me that, as Owner Builder, I need to personally have all these “skills and competencies”. I do not understand this (if it’s true), because (a) the reason for the excemption is because it’ll be my 1st house I’ll be staying in; won’t sell it in 5 yrs+; will be using cash; do not require “protection against myself” (etc); and (b) Strange … but it almost seems to me as though the NHBRC does not want me to use technically competent people (like their own NHBRC registerdet builders).
No it is not true, though some of the banks will insist that you use an NHBRC builder. You will have to motivate you own specific case to a financial institution.
Is it true that you cannot get a building loan as an owner builder?
Step number one contact the NHBRC – they have forms that need to be filled in. They will also explain all other steps you need to take.
Hi. How does one get an exemption from the NHBRC?
thanks
Your problem will be as an owner builder and building a new house is that as an owner builder you have to get an exemption from the NHBRC, and then as an owner builder you are then not allowed to sell the house for a period of 5 (five) years. If you have a friendly builder you might be able to build for that amount but I am not really sure. BTW thank you for the compliment 🙂
Hi there. Your website is perhaps the only one in SA that is full of resources and useful info- thanks. Question from my side- we bought a plot 10 years ago but have made a huge loss on it. We want to build to sell- but owner build (with help from a friend who is a builder- we would try to get him registered with the NHBRC- he really has a lot of experience!). Do you think we would be able to build a 100sqm home (using 190 blocks) for R500 000? We only have that available and cant get a further bond on our current property.