House-Building-team
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10 most important things for the Homeowner

The 10 most important things that the South African homeowner should be aware of and look out for when building a house: Additional Considerations: Remember, building a house is a journey, not just a destination. By being proactive, informed, and well-prepared, you can significantly increase your chances of a smooth and successful building experience. Don’t…

House Building regulations new

We Help Explain The Building Regulations, Easy to understand

We simplify the complex rules and regulations for you – A beginner’s guide Understanding the intricacies (ins and outs) of building regulations (also known as Codes) can be a labyrinthine (big maze) task for homeowners and builders alike. Often viewed as an intimidating web of legalities and technicalities, these codes are fundamental in ensuring the…

demolition house
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Before You Demolish: Essential Rules You Need to Know (Part E)

Site Safety during Demolitions-Part E The process of demolition is a critical precursor to new construction, but it requires a nuanced understanding of safety regulations outlined in Part E of the National Building Regulations. Part E serves as a guiding light, emphasizing common sense and the exercise of caution. It essentially delves into three pivotal…

Casting Concrete for foundations

Regulations for Foundations Part-H, A Focus on Safety

Foundations, Part H, of any structure, large or small, must be built to safely transmit all loads of the building to the ground. If foundations are not correctly built, walls may crack and at worst, could even collapse. While the National Building Regulations specify general requirements for foundations, it is the deemed-to-satisfy rules contained in…

unsafe buildings

New Measures Needed? Tackling The Threat Of Unsafe Buildings

Councils Must be Ruthless with Restricting Occupation of Unsafe Buildings I think it must be terrifying to be woken at 04:00 in the morning by a thunderclap that makes the whole building shudder. Then, in a confused state, you realise your bed’s still shaking and, no, it wasn’t thunder, it was the building falling down….

houses of parliament for Construction Laws

Is Your Construction Project SANS 10400 Compliant? Find Out Now!

How Construction Laws, National Building Regulations and South African National Standards Affect Homeowners Prior to 1985, various provinces and municipalities in South Africa had their own construction laws and regulations which, although similar, were not the same. Over a period of years, a committee of experts, including architects, builders, developers, and the Bureau of Standards (SABS) professionals researched and compiled…

House Plans pic by Karolina Grabowska

Is Your House Plan Submission Ready? Find Out Now!

House Plan Submissions – What is the Process? The City of Cape Town has created an easy-to-follow infographic to explain how the process of house plan submissions works. No Online Plan Submissions Plans cannot be submitted by post or online, they have to be “walked through” personally by the owner or his appointed qualified professional….

Flash drive with plans

Cape Town: Submit Your Building Plans Electronically Now!

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…

PAJA is set in this court
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SA’s Secret Weapon: The PAJA Law You Should Know About

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…

Cape Town municipality contact
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Municipal Mystery Solved: How To Contact Your Local District Authorities

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…

Town Planning

Unlocking Permits: Understand Building Regulations Quickly

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…

Bricklaying-minor-building-wok
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Minor Work In Your Garden: Does It Need Approval?

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…

Competent person drawing
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Avoid Delays: Ensure Your Plans Have A Qualified Designer

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…

Electrics & lighting

Light Up Your Build: SANS 10400 Electrical & Lighting Basics

ELECTRICS & LIGHTING – WHAT’S INVOLVED Electrics & Lighting & Electronics are Related Fields. While both these related fields are specialised and take considerable training to be tackled in their entirety, there are projects involving both electrics and electronics that anyone with a reasonable aptitude and understanding can tackle. These range from wiring a plug…

The NHBRC manuals sans 10400 regulations
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SANS 10400 regulations, General Principles and Requirements

SANS 10400 Regulations Governs the Design, planning and supervision of all construction work Each section of SANS 10400 regulations, 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…

Building lines on Plan
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Legal Boundary, Building Lines, Walls & Fences

How far from the boundary wall must I build? We get a number of questions asking “What are my building lines” and “How close to the boundary am I (or my neighbour) allowed to build?” The site plan above is a sample and is only a guide to the approximate building lines and distances that…

Rubbish refuse pollution

Waste Made Easy: Part-U Building Regulations Simplified

Building Regulations Part-U Refuse Disposal Part-U of the SANS 10400 Refuse disposal states that ‘Any building, excluding a dwelling house’ that has refuse generated in that building will provide ‘adequate’ storage areas for rubbish containers. Over and above this the planning and building must provide access from the street so that the containers can be…