The latest version of SANS 10400 in South Africa is SANS 10400:2011, also known as the National Building Regulations (NBR). However, please note that regulations and standards are subject to updates and revisions, and there may have been newer versions released since then. “The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is revising its home-building manual…
The South African National Standard (SANS) 10400, also known as the Building Regulations, is a set of standards and regulations that govern the construction and maintenance of buildings in South Africa. These regulations cover various aspects of building design, construction, and safety to ensure that buildings are safe, healthy, and sustainable. The SANS 10400 regulations…
In South Africa, the SANS 10400 refers to the National Building Regulations that provide guidelines and standards for the construction and maintenance of buildings. The SANS 10400 Part U does indeed cover refuse disposal in South Africa’s National Building Regulations. Part U specifically focuses on the design and construction of buildings regarding the provision and…
What Is the SABS? What Does the SABS Do? The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) was established in terms of the Standards Act, 1945 (Act No. 24 of 1945) and now operates under the latest edition of the Standards Act, 2008 (Act No. 29 of 2008). This national body promotes and maintains the standards…
A stunning swimming pool picture aboveWould you need to submit plans for a pool like this? See the post below.Pool by Prim City of Johannesburg Relaxes Swimming Pools Plan Submissions The City of Johannesburg’s Planning Department has confirmed that they have relaxed the by-laws relating to swimming pools and plan submissions. These regulations concern the…
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…
Alterations and Additions to Your Home There are so many changes that have been made to the National Building Regulations in recent years that homeowners may be forgiven for wondering what is and what is not allowed in terms of altering and making home additions. Some of the greatest concerns relate to the new energy…
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…
A List of Definitions and TermsUsed in Town Planning Schemes Includes Land Use and Zonings Terms The Johannesburg metropolitan area is the largest, most diverse and most cosmopolitan in South Africa, so we have based this list on definitions from their Town Planning document, see: town-planning-scheme-jhb. These are not only relevant to Gauteng but are…
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…
Temporary Buildings Must be Authorizedby the Local Authority What the term “temporary building” means
Rapid Urban Decay in Jozi Blamed on Illegal Building The City of Johannesburg has lost control of town-planning infringements, according to an article published in The Star newspaper at the beginning of February 2013. It seems they simply can’t stop them from happening. The Accusations In the article, Ros Greeff, the City’s member of the…
Strategic Planning of Boundary Walls and Fences Boundary walls and fences are one of the most controversial topics facing homeowners. We are constantly contacted by people from all parts of South Africa who want advice – or have some sort of problem – relating to boundary walls and fences – often because neighbours have erected…
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…
Clearing The Site – Getting Ready To Build Preparation is a vital part of any job in the construction industry because if site preparation is not correctly done it can jeopardise the building project. Site clearing operations must also be safe so that there is no chance of anybody being injured. Before you can start…
SABS contact numbers countrywide. SANS-10400-The application of the National Building Regulations is available for purchase from offices nationwide (See the contact numbers and addresses below) or from the SABS online website store. OFFICES OF THE SABS & The National Call Centre 0861 27 7227email: info@sabs.co.za HEAD OFFICE PRETORIA012 428 7911email: info@sabs.co.za 1 Dr Lategan RoadGroenkloofPretoria…
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 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…
Picture Above: A homemade treehouse built just for fun.NOTE THAT THERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT MINOR BUILDING WORK AND THE LAW AT THE END OF THIS POST. Build a Treehouse the Easy Way This blog post is dedicated to Alexander (our boy who learnt to use a hammer at an early age) … and to Simon…
You Don’t Need Plans for Minor Building Work … But you DO Need Permission to Build Anything you build on your property needs plans unless it is defined as “minor building work”. However, the Act states very clearly in Part A: General Principles and Requirements (this was previously Part A: Administration), that any structural building…
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…
Dozens of Residents Die When Building Collapses January 20, 2012: A badly maintained apartment block which was home to some 50 people, collapsed like a pack of cards in Beirut this week, killing at least 25 people. A teenage girl and her grandmother, an elderly man (73), and several labourers from Sudan, Egypt, Jordan and…
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…
1. The NHBRC gives protection against shoddy workmanship The NHBRC was established in terms of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, 1998 to regulate the building industry and protect home buyers against shoddy workmanship. Motivation at the time was largely charged by fly-by-night-builders who were conning people all over the country. There was undoubtedly a…
All buildings must have a strong, serviceable, stable and durable design-Part B Why do you suppose we need structural design professionals to be involved in every aspect of building processes? I’ve thought about this often, since we’ve done a load of DIY projects that involve building, and we have seldom had professionals help us. But…
