Why do I
have to submit building plans for approval?
The
National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (no 103 of 1977)
stipulates that no person may erect, alter, add to, or convert any building
without the prior approval of the Local Authority.
How do I go about submitting building
plans for approval?
You or your architect/draftsperson must prepare one set of building plans for
submission by colouring in the plan as set out in the National Building
Regulations. If there is work of a structural engineering nature, then a person
who is Registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa must sign the
drawings and also sign a form (obtainable from City of Johannesburg Building
Control) taking responsibility for the structural engineering work; this form
must also be completed by you (the owner of the property, who is the
"applicant").
A copy of the Title Deed must accompany the application, as well
as a completed application form and a Zoning Certificate (Zoning Certificates
can be obtained on payment of a fee from the Geographical Information Service on
the 8th floor of the Metro Centre, 158 Loveday Street, Braamfontein). If
your building project is anything other than a residential house, approval
should first be obtained from the Fire Department, who will stamp the drawings.
If the zoning certificate stipulates that a Site Development Plan
is approved prior to the commencement of building work, then the approved Site
Development Plan must be submitted as well (if this process has not been
followed, it is necessary, then, to employ a Town Planner to submit a Site
Development Plan to the Land Use Management Department for assessment and
approval before you can submit a building plan). Then, you or your
architect/draftsman/representative must bring all the documents that have been
prepared as described above to the Ground Floor Building Control Office, Metro
Centre,
A plan submission fee will be calculated for you on presentation
of your submission documents. The fee must be paid forthwith (there is a cashier
on hand; payments can be made by cash or cheque). You will then be given a
receipt for the payment, your documents will be taken in, and a file drawn up
(which is referred to by means of the erf number and township, eg Stand 4268
Merry Gardens Extension 23). The file will then be placed in circulation.
If there are alterations to be made to the submission, or extra
fees to be paid, or further specialised information is required, you will be
contacted telephonically by the Plans Examiner who is responsible for assessing
your plan. It is then your responsibility to visit the Ground Floor Building
Control Office at the Metro Centre, where your file can be obtained from the
"pending" (sometimes termed "alterations") cabinet and the
necessary additional requirements attended to. Your file is then returned to the
Plans Examiner for further assessment and final approval. You will be notified
by post once the plan has been approved.
What are the "standard
colours" that must be used on the plans that are submitted for approval?
BUILDING MATERIALS
SITE
PLANS
DRAINAGE
What
drawings must be submitted with a building plan application?
The National Building Regulations require that a site plan and layout drawings
be submitted (layout drawings include plans at each level, sections through the
proposed building(s) and elevations; drainage must be indicated on the layout
plans).
What
scales are stipulated for the drawings that are to be submitted for approval?
Site Plans may be drawn to any one of the following scales: 1:1000; 1:500;
1:300; 1:200 or 1:100
Layout
Drawings may be drawn to any one of the following scales: 1:100; 1:50 or 1:20
Fire
Installation Drawings may be drawn to any one of the following scales: 1:200;
1:100; 1:50 or 1:20
Drainage
Installation Drawings may be drawn to any one of the following scales: 1:200;
1:100 or 1:50.
What
are the compulsory building site inspections?
Where
can I find a copy of the
The National Building Regulations, as well as detailed codes and instructions
for their application, are published by the South African Bureau of Standards
(SABS) in a document entitled SABS 0400 1990 South African Standard Code of
Practice for the application of the National Building Regulations. This document
can be obtained from the offices of the SABS at No
Website http://www.sabs.co.za
What
is an Occupancy Certificate?
An Occupancy Certificate is a document that is issued by the Building Control
sub-directorate in accordance with the National Building Regulations to certify
that a building has been completed in accordance with the approved building plan
and all other relevant City Council requirements (for example, the installation
of fire fighting equipment to the approval of the Fire Department, payment of
all fees and contributions, approved water and electricity connections etc).
Arrange
with the Chief Building Inspector for your area for the issuing of an Occupancy
Certificate once your building work is complete, a final inspection has been
conducted by the Building Inspector, and all other Council requirements have, to
the best of your knowledge, been complied with.
My
building plan has been approved - can I start building straight away?
Before you start building it is advisable to ensure that your builder notifies
the local Building Inspector (via the Chief Building Inspector of the area in
which your property is situated) and arranges with the Building Inspector for
the first inspection (foundation excavations) to take place. You may not proceed
with the next stage of building work until the relevant site inspection has
taken place.
My
neighbour has submitted plans to extend his house and there are windows that
overlook my property, can I stop him from building?
No, you may not stop anyone whose building plans have been approved by the City
of
The
National Building Regulations are silent on the question of
"overlooking" and "privacy". Privacy, on a stand in a built
up urban area is a privilege, not a right (the same applies to a
"view"). While reasonable precautions can be taken to minimise the
intrusions upon neighbours' privacy by new buildings or extensions to existing
buildings, this is not a legal requirement and, if done, it is a courtesy
extended by the owner of the property where the building works are taking place
to his/her neighbours.
You,
and your neighbour, are entitled to fully utilise the property rights that
attach to your property by constructing buildings to the full height - which can
be up to three storeys in many Johannesburg suburbs - and as far as the street
building line, and, as permitted by many of the town planning schemes in
operation in Greater Johannesburg, right up to the side and rear boundaries of
the property.
Where
a building is constructed on the rear or side boundary of the property, however,
no windows may be placed in the wall that is situated on the property boundary.
Windows are permitted in the walls of buildings alongside your property as soon
as the walls of these buildings are set back from the side and rear boundaries -
even if that setback is as little as one metre.
Whom
do I contact to get building plans approved?
The Builidng Plans Approval unit is responsible for the assessment of building
plan applications. It is divided into six sections, each serving a geographic
area. These are the people in charge of each of these units:
Midrand/Ivory
Park/Lanseria/Far Northern areas
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Eugene Venter
Tel No 407 6108
Fax 339 1220
Sandton/Rosebank/North
Eastern Suburbs/Alexandra
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Ian Dixon
Tel No 407 6061
Fax 339 1220
Sandton Office Tel No 881 6320
Randburg/Jhb
North Western Suburbs/Jhb Southern Suburbs
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Serge Kaido
Cell No 082 559 3699
Fax 339 1220
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Rudolf Opperman
Tel No 407 6263
Fax No 403 2492
E-mail : rudolfo@joburg.org.za
Roodepoort/Northcliff
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Jan Pretorius
Tel No 407 6032
Fax No 339 2211
Soweto/Ennerdale/Eldorado
Park/Orange Farm
Assistant Director : NBR Mr Gideon Strauss
Tel No 407 6067
Fax No 339 1220
E-mail : teresab@joburg.org.za
How
do I contact the building inspectors in my area?
Three statutory inspections of building work in progress are prescribed under
the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act - one of the
foundations, one of the open drains, and one when construction is completed.
These inspections are done by the City of
Midrand/Ivory
Park/Lanseria/Far Northern areas
Chief Building Inspector (Midrand/Ivory Park)
Mr Pierre Le Roux
Tel No 313 7688/7727
Fax No 237 8055
Chief
Building Inspector (Lanseria/Far Northern areas)
Mr Paul Cilliers
Tel No 881 6176
Sandton/Rosebank/North
Eastern Suburbs/Alexandra
Chief Building Inspector (Sandton/Rosebank/North Eastern Suburbs)
Mr Albert Van Der Walt
Tel No 303 8815
Fax No 881 6320
Chief
Building Inspector (Alexandra)
Mr Solly Nchachi
Tel No 303 8889
Fax No 440 6121
Randburg/Jhb
North Western Suburbs/Jhb Southern Suburbs
Chief Building Inspector (Randburg/North Western Suburbs)
Mr Derek Coppens
Tel No 407 6041
Fax 339 1220
Chief
Building Inspector (Jhb Southern Suburbs)
Mr Colin Oates
Tel No 407 6055
Fax 403 2492
Acting Chief Building Inspector
Mr Richard Hadebe
Cell No 082 559 3734
Fax 403 2492
Roodepoort/Northcliff
Chief Building Inspector Mr Billy Posthumus
Tel No 761 0313
Fax No 472 2544
Soweto/Ennerdale/Eldorado
Park/Orange Farm
Acting Chief Building Inspector (
Mr James More
Tel No 986 0046
Fax No 986 0046
Acting
Chief Building Inspector (
Mr Abe Khanye
Tel No 342 1264
Fax No 342 1264
Acting
Chief Building Inspector (Ennerdale/Orange Farm)
Mr Joseph Mlanga
Tel No 855 1006/213 0041/6
Fax No 855 1420
Do
I need permission to erect advertising billboards? Whom
do I contact (and) Do I need permission to erect a cellphone mast? Whom do I
contact?
The Outdoor Advertising and Signage unit is responsible for the assessment and
approval of outdoor advertising signage applications, as well as the assessment
and approval of applications for the erection of cellular telephone masts.
Contact
persons:
Acting Manager : Outdoor Advertising Signage
Mr Jan Pretorius
Tel No 407 6032
Fax No 339 2211
Operations
Manager Mrs Sonja Pretorius
Tel No 407 6360
Fax No 339 2211