renovation and council approval requirements

A

alpina

hi guys,

could someone please explain to me when council approval is required when one undertakes renovations? for eg, is it only required when structural changes are made to the building such as new rooms, extensions, etc or is there more to it? im assuming council approval is not required when bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, etc are altered - correct assumption or not?

If for eg, i had 2 rooms seperated by a common wall and i decided to knock down that wall to make it one big room, would council approval be required in that situation?

thanks,

julie
 
The council will tell you that a building application is always necessary but keep in mind that all they really want are the application fees
 
Generally structural alterations is the tigger point.

I do not beleive that painting a house or re=laying floor tiles constitutes a DA Approval from Council. You may be required by law to engage a licensed trade contractor though if you are not doing it yourself.

I have found mots Council Officers resonable if you talk to them about these issues.

:)
 
Alpina,

You HAVE to check with the council - they all have slightly different rules.

Generally if it's structural (load-bearing interior walls, external walls, other structures (ie garages) you'll need approval.

Non-loadbearing internal walls can be altered without approval with most councils (but don't take my word as gospel for your council).

Make sure you don't just ask the council planner but get a copy of their guidelines & bylaws and read them! Council staff also get it wrong sometime to your detriment :)

Cheers,

Aceyducey
 
Julie

It is highly unlikely that you will need council approval to render an existing house, especially if there are other rendered houses in the area, however there is always the possibility that there may be restrictions on the finish and colours of your extrernal walls. A simple phone call to local council should answer this.

As for the internal wall, I don't see why council has to know about any internal work done, as long as it complies with the BCA, my view only.


Regards

Adrian See
 
If you have a council like ours whatever you do, do not give them your address. they will have a complience inspector around in less than 4 minutes, he may even find things the previous owner did that is not legal, which you will be responsible for.
At the end of world war 2 the Nazi party disentigrated, and I believe a fair majority of them gained employment at our local council, I gave up trying to do the right thing a long time ago.
 
Adaran

I would welcome any inspection, rather than experience devastation such as recently occured in Bam, where building regulations do not exist.

When I was doing the Builder's Registration Course, we heard horrific stories of people taking out 'non-load bearing' walls in ground floor rooms, then installing gigantic spa baths in upper storey rooms, with consequent sagging of the floors and danger of the bath falling into the lovely new open plan space downstairs.

Always check with your local council. The Planning and Building departments are very happy to help with enquiries. This is what they do all day, every day. They are not there to spoil your plans, but they are there to ensure that any work done complies with the Building Code of Australia.

There is no point in doing work, then perhaps later wanting to sell the property and finding that the work is condemned, which can and does happen, or that the work fails and your insurance company disclaims liability.

Even doing 'cosmetic' work such as tiling must meet standards. If the work is not water proofed properly then you are just passing shoddy work onto someone else.

Where I live the building must meet bushfire control standards, plus earthquake standards. It is hard to get correct information just from reading a pamphlet or a DIY book from the hardware store.

For exampe, did you know that tolerance for hanging a door is 3mm around the jamb? No, neither did I, until a Building Inspector failed a door which I had paid a Licensed Builder to install. And believe me, buyers want to see a clean Building Inspection Report, not one covered with all sorts of future problems.

Cheers

Kristine
 
Another good rule of thumb is the eaves. As well as what they others said above, you can alter extreior walls out to the edge of the eaves.

Any further and you'll need council approval.

jas
 
Well, there are a few people here who don't seem to like Councils much (and, by extension, town planners) *sigh*
I'm certainly sick of people bagging out Councils......you should be on the other side of the counter and see some of the "turkey" schemes I used to see !!!!

Just to advise you, You need development approval for most major alterations and additions. In NSW, you need approval for the following:

(a) the use of land;
(b) the subdivision of land
(c) the erection of a building
(d) the carrying out of a work
(e) the demolition of a building or work
(f) any other act, matter or thing referred to in Section 26 that is controlled by an environmental development plan (look up the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979)

In other words, anything included in Council's planning controls, requires you to apply for approval. However, some things are then exempted from obtaining approval and this would vary in each Council area. It is always worth asking as, in NSW, there are no retrospective approvals granted and the work you have done will either have to be demolished or, If the Council decides not to issue an order to demolish, the changes you have made without approval are unlikely to be insurable.

Building approval is a separate issue and is run by private certifiers via the State Government. Councils are no longer responsible for this side of the work.

So, as Kristine mentioned, Councils play a helpful role, advising etc and charge fees based on the cost of the work.

Why be afraid to involve them, is the work you propose so dodgy that you would rather not even ask them if consent is required ???

By the way, I am a senior Urban Planner with a great deal of experience at all three levels of government, especially local government and am responsible for project-managing the development approval process through Council of some major recent Sydney landmark developments and don't really see myself as a nazi. I always put my self in my applicant's shoes and tried to see both sides, consequently, in 10 years I've never found myself in the Land and Environment Court because I always negotiated a satisfactory outcome.
 
My last encounter with a council

Question :
I would like to paint my house this colour and that colour, will this be OK?

Answer : You will have to put in a building development application (cha ching $179 and 3 month wait).

Question : does the council have a preset preference of colours that the house could be painted?

Answer : You will have to put in a building development application.

Question : I would like to build a stone retaining wall to replace on old rotten wooden one, it will not exceed 400mm.

Answer : You will have to put in a building development application.

Question :
How come my development plan has been rejected?

Answer : because it does meet the requirements.

Question : I know that , but what part of the plan failed?

Answer : Im afraid its not our job to explain this, we just approve or reject these plans, we suggest you get expert advise.

RODWALLOPERS!!!!!!

Well thats my $1200 rate paying dollars well spent.

I am not talking about idiots that remove load bearing walls or other structural changes that require engineering advise, I am talking about the plonkers who sit at the council whining about how tough there job is while not helpng the people that pay their wages.
Im talking about on the one hand councils wasting huge amounts of money (my money) on one hand going through courts because a resident happens to have a shed 15cms to close to the boundary, and then on the other letting 150 year old mansions of great heritage and significance being ripped down without even a whimper so that 10 tuscan bomb shelters with feature garages can be erected in its place.
Im sure there are some great councils out there, just not where I live.
 
It is also almost pointless comparing a place like Bam to here.
You are correct they do not have building standards, in most areas they would not have running water, sewage systems etc. Most of the population would live in mud huts and shanties, thats why it was and is such a mess.
I agree standards must be adhered to but when councils stick to them regardless of common sense, that is what annoys me.
 
Slightly off topic, but a chance to vent.....

I've always made a point of making sure any pergola's I build are council approved (somewhat abnormal I admit....)

All same council.
Pergola # 1 - circa 1993
Application Fee $20 (drew plans myself - architecture at tech school was useful after all....)
Straight forward process. All approved.
Became a "Approval advocate" telling everyone to get approval - easy and cheap and better.

Pergola # 2 - circa 2000/1
Application Fee $125 (drew plans myself).
Argued over footings (I won)
Wanted to see proof of purchase (what, my name on YOUR shire records title not enough?)
All approved.
Started to wonder about the whole value of the approval process.

Pergola # 3 - 2003/4
Application fee $159 (drew plans myself).
Had to provide COPY OF TITLE (yes, my name was still on THEIR records) $20
Had to provide copy of subdivision (in case somehow I'd subdivided without them knowing, even though covenents prevent it) $18
Argued over footings (just for something different) - I won
Argued over attachment to wall - I gave in - too bloody hard!
Still building this one.

Inspector asked why I dug the footings so deep - because they wanted them that deep !!!!

I am now Anti approval - for me anyway. It's a bloody joke now, and I was told it was about to get worse.

That's the last time I go through that BS.


Admitedly, the council guys were typically helpful, even helping saying how to fix non-complying bits - except for the bloody mindedness about seeing title's - I think they had more leeway than they gave.

No more for this little mouse.

Cheerio

Simon.
 
I have just received approval for my DA converting existing garage to Games Room with bathroom.

With the following conditions...........
*Plumbing drainage and stormwater works internal and external to dwelling Compliance Certificate
*Timber framework Compliance Certificate
*Occupation Certificate
*Compliance with the Building Code of Australia

Plus another 11 conditions including....
*pest management certification
*signboard at front of property no smaller than 600x450mm
*proof of waterproof membrane under slab (which has already been approved)
etc etc etc

Does anyone have any idea how much all this certification will cost? This DA approval took 3 attempts over 12 months.

Not much fun!
Cheers,
Crystal
 
PS
On my signboard I must indicate...
*the builder (including licence number)
*site address
*approval under which the work is carried out
*the consent authority
*and emergency contact phone number

My father is a carpenter by trade (retired) and will be doing the work. He doesn't have a licence number. What should I do?

Thanks for your help,
Crystal
 
Crystal

You can get yourself an owner builders permit to carry out the work or if your father has any friends who are builders with current licences, maybe they will agree for you to nominate them as builder and they can do a final inspection of your fathers work when complete.


Regards

Adrian See
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

jodes92
Splitting one bathroom into two
Replies
4
Views
5K
jrc
J
S
Renovation while tenant is still in property
Replies
4
Views
1K
Rhinsor
R
S
Building under high set house?
Replies
1
Views
2K
wylie
W
T
Bypassing local councils min frontage requirements (WA)
Replies
10
Views
2K
Tano
T
N
Can you build a duplex granny flat?
2
Replies
33
Views
8K
RetireRich101
R
Back
Top