QUICK TIPS
To Get You Started
- If you are not sure about the fine details of your project, it is a good idea to start with preliminary drawings. They give you the option of ‘testing the waters’, stopping to regroup, or progressing to Council approval.
- If you are getting drawings done for Council, it is a good idea to get a licensed Building Designer, just like you would get a licensed builder to build your house.
- If you get drafting drawings done by a building designer involving any new structural work, you will need a structural engineer to issue a form 15 and sign off on structural drawings before Council approval.
- If you plan to do any construction or renovation near your site boundaries, it is usually a good idea to get a site survey with survey pegs indicating where your boundary lines are- or you might find out that your new fence is actually in your neighbour’s yard!
- A form 15 is a structural compliance certificate issued by a structural engineer that indicates your drawings are structurally ‘safe’ to be built after Council approval.
A form 16 is an inspection form issued by a private certifier or structural engineer after a construction stage is successfully completed.
A form 21 is a form normally issued by a private certifier after all the building inspections have been carried out, all requirements met, and the building project has now been formally deemed completed.