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Owner building phases - foundations, construction and finishing.
Owner building phases – foundations, construction and finishing.

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2 comments

  1. We are planning a very small extension to our house. A bathroom and
    dressingroom. We do NOT need a new geyser. We have a quotation for
    almost R10 000 for the plans and the 5 inspections. 3 inspections by
    the draftsperson and 2 from an structural engineer. Is all of that
    really needed under new legislation for Gauteng? If not what advice
    can you give me?

  2. If it is a small, uncomplicated extension, I see no reason to involve a structural engineer, unless there are by-laws in Gauteng that I don’t know about. In terms of the “new” National Building Regulations (2008), you simply need to have the plans drawn by a competent person, and that person must do inspections and certify that it has been constructed according to the plans.
    It sounds to me that because you are using a draughtsperson, that person feels the need to call in a structural engineer. Have you considered using an architectural technologist or an architect? I’ve guessing it might be cheaper in the long run. If nothing else, perhaps you should get a second quotation. Or have the plans already been drawn up? If so, I’d be tempted to ask the advice of the planning dept of your local authority.
    Have a look at the amendment to Part A of the legislation http://www.buildingregulations.co.za/download/Amendment-of-30-May-2008-to-the-National-Building-Regulations.pdf This applies to ALL provinces and has all the info in terms of plans and inspections (albeit in a rather jumbled format). I don’t think it specifies how many inspections must be done, but rather leaves this to a) the competent person employed, and b) the local authority, that might call for an engineer if they believe it is necessary.
    I hope this helps.

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