What Types of Plans do I need to be Familiar With?

• Location plan
• Site or Block Plan
• Floor Plans
• Elevations
• Sections
• Detailed Drawings
• Specifications
• A Title Block
• Waste Management Plans
• Site Management Plans
• Landscape Plans
• Shadow Diagrams
• Bracing Schedules

Plans & Permits Checklist
 * Do your building plans, then check if you need planning and building permits before work starts
 * As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure permits are obtained
 * Choose your own independent building surveyor
 * Use registered architects, designers and draftspeople
 * Make sure your building contract clearly states who is responsible for doing your building plans and who will obtain permits

First – Do Your Plans
We recommend you get your building plans prepared by a registered architect, designer, or draftsperson.

They MUST take into Account
- Foundation data and the results of any soil tests
- Local council laws and regulations
- Mandatory energy rating requirements
- Results from a site survey by a licensed land surveyor, if there are any concerns about the boundaries of the property

If your plans do not take these things into account, you risk paying for plans you cannot use.
Before you sign the building contract, make sure your building plans and specifications detail all the features, fixtures, fittings and finishes you want.

Make sure your building contract clearly states who is responsible for doing your building plans and who will obtain your permits (for example, your builder, architect, or you).

Check If You Need A Planning & Building Permit

As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to make sure planning and building permits are obtained, whether you get them yourself or get someone else (such as your builder) to do it for you.

It is also your responsibility to make sure that the Certificate of Final Inspection or Occupancy Permit is obtained when work is complete (this is the final step in the permit process).

Your local council issues planning permits and can advise whether your building project needs one. If you need a planning permit, you must get one before you can get a building permit.

Check if there are any additional council requirements for your area, for example, termite or fire protection requirements, or a development levy.

A registered building surveyor can advise whether you need a building permit
(a written approval from a registered building surveyor that shows your plans comply with building regulations).

You must not start work without a building permit.

The building surveyor will assess your application (for a fee) and either:
 * Request changes to ensure the plans and specifications comply with building regulations
 * Grant the building permit, allowing building work to start

Ensure only one building surveyor is appointed, either by you or the builder.
- You or your architect, designer or draftsperson can apply to the local council for the planning permit
- You can obtain a building permit from a registered private or council building surveyor, or
- Your builder can get the planning and building permits on your behalf

If Your Builder Gets Your Building Permit

When your builder acts on your behalf to get a building permit, you:
 – Must provide them with written authority either in your building contract or in a separately signed document
 – Should read the permit application carefully and only sign if you understand and agree with the contents
 – Should receive a copy of the building permit when it is issued

If your builder gets your building permit, you may not be involved in choosing the building surveyor or know what details are on the application documents.

You can ask your builder for information about the building surveyor they plan to use, and for a copy of the permit and the permit application.

Caution for Owner Builders

Do not sign the building permit application as an owner builder unless you:
* Intend to take full responsibility for the project
* Have an owner builder’s Certificate of Consent from the Building Practitioners Board at the Victorian Building Authority/Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)

Working with Architects, Designers, and Draftspeople

Architects, designers and drafts people can:
- Design and draft building plans
- Obtain engineering and foundation data (with your written authority)
- Obtain planning and building permits (with your written authority)

Drawings and Specifications for Building Works can be Prepared by
 * Architects registered with the Architects Registration Board, who have professional indemnity insurance
 * Designers and draftspeople registered with the Building Practitioners Board
 * Owner Builders

The architect, designer, or draftsperson:
- Should provide a written contract that specifies what you will get for your money
- May charge a lump sum or an hourly rate as agreed in the contract
- May have copyright on any drawings, plans and documentation prepared under your contract.

Make sure you understand who has copyright, and when and how you can use the plans.

Working with Building Surveyors
We suggest you choose your own building surveyor, so you can be confident of their independence.

The building surveyor who issues your building permit is responsible for:
- Conducting inspections of the site, and of building works at specific stages of completion
- Checking that work meets the minimum standards of building regulations

You can engage an independent building consultant to check that the work meets the standards agreed in your contract (over and above the minimum standards of the building regulations).

Location Plan
A location plan may be required if it is a big development so that the relative location of the site in a particular street is clear. It will show lot numbers, deposit plan numbers and a north point, using various scales but usually 1:5,000.

Site or Block Plan
A Site or Block Plan is usually drawn at 1:500 and gives the following information.

A site plan allows us to:
• Calculate the area and site coverage of the proposed development.
• Calculate the distance from the boundaries to the development.
• View the contours that may be imposed on the land in question.
• View the driveway, stormwater drainage, paths, easements and right of carriage
• Identify features that must be preserved e.g. trees, rocks, existing structures

Key Features
Generally, a site plan should show:
• All existing and proposed structures on the allotment
• Easements, rights of way, driveways, vehicle access points, location of any watercourse on the property, any adjacent roads, and streets
• Allotment boundaries (including dimensions in metres)
• Approximate north point and scale

Site plans are usually drawn at a scale of not less than 1:200

Site Plan

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