Builders often say the build itself is the easy part – it’s all the other things you have to do before and after work starts that take up time they simply don’t have.

Getting a building approval can be one of the most frustrating steps, so we’ve asked Grant Johnsen from Buildable what are his five top tips for a quicker building approval.

1 – Get a Preliminary Planning Check

Involving your certifier early on will pay dividends down the track. This preliminary check allows them to confirm whether a Siting Dispensation or other Town Planning approval is required. Identifying and addressing potential compliance issues upfront saves significant time and resources later. Your certifier should provide a detailed quote outlining their services, required information, and applicable fees. 

2 – Get referral applications moving

Council processing times vary and it pays to get this step underway as soon as the concept is finalised. Engage your Certifier and initiate the applications. Where siting dispensations are required a minimum of an additional 14 days should be allowed for. If separate town planning consent is required, your local council will typically take up to 35-55 working days, sometimes longer.

3 – Accuracy Matters: Complete your engagement agreement thoroughly

Anytime critical information is missing from your engagement agreement, a Request for Information (RFI) or written update is required – this is a common cause for delay. If any information is wrong, it will hold up final certificates or mean paperwork has to be re-issued. Check the forms and check again. There are standard items that each building approval application will require before the assessment can be undertaken and your Certifier should be able to provide you with a list of these. 

4 – Be proactive in collecting the essential documents

Your building approval will list what forms and certificates are needed to finalise the approval and it pays to obtain these and send them through to your Certification team as you go.  Make sure any contractors you use know you will need paperwork on completion of the job.

 5 – Stay connected and keep your Certifier across any changes that happen as they happen

The final inspection will be made against the approved set of plans. If the plans have changed, they will need to be revised for the approval paperwork also. The most successful Certifier/Builder relationships are when there is great communication on both sides. It pays to work with a team that can provide answers when you need them – and often that might be when you are on site.

Buildable has resources for builders on its website which can make this much easier, including prefilled/templated Form 12s and Form 43s which can be given straight to your suppliers. There are also assessment checklists for each build classification – see here.

Author: TGB Editorial