Securing your WA building permit

It’s the golden ticket to your future remarkable milestones

Let’s say you’ve got to this point and you’re swimming in a sense of accomplishment. All your paperwork is stacked up on your personal portal, [link] you’ve racked up a few sleepless nights reading every word of this new-life best seller, and you realise that you’re on the edge of all the remarkable milestones to come. But there’s one more piece of paperwork—a WA building permit. Without the building permit, nothing else can happen. WA building permits are the golden tickets that get you into the chocolate factory (see what we did there?!). It’s that special piece of the puzzle where everything starts to fall into place. So, what is it, exactly? 

What is a WA building permit?

Basically, a WA building permit ensures that your plans comply with all that nerdy stuff that we love, like local land use and zoning construction standards. It’s also vitally important when it comes to addressing the structural integrity of your building and ensuring it complies with fire protection and electrical services. We told you it was important! So, treasure this document like you would a glass of pinot on a Friday night, because it’ll save you (and your sanity!)

How do I get a WA building permit

Just in case you’re already feeling the heart palpitations that come from looming paperwork, don’t worry, we’ll work with the shire to put this one together (halleluiah). We get the right people on the job—you know, those magicians who take complex legislation and council laws and turn them into something that you actually need. Yep, those people. In the meantime, you can sit back and catch up on the next ep of House of the Dragon (or rewatch Legally Blonde … no judgement). Either way, this is the part where we make sure that all those selections and finalised documents are taken care of. Like we said, this one’s on us!

This whole process might get a little lengthy, in the waiting department that is, so we make sure to send it early. Here’s a list of everything included in each and every WA building permit:

Architectural and structural drawings

Remember those working drawings [link to blog] we were talking about? Pretty much that. They’re blueprints of the home created by those remarkable humans, the draftees. They’ve got serious chops in the residential architectural drafting and building design game, and they live and die by (what we like to call) the trifecta code: the balance of form, function, and design. It’s got your notes, plans, and dimensions that are used to build the house. 

Site plan

This captures the entire block. Depending on your house it shows everything from the landscaping, driveways, the water mains, the shed … whatever you’ve got planned on site. It positions your house in relation to everything around it so you can see how you can fit into the neighbourhood. 

Certificate of design compliance

This is the standard form that shows that the house complies with all applicable building standards, as confirmed by the surveyor. Seems pretty straightforward but it requires a team of people who are fully across current building standards and your build. Your WA building permit won’t be approved without it. 

Evidence of insurance provisions 

This is just for us. It’s evidence of our indemnity insurance via QBE. Tick.

Permit application fee and levy

The moolah. Kind of important in these documents; everyone needs to know where the money is allocated.

Engineers certificate

For each new home we build, we get in structural engineers, who are basically the ones with all the knowledge on how to make a building structurally sound. They provide assurance on structural design and make sure materials and forms of construction comply with the provisions of the Building Code of Australia.

Remember, you never go it alone

Okay, that sums up WA building permits. If you’ve made it this far you absolutely deserve that next ep (or nightcap). There’s a lot of information to digest throughout this journey, but just remember that you never go it alone. When you build your home, first you build your team. The people who take you through each step of the process … it’s our job to make it as easy as keeping your house plants alive (?!) but a whole lot more remarkable!

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