How to obtain a building permit in Australia?

Without a doubt, Australia is one of the most advanced and prosperous nations on earth. The nation has been able to achieve this by following rules. These rules and regulations apply to all aspects of areas. So, when the time comes to construct buildings, you need to get your building permit. And interestingly, it is at this stage that may get tricky for many. They simply do not know how to go about getting their building permits. That explains why this article is going to dwell on the steps that have to be taken when it comes to getting building permits in Australia.

On average, it takes less than a week for building permits to be approved. But this is for considerably small building projects. For bigger ones, it can take almost two weeks. If the projects are really massive, then it can take significantly longer to get the permit. For many people, they commence the getting of their building permit by paying a visit to the local building surveyor. For those who may not be aware, building surveyors are professionals whose responsibilities include the issuance of building permits.

Also referred to as a construction permit, a building permit is a document given to you by an authorised surveyor. The document states that the outlines and details of the construction you want to have fully satisfied the requirements of the laws of the country. These are specifically the Building Regulations of 2018, the Building Code of Australia and the Building Act of 1993. Once again, it is the duty of the surveyor to ensure all the documentation is properly done.

It is also interesting to know that it is not free to get a building permit. However, there are no fixed charges. The amount you are going to pay will depend on how big or how complex your project is. There are several firms that will happily work out the cost for you.

Building permits are not just documents that should be collected for the sake of it. There are very valid reasons as to why they must be collected. The first of these is that they validate the fact that the building you are constructing has met all the stated requirements of the laws stipulated earlier on. This is probably the most important reason as to why you have to get one. It will be tantamount to breaking the law to go ahead and construct a building without getting the building permit. Another reason is that a building permit also means that all the necessary paperwork for insurance has been done. Same goes for the safety and maintenance protocols for the building. Now, you can see obtaining a building permit in Australia is very easy, and necessary.