Building Approval for Building or Renovating a House
You will need to apply for a building permit before starting construction on a house. The National Construction Code (NCC) classifies one or more buildings, which together form a single dwelling as being of Class 1a.
You will also need to let us know when the building work is complete by lodging a BA7 – Notice of Completion, or if the responsible person changes by lodging a BA8 – Notice of Cessation. For more information, refer to the Section 6: Notices of Completion and Cessation page on the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website.
Lodging a Planning/Development or Building Application for Building or Renovating a House
You can lodge and track most building and planning applications online, however some applications must be submitted in-person at our Civic Centre.
Lodge and Track a Building and Planning Application
The following guides provide more information about what to include in your application:
Planning/Development Approvals
Timeframes
We aim to process applications within the following guidelines:
- Where we don’t need to consult with neighbours or external agencies: 60 days.
- Where we need to consult with neighbours or external agencies: 90 days.
These timelines may sometimes be extended in consultation with the applicant.
Fees and Charges
Planning/development application fees are calculated based on the contract value of the project and are listed on the Planning Fees Schedule.
Permit Applications
Timeframes and Processing
The Building Act 2011 specifies a process and format for lodgement and issue of Building Applications. This process also comprises of the use of one formal request for information. Once that information is received (generally within the city’s requested 21-day time frame) a determination on that application was required to be made – either an approval or refusal.
The City of Melville has in the past allowed further time and additional attempts to provide further information to assist customers with time frames rather than to refuse many applications. This has resulted in the City regularly receiving incomplete applications and delays in the City being able to process applications within statutory timeframes. Consequently, the City will now only make one formal request if further information is required, and then determine the application accordingly after this information is received or the 21-day period has lapsed. If applicants request additional time to provide additional information, this will of course be facilitated where possible – noting some building permits may be reliant on obtaining development approval or additional reports which take time to obtain.
The City looks forward to continuing to work with all our stakeholders to improve and better the systems we have and to ensure sustainable outcomes.
Fees and Charges
The building permit fees for a residential dwelling with a contract value greater than $20,000 is calculated at the following percentages of the total contract price:
- Application Fee – 0.19
- Building Service Levy - 0.137%
You may also need to pay a verge bond fee and the CTF Levy. See all our building permit fees in our Building Permit Fee Schedule, or use our online fee calculator to estimate your building fees.
Verge Bond Fee
For building projects over $20,000, you will also need to pay a verge bond. A verge bond is held by us to ensure that any damage caused to City verge infrastructure during construction works is rectified to pre-works condition.
- Verge Bond - $1,900.00
- Verge Bond Inspection Fee (non-refundable) - $100
To find out more and apply, visit our Verge Bonds and Refunds page.
CTF Levy
If your project has a construction value of more than $20,000, you will need to pay the Construction Training Fund (CTF) Levy. The rate of the levy is 0.2% of the total value of construction (inclusive of GST).
Materials on Verge Area or Road Reserve
If you need to store building material on a verge area or a road reserve, you will need to pay a $75 fee.
Other Agencies to Consult
It is important to check with our engineering team and the Water Corporation to ensure your proposed development does not affect any existing drainage or sewer easements.
Noisy Construction Work
If you plan on doing noisy work outside the hours of 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday to Saturday, except for Sundays and public holidays when no noisy work can occur, you must get approval from our environmental health team by submitting a noise management plan.
Building or Renovating as an Owner-Builder
An owner-builder is someone who has the skill or capacity to build or alter their own house or small commercial building or supervise construction work.
If the construction value of the work is over $20,000, you will need to apply to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) for an Owner-Builder Certificate. You must have an owner-builder certificate before we will grant you a building permit.
Drainage
As part of your building permit application you will need to include a site plan indicating the details of the proposed stormwater disposal system for the development.
For information on our stormwater drainage requirements, please refer to the Stormwater Drainage Information Sheet.
Our Stormwater Drainage Design Calculator can be used as a guide for selecting an appropriate combination of soakwells and/or drainage cells if these are to be utilised.
Drainage easement requirements:
- An easement is a section of land registered on the Certificate of Title providing Council (or other parties) a right to access the land for a specific purpose. While the property owner still owns the land, they have given up certain rights on that portion of the land covered by the easement.
- Easements are commonly created for protecting underground or overhead services such as stormwater drains, sewer or power, and to provide rights of carriageway (or right of way).
Additional information on drainage easement requirements, please refer to the City of Melville Drainage Easements sheet.
Demolition
If your building project involves demolition, you will need to obtain a demolition permit. For more information, see our Demolitions page.
Application to Deposit Material on a Verge
If you would like to store building material on a verge area or a road reserve during construction, you will need to submit an Application to Deposit Building Materials on Verge or Excavate Near a Street PDF form.
In the application, include a copy of the site plan (with existing building/s and scale) and indicate where your materials will be situated on the verge. The site plan should be at a scale of 1:200 and show ground levels, security fencing, and elevations of fence and building heights.
Works Affecting other Land
You must get consent from the owner/s of adjoining land prior to work starting, if any of your works may be reasonably likely to affect their land. For more information, including links to the consent forms, visit the Section 11: Works Affecting Other Land Page on the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website.
Sustainable and Universal Design
We encourage everyone looking to build or renovate within our City to incorporate universal and sustainable design principles into their residential developments. Find out more about these principles on our Sustainable and Universal Design page.
Safe Asbestos Removal
If you are altering part of your house that contains asbestos, or you think may contain asbestos, it's important you follow appropriate safety precautions. Visit our Asbestos page for more information.
Planning/Development and Building Advice for Building or Renovating a House
The advice on this page is a general guide only. See our Planning and Building advice page information and guidance.
Guiding Documents
Forms and Documents