Building Applications

The Building Act 2011 regulates any building work undertaken in Western Australia. A building permit is required for most building work. Please refer to the information sheet for advice when a building permit is not required by following this link.

Here is a list of some common building work where a building permit is required. If your building work is not on the list or on the exempted list, please contact the Shire’s building surveyor for specific advice.

  • Dwelling and additions and alterations to existing dwellings
  • Roof replacement
  • Swimming pools, spas and their safety barrier
  • Sheds >10m2
  • Patio, verandah, gazebo
  • Pergola >20m2
  • Retaining walls >0.5m in height
  • Commercial buildings including industrial and public buildings
  • Masonry wall
  • Shade sail >20m2 or >2.4m in height

Prior to the application for a building permit the applicant is signing that all required approvals have been received. This refers to Planning approval and approval for your wastewater system if you are not connected to sewer.

Initial enquiries can be directed to the Shire Administration Office on (08) 9733 7800

or email eplanning@waroona.wa.gov.au

Types of Building applications

There are two types of building applications, Certified and Uncertified.

All building permits are issued referencing a Certificate of Design Compliance (CDC) issued by a registered Building Surveyor. The CDC references all the relevant documents. The building CDC and the referenced documents are all part of the building permit.

An application is certified (form BA1) if the Certificate of Design Compliance (CDC) is issued by a private building surveyor. The CDC is issued by the private building surveyor and submitted with the building application.

If you are applying for the building surveyor that works at the Shire to issue the CDC, your application will be uncertified (form BA2). If you are submitting a BA2 you will need to submit all the information to be able to do a full assessment of the Building code of Australia (BCA).

The following links will refer you to the information sheets listing the information you need to submit with your building application:

What do I submit for Class 1 building work (dwelling or habitable addition)?

What do I submit for Class 10 building work (shed, patio or the like)?

Building application forms

Only the forms approved by the Building Commission can be used. All forms are located on the Building Commission website via this link.

If you are unsure what form you need, please contact the Shire’s building surveyor.

Fees and Charges

The Building Act 2011 provides a standard schedule of fees that all councils have to apply including a minimum fee. The fees are determined based on the construction value of the building work.

The construction value of the building work has to be determined using all the relevant components so that the application fee is equal between builders and owner-builders. The construction value has to include all goods, labour, services necessary, fees payable, overheads to be met and a profit margin.

The council is also a collection agent for the Building Services levy for the Building Commission. Where the construction value is more than $20,000, the council also collects fees for the Industry Training Fund.

Owner-builders

A registered builder is required for all building work with a construction value over $20,000. If you are the owner of the property you may apply to the Building Commission to become an owner-builder.

The Building Commission website has a wealth of information about becoming and owner-builder including your responsibilities, just follow this link.

Notice of Completion

On the completion of all building work that required a building the builder must submit a notice of completion (Form BA7) within 7 days of finishing the work. This notice establishes the end date of the building permit for compliance and record keeping purposes, and signifies the point from which the builder has fulfilled his obligations regarding compliance with the Building Act 2011.

A notice of completion does not affect contractual matters such as the contents or timing of a notice of practical completion or any requirements to make good any defects to a building before a final certificate is issued.

Unauthorised Building Work

If building work has been undertaken without a building permit, it may be possible for the unauthorised works to be approved. The building surveyor at the Shire can give you advice if you needed a building permit and are now required to apply for a Building Approval Certificate because a building permit was never issued. As part of your application you will need a Certificate of Building Compliance (CBC) issued by a registered Building Surveyor.

The Shire of Waroona does not provide the service so you will need to engage a private building surveyor to provide you with a Certificate of Building Compliance to accompany your application. Your private building surveyor can advise you further on what they need to be able to issue the CBC for your unauthorised work. Please note that the requirements can vary per building surveyor depending on their expertise in certain areas of construction and their interpretation of the BCA.

Registered Building Surveyors

All building surveyors and building surveyor companies are required to be registered. The register of currently registered building surveyors can be found on the Building Commission website by following this link.