Licenses and Approval

Obtaining Licenses and Approval

Once your plans have been designed and a preliminary list of quantities and costing has been done, it is the time to lodge your plans into the next level of The Building Process, obtaining licenses and approval – - -

from Local Council To cite one, a DA (Development Application) is the first part of the council approval process which is submitted by the developer or owner to the local council for approval of new homes and renovations involving structural changes describing the usage, style, size and location of the intended building and its surrounds including the zoning and any special conditions that may be placed upon the property. Talk to your local council for the complete process as it may vary.

from Department of Health Obtain approval if on site waste treatment is to be installed (As apposed to deep sewerage). You may be asked to make a statement to local council how demolished materials will be disposed of, or recycled, and how waste will be managed during construction and other subject related to.

From Water Corporation Building plans need to be submitted to Local Government and the Water Corporation for approval prior to building any type of structure on your property.  Same agency merits request for water meter and temporary site map.

Organize temporary site power Temporary Power is a very necessary part of the building process.  For instance installing a pole or panel to provide power for the building site until the power at the premises is connected permanently.


If you have any further questions regarding Licenses and approval -  the team at Scope Drafting and Design would be happy to help. Remember Scope Drafting and Design can help with all your owner builder questions, house plans, energy ratings and building design queries.

Please contact Scope Drafting and Design or phone 08 9537 2000

Site Works

Site Works

At the most basic this may be as simple as leveling the site and ensuring construction complies with the Engineers specification. It may include the following

Clearing site of vegetation the first necessary physical act is to make space for all facets of your project. In some cases that may mean simply moving some things that are in the way. In many situations, however, it involves the often-larger job of moving or removing plants.

Cut and/or fill of site once your building is cleaned up and cleared of vegetation, you’ll be able to get a really good look at the site’s general contours.  Cutting or filling may be necessary to create a flat building site, the clearest way to determine the right dirt-moving strategy is to map your site’s contours by measuring, marking and comparing its elevations at different points. One of the most economical   way is you cut the amount of sand equals the amount you need to fill, as you know, it can be very expensive to take away sand and bring sand.

Construction of retaining walls As soon as you had oriented your building and confirmed that you have enough space for everything, this step follows – build retaining walls as per the Engineer’s specifications. There are restrictions on the height of retaining walls, if it’s too high you have to get an approval.

Construction of Swimming Pools Built as  per the engineers plan or specifications, construct pool first for easier access.

Demolition of Existing Structures is a high risk construction activity and therefore must be planned and controlled according to the regulatory requirements, getting approval from the Council is a must.  Any existing septic has to be abandoned  and also, the asbestos survey must be conducted by a certified Building Inspector and must be  removed by a certified Asbestos abatement contractor before any demolition activities begin and be properly disposed of.

Site preparation is generally not a cost that is included in the initial construction cost, as it is often unknown what lies just below the sites surface. Site work drives the total cost of land up or down depending on the extent of work required.


If you have any further questions regarding Site Works -  the team at Scope Drafting and Design would be happy to help. Remember Scope Drafting and Design can help with all your owner builder questions, house plans, energy ratings and building design queries.

Please contact Scope Drafting and Design or phone 08 9537 2000