Shire Approval
Forms - Fact Sheets - FAQ
The Shire Approval Process
Before any building works at your home can commence, a building licence is required from your local shire. We cannot start building your patio until we have been granted a building licence.
The difficult part here is that each and every shire has their own internal policies and procedures, which means there is no fixed standard process and no fixed time frame for a certain shire to grant a licence. (Click to Read this interesting article from the Housing Industry of Australia - HIA).
The average wait for a building licence is 4 weeks.
Our goal is to make this process as fast and smooth as possible. In order to do this, we need first and foremost a SITE PLAN.
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An example of a site plan.
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The key features of a site plan are:
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It is in the scale of 1:200. If your plan is not to scale, your shire may reject it.
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It shows your whole property and all of the boundary locations and lengths
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It shows the location of the house and the distance from the house to each boundary.
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If you are in a strata complex, you will need a plan that shows all of the adjoining properties in that strata complex.
Other Factors
Your property will either be a Green Title or a Strata Title. If you live in a strata complex, you will need letters of consent from all the owners in that complex.
Also, if your proposed patio is close to a fence line, you will need letters of consent from the affected neighbours.
The table below indicates the information we need from you to obtain a building licence, depending on your particular situation.
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Green Title |
Green Title, patio is close to boundary(s) |
Strata Title |
Strata Title, patio is close to boundary(s) |
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1. Site Plan |
1. Site Plan |
1. Site Plan |
1. Site Plan |
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2. Letters of approval from affected neighbours |
2. Letters of approval from owners of other land in strata complex |
2. Letters of approval from owners of other land in strata complex |
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3. Planning Application form signed by you the owner |
3. Planning Application Form signed by you the owner |
3. Letters of approval from affected neighbours |
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4. Planning Application Form signed by you the owner |
Generic Approval Forms
*Because of the many layers of red tape that exists in local shires, your shire may require their specific form and not accept a generic form. These will be available on your shire's website
Fact Sheets
FAQ
Do I need shire approval for my patio?
It is a requirement that all new patio structures require approval from your local shire. If you don’t get shire approval you may get a please explain letter from your shire if they find out and they have the power to fine you. Also when you sell your home the new owners may not wish to proceed with the sale if the patio structures are not approved.
How Long will it take to get my patio built?
The approval process is different for all shires and is a frustration for all builders. A building license application can take anywhere up to 6 weeks to receive. The average waiting time for a council to grant a building license is 3 weeks. Once we have a building license, we will have your patio built within 4 weeks. So the average time from start to finish is 8 weeks.
Do you handle council applications?
Yes, we normally will apply for council approval on your behalf. We will submit all the required drawings, site plans and engineering requirements and ensure that the whole process is complete in the quickest possible time.
How close can my patio get to my fence line?
With a signed letter from the neighbour you can build up to 500mm of the fence line. You can also put the posts on the fence line with neighbour permission, but the roofline must not be closer that 500mm.
If you are unable to get neighbour permission, your patio generally must be 1000mm from the fence line.
If you have a parapet wall on the boundary (A brick wall higher than the patio roofline) you may be able to build up to the wall with a 0mm setback
How big can I make my patio?
There are many factors that affect this decision. All homes along with any additions are meant to comply with the Residential Design Codes of Western. This document details requirements and conditions that govern your patio addition which includes setbacks from fences, heights of the proposed structure and the maximum sizes possible depending on the size of the property. We are more than happy to advise you on whether your proposal will be acceptable and be compliant.
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