Do I need a Building Permit – Melbourne Pergola – Verandah

Do I Need a Building Permit Melbourne Pergola | Verandah

Do I need a Building Permit - Melbourne Pergola - Verandah

Do I Need a Building Permit Melbourne Pergola | Verandah – is the question that often is first asked in a project. Building in your backyard and ensuring that it complies with government regulations is becoming a first consideration to ensuring your goals can be achieved. So there are some things that you need to understand and know about installing a verandah project. The most important thing to know is if you’ll need to obtain a building permit from your local Melbourne council before you build.

Obtaining a council permit for work on your property is required for many types of work. These include certain construction projects, demolition of an existing structure, removal of an existing structure. So the building of a verandah or patio on a Melbourne or Victorian  property may require you to obtain the building permit before work begins.

What is a Building Permit Melbourne?

Effectively a Building Permit is a permission slip. But in more detail, it is a legal document that is issued and certified by a Registered Building Surveyor that the proposed plans are safe, meet the relevant building standards, and complies with the regulations.

Why get a Building Permit?

Building permits are designed to protect you, your property, guests to your property, council and anyone who may interact with the proposed structure. Because a Registered Building Surveyor is trained in the safe issue of building permits, you can have peace of mind that:

  1. Your completed structure will be safe to occupy.
  2. Those working on your project are registered and insured for construction of the structure.
  3. Your project will be carried out in line with the regulations for that structure.
  4. The work will be inspected at key stages to ensure that it is complying.
  5. Adequate documentation is prepared for the proposed job and structure.
Building permits includes documentation that will detail that your building work will comply both while under construction and after completion with the Building Act 1993, The Building Regulations 2018, and the National Construction Code. Once complete, and construction assessed both during and after the proposed work, your building can then be issued with an Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection. Closing out the construction job and saying that the building has been completed in accordance with the regulations, and is fit for purpose.
 
What is a Town Planning Permit?
There are two types of permits that may be needed when building a verandah or pergola in Melbourne. And in some cases you can find yourself exempt from requiring one.
Town Planing Permit and a Building Permit is where your local council in Melbourne look into the proposed use of the land that you are planning to build your verandah or pergola and decides if it is the correct use of the area for that development. The council is responsible and authorised to decide if something is a correct fit for an area. Depending on a lands given sone and the structure and area, determines if a planning permit is required. For example, a block under 300m2, 800m2 or above the ground by more than 3 meters.
 
When can you be Exempt?
In most cases you will require a building permit, however there are some special cases where this is not the case and an exemption can be issued for Pergolas.
 
An exemption for Pergola Building can be granted when a Pergola is on open structure that is open roofed but may have a covering that is open weave permeable material and the Pergola is:
  1. Not more than 20m2 in flooring area
  2. Not More than 3.6 metres high.
 
Even when your structure meets these exemptions, we STRONGLY suggest that you contact your local council about exclusions in your area for completion of existing structures and exemptions that are mentioned above to ensure that you are complying with their regulations and not taking our information as anything other than a guide.
 

The growing complexity via BCA, ResCode and Town Planning need to be satisfied. A Verandah is an extension of a dwelling triggering of rules and requirements to get council or building modification approval prior to obtaining a building permit.

Verandah Permit in Melbourne

Verandah – is a roofed project whereby gutters are required to control discharge of water and many more rules are associated to these
projects including:

  • Shadowing – to adjoining properties, dwelling, habitual windows and private open spaces.
  • Height – to boundaries, council requirements
  • Length – to boundaries
  • Size – including site coverage (often properties can only have either 50 or 60% maximum site coverage ie: total building within a lot.
  • Materials – type , durability, colours etc.
  • Design and style including impact to adding dwellings, streetscape, prevailing adjacent sites.
  • Fire considerations including Bush Fire requirements. separation to habitual buildings
  • Location and setback requirements just to name a few of the items reviewed for every project.

Do I need a Planning Permit? (Melbourne pergola – Verandah)

The best way to find out whether you need a planning permit is to contact your local council’s Planning Department.

While building permits generally relate to the construction of a building or development, planning permits relate to the zoning of the land, including whether the land can be used for residential or commercial developments.

Not all projects need a planning permit. Melbourne Pergola or Verandah buildings will need to be reviewed and some councils and zones do have exempt’s applicable relating to these project types but regrettably some do not or have almost silly requirements for triggering a town planning application.

A main course of triggering being structures above 3m ( this means almost any gabled verandah structure is included) and floors above 800mm.

  • Remember applying for a Planning or Building application does guarantee approval.
  • Timeframes are a minimum 8 – 12 weeks from lodgement with councils generally treating a Verandah no different to a town house development in terms
    of procedure and timeframe.
  • If council see open area, height, site coverage not to their (councils staff) individual liking then a project might simply be rejected regardless
    of little to no impact to surround area.

We find this process a main cause of owner discouragement about doing a building legally and frustration to outcome and timeframe outcomes. Please don’t blame the builder or drafting company generally its not their fault as their goal is your goal.

This link a useful resource and a good preparation is to check what council planning is applicable to your property.

A good preparation for your property is to check what council planning is applicable to your property

The following links provide valuable information :

Louvres Melbourne Victorian Building Authority 3

Summary

So its clear there is a very long list of things to consider when the question Do I Need a Building Permit Melbourne Pergola | Verandah – for my project is raised. The answer can never all be fully known until all information concerning your properties existing conditions and zoning are reviewed and impact from proposed project fully considered.

Even when we do this every day every situation is site specific and does require therefore specific review. Our experience can provide an expectation but we don’t provide the approval.

Note: Not always will council’s approve owners requirement and there is variations between one approval in one council and that approval for the same project
in another location or council.

To reduce your costs your own investigation prior to employing us to “apply for permits” will provide you an full understanding of what might be required, including costs and timeframes. We are always willing to provide our view at the earliest opportunity in development of your project.

If you have additional questions about Building Permits in Melbourne. Contact Us. As we are happy to help you with your veranda or pergola building projects in Melbourne.