Building Approvals: Regulations, Costs, & Timeframes

The building approvals process plays a critical part in helping those in the building industry, prospective homeowners, and other builders manage their projects effectively and achieve their expected goals with the set timeline. This Memo sheds light on the building approvals, the set regulations, and standards that should be met before the project commence, cost and timeframes for competing for the medium-rise project.

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Building Approvals and Conditions

The project can only be commenced once the certifier issues the project commencement notice, provided that all the legal approvals, conditions, and requirements are in place. The approval related particularly to the processes undertaken at the site. There are permits that will give permission for land use or development and may be acquired from the local council. In the event that the building permit is required, it can be obtained before the building permit application. Building approvals should be done to ensure construction is done in compliance with the regulations and Acts. Initiating a building work without the necessary approvals and conditions is an offense that can lead to severe penalties to the stakeholders involved. In the Act, there are penalties for anyone working on a building project without a permit.

Certificate of compliance is a mandatory document needed before the building permit is acquired. The document is approved by the building surveyor and the person issuing the compliance certificate at the local government. The three types of certificates that will be issued at this stage includes a certificate of design for the project, construction compliance certificate, and certificate of building compliance. Some permits must be acquired before the building process commences. These include the building permit, occupancy permit, the project construction approval certificate, and demolition permit for sites that need clearance. The building approval permits are acquired from the local government bodies mandated to manage construction and development. There are permit authority within the local government who set the validity period for the permits. Normally, the default period is two years. In the event that the project takes longer than expected, the application to extend the project duration can be presented. The permit costs will cater to the project assessment regardless of the outcome. This means that there is no refund in case of a refusal.

Figure 1: Building approval schedule

Site Services Required For Duration of the Project

Throughout a project, there are site services that must be set up to facilitate its completion. This is additional to the permanent services that are fundamental in the completion and for the welfare of the workers. The contractors set the services as part of the mobilization activities before the project initiation. For the building, the following services will play a critical role:

Reliable electric supply in site offices and welfare sections

Working water distribution system and drainage. The regulations require that the contractors must set washing facilities and provide safe drinking water for the workers

For the project to continue effectively and ensure the safety of the employees, there is a need to supplement the natural light with other sources. Lighting will help the workers in general movement at the site. Depending on site requirements, lighting plan can be drawn before the project is initiated.

The site offices will also include internet connection, telephone services, and local area network to facilitate communication between different departments.

Figure 2: Building plan

Staff Members Involved In the Planning and Scheduling of the Building

Project managers, architects, and other engineering professions undertake the planning and scheduling of the building. In light of this, there are specific roles and responsibilities in executing the project. The surveyor has significant information on the land where the project is executed. They assess the topography, size, and other fundamental features that affect the development of the structure. Without the information presented by the surveyor, there will be no planning, execution, and proper design. The architect is responsible for the formulation and preparation of project requirements. The architect sketches the model and helps other stakeholders in the project, visualize the actual artistic representation. The engineers have the responsibility of facilitating the design of the project within the realm of their specific fields. The structural engineers, mechanical and other engineers working on the project will undertake different analysis and calculations before deciding on the final design solution. During project execution, the engineers will visit the site occasionally for inspection to ensure they are conducted in accordance with the specifications and schedule. Even though a significant part of the project is for the contractor, the project manager cannot be left behind. The project manager is the link between the clients (Project owner) and other stakeholders in the project.

For the project manager, the outcome is to ensure all activities are done within the set timeline and that the budget falls within the set threshold. The architects and the surveyor must ensure that the project meets the standard quality set by the local and national governments. Based on the set procedures for the project, there is a need to review the building approval process, the permits, and the regulations set. There exist too many permits and regulations hence the need to reduce the number of licenses required to start the building. The permits can be acquired from a single authority to minimize the hustle and time needed to initiate a project.

Condition Report for the Buildings Surrounding the Site

Condition report focuses on the state of a building site before a project is initiated. For this project, some trees surround the fence on the neighboring property. To protect the environment, there is a need to preserve these trees during the construction process. A tree barrier will be provided. The existing slope and land condition is conducive for the construction project and will facilitate the construction process. A land elevation and soil quality play a critical part in the implementation of a construction project. The condition of sections of footpath around the site is conducive for the project initiation and execution.

The project manager will pay a deposit to the local construction agency against possible damage of footpaths, roads, and nature strips. The deposit is called "asset protection' ranges between $1000 to $5000 and is refunded only after the local contraction agency assesses the conditions of the footpaths and is satisfied that the damages caused have been repaired.

Part 2-Scheduling For a Medium-Rise Building Project

Scenario 1

The project schedule plays a critical part in integrating the different parts of the project. It can be difficult to run a project to completion without a sound project plan. The schedule provides the delivery timelines, availability of the resources for use in a project, and timelines. For scenario 1, there is a need to communicate with the critical project stakeholders and restructure the project timeline. There is a need to identify the cause of the delay in achieving the milestone and inform the client. Delays can be prevented by prioritizing key tasks within the project. The project manager can discuss with other stakeholders to champion for staged delivery. This is expected to achieve the delivery of essential elements and resources first then deliberate on the non-critical elements. The implications of this is that the project manager and all stakeholders will effectively manage and monitor the entire process. Another solution is to take extra resources to help complete the project within the set timeline. This involves the use of more resources to hasten the delivery. Even though this may mean fewer profits, it helps keeps the reputation of the project management team and improve chances of recommendations.

Scenario 2

The transfer of plastering team to another project affects the project initiation and the overall timeline initially set. This will mean it should be rescheduled to ensure that all deliveries and project timeline are completed and that quality is maintained. The schedule outlines the sequences, duration estimate, and control measures for the entire project. The schedule also includes teams which should be managed during the life cycle of the project, and this involves finding the right personnel, controlling inputs, and keeping them on schedule. Managing the teams, such as the plastering team involves hiring. The proposed solution is to recruit and hire a new plastering team to ensure the project is completed within the set timeline. Even though the proposed solution is costly, it will help the company complete the construction of the building within time. Hiring a new team is expensive and requires significantly large budgets. The project management team will include hiring and training of the new team as part of the schedule.

Scenario 3

Because of the specific expertise and experience needed for this project, there is a need to hire multiple and competent sub-contractors to manage risks and possible delays in the project execution. The subcontractors will be able to influence suppliers through effective consultation and coordination because of their mandate in the supply chain process. Severe storms and floods are natural calamities that cannot be predicted, and this means that the entire project team should be aware of possible calamities as such that could otherwise affect the project implementation. Because of the case in this context, the project must be rescheduled and another timeline set. An equipment to remove water that pooled on the floor will be hired and the budget of the entire project re-assessed.

Risk management will help in the identification of hazards and proper mitigation of risks. The supervisor and the entire project team should assess the risk using the hierarchy of control. This includes elimination, substitution, isolation, implementation of engineering controls, and use of protective equipment. All hazards should be reported to the head contractor and sensitize all workers on-site about the risk management procedure.

Procedures to Manage the Scheduling and Construction of the Medium-Rise Building

Management of materials entering and leaving the site, including recording site deliveries: This will be facilitated through proper procurement, effective store keeping system, and bookkeeping at the site.

Recording of, and paying for, the hire of plant and equipment: before placing an order for plant and equipment, a written confirmation should be issued to confirm the transaction. This should be done in compliance with the set health and safety measures.

Managing OHS in the workplace: to effectively manage OHS at the construction site, the management must understand their responsibilities, consult workers in each decision made and sensitize them on the possible risks associated with the working environment, train employees on risk management, keep records of abnormal activities and control risks before they get out of control.

Rehabilitation of workers with injuries and return-to-work programs: Support services will be offered, which include counseling services aimed at facilitating the completion of the project.

Hazard and risk management: The supervisor and the entire project team should assess the risk using...