At the Patio Factory, we go through the patio shire process every day.  Patio building approval is important. We concentrate on patio design approval, planning approval and building approval and that’s just for one job site! Gaining shire or council approval is probably not the most exciting part of the job for you, but it means a lot to us!

Now that you have an idea of what it means to us, you know how important it is. Let’s discuss the process a little. At The Patio Factory, a lot of our designs are already shire approved. This is a huge time saver for all involved.

Just remember, approval is the first building block for all projects. We can guide you through the process and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. What kinds of approvals do we need for the project? Well, there are plenty, so strap on a seatbelt and keep reading!

First, how and what defines a patio? A patio is “an open-sided structure enclosed on no more than half of its perimeter with a roof cover that is impervious to water and used for outdoor entertainment.” Well, that sounds very official! Nothing about relaxing, outdoor lifestyle enjoyment, BBQ’s, celebrations, reading a book, nothing! We are shocked and we bet you are too! Ok. Ok. Shhhhh… Let’s calm down. We are going to conform to their definition of Patio with our patio design so that your patio project gets patio design approval, planning approval and building approval.

That’s a lot of approval! We just want to make sure you have what you need before the project starts! Why? Because if you don’t, the project can come to a complete and abrupt halt with a “please explain” letter from your council. That’s a polite way of saying you better have a really good reason for going ahead with your project without asking us! The next step is asking…well, telling you that the patio must be demolished. Trust us, it’s not worth the chance.

And let’s say you get the project completed without anyone noticing? Well just try to sell your home! Everyone that comes in will check to see if that patio is an approved project and when it does not have patio design approval from the council, planning approval or building approval what happens? I’m sure you can guess, no one will buy your house and then you are just plain stuck. So don’t risk it. Get the approvals you need before the project begins.

Determining if you need approval…

Planning Approval is not required if the Residential Design Codes are compliant in the following zones:

• Residential
• Mixed Use
• Business
• Commercial
• Rural Community
• Special Residential

In the following zones planning approval is always required for a patio, always.

• Rural Resource
• General Rural
• Special Rural

A planning approval should be obtained prior to submitting for a building permit. These things have to be done in order. Building permits are required for patio designs that are greater than 10m2. Patio designs less than 10m2 and under 2.4m in height do not require Council approval unless there is already a patio situating on the property and/or the patio is going to be attached to an existing building. This immediately brings to mind several questions…

1. Is the patio design free standing or attached to a home or other structure?
2. Is there a patio already in place that this design will superscede?
3. Does this design have a roof? If so, how big is the roof?

So those are just a few of the pressing questions, in addition to the size, height, etc.

Planning Approval…

We are guessing that by now you have realized that you need approval for just about everything. Never fear…Underdog® is here to save the day! We’re kidding. It’s us, we are here. We are the ones that are going to help you get through all this and maybe even make sense of it.

The list of things we need for the Planning Board starts with:

• A completed Development Application Form and Checklist.
• Any relevant fees. (There are always fees.)
• 1 x copy of the site plan, drawn to scale at not less than 1:200 (showing setbacks to the front, side and rear boundaries).
• 1 x copy of elevations, drawn to scale of 1:100 or 1:200 showing the height to eaves and height to roof pitch (engineering drawings DO NOT constitute elevation).

Planning approval can take up to 60 working days, some larger will take the full allocated time.

Building Approval…

Uncertified Building Approval

• Completed Application for Building Permit – BA2 form.
• Relevant fees (We know. We know. Fees, always fees!)
• 2 x copies of a site plan. The site plan must be a drawing at a minimum scale of 1:200, showing contour survey and spot levels, proposed finished floor level, the distances the patio/gazebo will be setback from the lot boundaries and any other structures on the lot, septic systems and a north point.
• 2 x copies of the floor plan/elevations/sections drawn at a minimum scale of 1:100, showing all dimensions.
• 2 x copies of the construction details showing materials to be used, their respective sizes, spacing and spans.
• 2 x copies of connection details – required for all steel patios. (It is however at the discretion of the Building Surveyor assessing the plans as to whether engineering details will be required for other patio proposals).
• Development approval.
• Notice and request for consent for encroachment or adversely affect (if required) – BA20 form.

Certified Building Approval

• Completed Application for Building Permit – BA1 form.
• Completed Certificate of Design Compliance.
• Relevant fees.
• 1 x copy of all technical documents noted on the Certificate of Design Compliance.
• Prior development approval.
• Notice and request for consent for encroachment or adversely affect (if required) – BA20 form.

Phew! That’s a lot of forms, a lot of information to gather and a lot to interpret. Well, no worries we can do it, have done it and have most of it ready to go. There will be places for you to sign, approve and date. That’s about it. We can organize the rest for you. We can even submit it and meet with council on your behalf. In fact most times they appreciate dealing with a seasoned professional that they have worked with before.

The Approval Process…

Your need a building license. How you go about obtaining the license depends on the local council and you guessed it. Each local council has its own set of rules, regulations, policies, etc. There is no fixed process…we know what you’re thinking… “Oh great, now I have to read minds!” Don’t panic. We have some experience in this area, just a bit. Typically the building approval process takes about 4 weeks on average. Our manufacture time is between 2,3 weeks especially when there is insulated sheeting to be ordered.

In order to get the building license, you are required to have a site plan. That sounds exactly like what it is. A plan of the entire site….not just the patio. It must show the boundaries, their locations and how long they are. It must also show the location of your home in relationship to the boundaries and if you are in a strata complex, it needs to show the relationship of your property to that of others.

According to the council requests, the site plans must be on the scale of 1:200. If they are not, it is likely they will be rejected. If your proposed patio is close to the fence line you will need letters of consent from the neighbours as well. Last but not least a Planning Form that has been signed by the owner of the property is required. The council then goes through the documents and bases their approval on the information that is provided. Remember if it’s not in the documents, they can’t see it, so make sure everything important is in there. We will review all of it because we know in the stress of the moment; this is easier said than done.

Do you really want to do this yourself? You can. We know some people would rather, but honestly, the council is used to dealing with builders and would rather. We can handle all of it for you while you wait at home or while you do other things like a shop with your little ones for new school clothes, have lunch out with your friends or just relax and daydream about your new patio and the outdoor space you are planning.

The process of gaining patio design approval, planning approval and building approval is involved. We don’t expect that many of you will want to take on the patio design approval, planning approval or building approval on your own. It’s a daunting task. Your patio design is for relaxing, enjoying and entertaining. We want to make that happen, so we are happy to take on the patio approval process, planning approval process and building approval process for the sake of your peace of mind.