Building Development Management
Building Development Management Sub-directoriate
Building Development Management (BDM) is a core function of the City of Johannesburg’s Development Planning department responsible for regulating all building activity within the municipality. Its purpose is to ensure that new constructions and alterations comply with National Building Regulations and the City’s Municipal Planning By-laws and Land Use Scheme.
Building Development Management
Overview
Any new building and any alteration that adds on to or changes the structure of an existing building must go to the City’s (Planning) Development Management Department for approval.
Obtaining Approval for Building Plan
Before you build
Title Deeds and Zoning Certificate
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Checklist
Conducting Inspections
Who has to submit building plans?
Professionals registered with SACAP can submit their building plans by clicking on the link.
What if no building inspector notices your illegal alterations?
They could come back to haunt you years later – when you try to sell the house and the prospective buyer asks to see approved plans.
What if someone fails to submit a plan?
Where can I get an application form?
Please click the link to find more forms that we can add from the list of forms that we currently have under “Application forms”
How do I submit the plan?
Submit Applications Online
Visit cpms.joburg.org.za to submit Building Plans; Demolition Applications; Section 7(6) Applications; Hoarding Applications and SDP Applications
Register Your Profile
On the home page, go to “How to” and follow the “how to register guide” to create your profile. This guide will help you register correctly.
User Manual Available
Find the user manual on the website. It will assist you in navigating the system and making submissions.
Check Plan Status
To check the status of your building plans, visit our eServices website for updates.
STANDARD DOCUMENT CHECKLISTS FOR BUILDING PLAN SUBMISSION
Application Forms
Building Development and Management Brochures
The following collection of brochures and documents from the City of Johannesburg’s Building Development Management (BDM) directorate details the specific requirements, application procedures, and regulatory framework for managing outdoor advertising within the municipality.
Introduction to BDM
Building Control information booklet covering plans examination, inspections, law enforcement, and outdoor advertising management
Building Inspection Unit
Building Inspection Unit information booklet outlines building plan submission requirements, costs, and approval processes for the City.
faq
Building Development Management Information Booklet with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on building plans, inspections, and regulations.
Plans Examination and Approval
This document provides details on building plan submission, required documents, fees, and approval timelines for the City’s building development management.
Outdoor advertising
Who has to submit an application?
Everyone – no person shall display or erect any advertising sign or hoarding or use any advertising sign or hoarding or use any structure or device as an advertising sign or hoarding without first having obtained the written approval of the council (unless the sign in question has been specifically exempted in the City’s Outdoor Advertsing By-laws which were published under Local Authority Notice 1419, dated 13 June 2008).
Once a sign has been approved by the council, it may not be altered, moved, re-erected, or any alteration made to the electrical wiring system (unless for repairs and maintenance) without applying to the council for further approval.
What if someone fails to submit an application?
If you have chosen to erect an advertising sign or hoarding without having the application approved, an enforcement officer is entitled to enter your property and order construction to stop immediately. A court order could even be obtained for the structure to be removed, at your expense, and you would be liable for legal costs as well. In serious cases, you could be fined or sent to prison.
Where can I get an application form?
Find the application form attached below the key documents section, alternatively secure it from the outdoor advertising department:
6th Floor
A Block
Metro Centre
158 Loveday Street
Braamfontein
The office is open between 8am and 3pm.
How do I submit the application?
You submit the completed forms, together with the plans and supporting documentation, to the same department:
6th Floor
A Block
Metro Centre
158 Loveday Street
Braamfontein
What does the council need from me before it considers my application?
- A completed application form, signed by the owner of the property or his or her authorised representative (proof of authorisation is required) together with a copy of the registered title deed. The title deed can be obtained either from the attorneys who handled the transfer of the property, the financial institution that granted a first mortgage bond over the property, or the deeds office.
- Where a company or an organisation such as a school or church submits an application for approval, a letter must be provided by the organisation authorising one person to sign the application form.
- An artist’s impression and elevations with measurements.
- A locality plan of the area indicating the site.
- A detailed site plan with measurements indicating the position of the sign.
- A separate form also needs to be completed by a professional engineer or a technologist registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa, who takes responsibility for the structural stability of the structure.
- A zoning certificate with a copy of the most recent amendment scheme, a zoning map of the area and an S G diagram of the property is to be furnished.
How much does it cost to submit an application?
A standardised set of tariffs applies. Fees can be paid at the cashier, either by cash or by bank guaranteed cheque only (there is no credit card facility)
Contact Us
Sonja Pretorius
Tel: 011 407 6360
Email: SonjaP@joburg.org.za
Henda Boshoff
Tel: 011 407 6039
Fax: 011 339 1244
Email: HendaB@joburg.org.za