Expired Building and Plumbing Permits
Under The Building Act 2016, it is now a legislated requirement that plumbing and building permits issued between 1994 and 30 June 2018 expired on 1 July 2020, unless the applicant has applied for an extension of time. All permits issued after 30 June 2018 will expire after 2 years, unless an extension is granted.
In the case of building work, you will need to contact your Building Surveyor for advice before applying for an extension of time. To apply for an extension of time you will need to fill out an application for extension of time. This form can be found at the bottom of this page. Please note that Council ceases all building surveying services for permits issued pre-2005 on 31 December 2021.
If the building work has already been completed (but the Certificate of Completion has not been issued), please contact your Building Surveyor to arrange for a Final Inspection. Council requires a Certificate of Final Inspection issued by your Building Surveyor prior to the issue of a Certificate of Completion (Building Work). The building work is not considered completed until you have obtained a Certificate of Completion for Building.
For uncompleted plumbing work, please arrange for a plumber to undertake the work and contact Councils’ Plumbing Surveyor to have the work inspected. Your plumber will need to provide a Standard of Work Certificate (Form 71B) and an ‘as constructed’ drainage plan to Council.
If you have an Occupancy Permit but haven’t finished the works, you can continue to occupy the building, however, a new permit will be required if the existing permit expires. New applications will involve new certification from a Building Surveyor and others such as designers, and may require work to be upgraded to current construction standards.
If you have received a Certificate of Completion for your building or plumbing work, your permit is considered completed and no further action is required.
However, if there is other uncompleted building or plumbing work on your property then the expired permit process detailed above applies.
If you were not the property owner when the building or plumbing was constructed / installed, and you do not have a copy of the Occupancy and Completion Certificates, these may have been provided to your conveyancer when you purchased the property. New property owners are responsible for finalising uncompleted building or plumbing work undertaken by a previous owner.
Please call our Business and Customer Support Team on 6269 0000 if you require further information, and have your permit application number on hand for reference.