Under the Building Act 2011, the Town of Cambridge is responsible for issuing building, demolition and occupancy permits, as well as building approval certificates.
Building applications are assessed using the National Construction Codes, Building Act 2011 and Building Regulations 2012, plus relevant Australian Standards and legislation.
A permit is needed for any building works considered to be structural, or where there is a change of use proposed for the space.
A building permit must be obtained before commencing any building work.
Works include (but are not limited to):
- Construction of a new residential dwelling
- Renovations/Additions/Alterations with structural changes
- Renovations including conversions of existing spaces (i.e. garage to office or store to ensuite)
- Preparing for building work, such as changing ground levels or site work
- Carports, patios, pergolas, louvered roof shades, sheds and garages
- Front fences and retaining walls
- Swimming pools, spas and pool fencing
- Commercial buildings including fit outs and refurbishments.
Please note this is not an exhaustive list and is intended as a guide only. If you are unsure whether you need a building permit please read the Do I need a Building Permit?(PDF, 236KB) fact sheet or call our Building Services team on 9347 6061.
Depending on the proposed works, you may need to apply for Development Approval (DA) before applying for a Building Permit.
To check if your plans meet the Deemed-to-Comply provisions, you can submit an application(PDF, 360KB) to the Planning Team who will advise whether a DA is required or if you can proceed directly to the building permit stage. The fees for a Deemed-to-Comply Application are $295 for a major development, or $100 for a minor development.
As set out by the Supreme Court, the Town is only able to consider departures from approved plans through an application to amend the existing approval pursuant to Clause 77 of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015. The exemptions under Clause 61 of the deemed provisions generally do not apply to any departures from the approved plans.
To ensure that the Town properly carries out its obligations, but in a manner that acknowledges the need for a balanced and sensible approach, the Town has developed the below internal process.
Where a proposal meets one or more of the following, an application to amend the previous development approval will be required:
- If the proposal introduces any design principles assessment(s) for elements that were previously deemed-to-comply.
- If the proposal amends any aspects of the development that were material during the public consultation process of the original proposal, regardless of whether those aspects are exempt development under Clause 61 of the deemed provisions.
- If the proposal alters any elements of the development that were material to the Town’s (or other decision maker’s) original assessment and/or decision in the development approval, regardless of whether those aspects are exempt development under Clause 61 of the deemed provisions.
Please note that there is no guarantee that an application to amend the existing approval will be successful. Additionally, any departures from the approved plans that do not receive the necessary approval may be subject to compliance action by the Town under Part 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2005.
In other instances, where all proposed changes do not meet the above criteria, an application to amend the previous development approval will not be required.
Applying for a Building Permit
There are two types of building applications – Certified and Uncertified.
For Certified applications, the applicant will engage an independent building surveyor to assess their plans against the National Construction Codes to ensure the plans meet all relevant standards. The building surveyor will provide you with a Certificate of Design Compliance to submit with your application. Certified applications must be assessed within 10 business days from payment of fees. If further information is required, the Town will write to the applicant within that period. It is strongly recommended that all major developments including new residential dwellings, commercial developments, and major additions/alterations are certified.
If you are proposing smaller construction projects then you may wish to submit an Uncertified application. The Town’s Principal Building Surveyor will certify the plans for you as part of the approval process. Uncertified applications are assessed within 25 business days from payment of fees.
As of 1 July 2023, the Town of Cambridge has introduced new fees to support the protection of street trees during the construction process. These fees are set out in the application Checklists below, which have been compiled to assist you with submitting your application.
Building Permit Checklist Certified(PDF, 134KB)
Application Form for Certified Building Permit(DOC, 185KB)
Building Checklist Uncertified(PDF, 143KB)
Application Form for Uncertified Building Permit(DOC, 187KB)
Please submit all building permit applications electronically to mail@cambridge.wa.gov.au Once a pre-lodgement check has been completed, you will be contacted for payment of the relevant fees.
If the application is to be emailed in PDF format, please ensure the size limit of each email does not exceed 50MB. Alternatively we can accept links to file sharing services such as Dropbox or WeTransfer.
Applying for approval after a building has been constructed
If you have constructed a building without first obtaining approval, you can apply for retrospective approval – this is called an Application for Building Approval Certificate. This application must be accompanied by a Certificate of Building Compliance, completed by an independent building surveyor.
The fee for a Building Approval Certificate is dependent on the value of the works – for a quote please contact our Building Services team on 9347 6000.
A checklist has been compiled to assist you with completing your application.
Building Approval Certificate Checklist(PDF, 278KB)
Application for Building Approval Certificate(DOC, 114KB)
Alterations to Strata Properties
Please note that when applying for a building permit for properties that are strata titled, the Strata Titles Act 1985 states that it is the owners responsibility to:
The Town encourages communication between neighbours when planning additions or alterations to your home.
Bonds are a monetary amount held to ensure the Town's infrastructure adjacent to building sites (i.e. roads, footpaths, kerbs, drainage systems, rights of way and street trees) are returned in a satisfactory condition at the completion of building works.
At the conclusion of works an applicant may request reimbursement of the bond.
Based on the type of works being undertaken, the Town may apply a Verge Bond or Street Tree Protection Bond to an application. The various bonds are set out in the checklists at 2. Building Permits and shown below.
The works bond is applied to all developments and is returned to the applicant if no damage is caused to public infrastructure.
A Verge Tree Preservation Bond is held until completion of works. The bond is returned in full where building site adheres to the recommended actions of the commissioned tree report.
To apply for a bond reimbursement please complete a Bond Reimbursement Request accompanied by a completed BA7 Notice of Completion Form.
Please note: Bonds can only be refunded to the person or organisation who paid the bond, unless written permission by that person confirming release to a third party. Bond refunds are paid via cheque and posted.
Works bonds are legislated under the Local Government Act 1995 and the Town of Cambridge Local Government and Public Property Local Law 2016.
A demolition permit issued by the Town is required prior to commencing demolition of a part of all of a building. However, Class 10 buildings (sheds, patios etc) are exempt from requiring a demolition permit as long as the floor area of the structure does not exceed 40sqm.
Applying for a Demolition Permit
A checklist has been compiled to assist you with completing your application.
Demolition Permit Checklist(PDF, 149KB)
Application for Demolition Permit(PDF, 142KB)
Asbestos and Septic Tank Declaration
When submitting an Application for Demolition, there are a number of health requirements that must be met.
An information sheet is available to further outline these issues.
Complete the Asbestos and Septic Tank Declaration forms below as part of your Demolition Permit application.
Complete an Asbestos Declaration
Complete a Septic Tank Declaration
An occupancy permit, required for some classes of building, signifies that a building surveyor is satisfied that the completed building work is suitable for occupation.
Applying for an Occupancy Permit
A checklist has been compiled to assist you with completing your application.
Occupancy Permit Checklist(PDF, 247KB)
Application for Occupancy Permit
To become an owner-builder, you must first obtain Owner-Builder Approval from the Building Commission. A building permit application can then be submitted along with your Owner Builder Certificate.
Where the value of works exceeds $20,000, a levy is payable to the Construction Training Fund (State Government). This levy must be paid directly to CTF via their website, with a copy of the receipt provided with your application.
| Building Permits and Demolition Permits |
| Certified application for a building permit (s.16(1)) |
| (a) for building work for a Class 1 or Class 10 building or incidental structure |
0.19% of the estimated value inc. GST (minimum charge $110.00)
|
| (b) for building work for a Class 2 to Class 9 building or incidental structure |
0.9% of the estimated value inc. GST (minimum charge $110.00) |
| Uncertified application for a building permit(s.16(1)) |
0.32% of the estimated value inc. GST (minimum charge $110.00) |
| Application for a demolition permit (s.16(1)) |
| (a) for demolition work in respect of a Class1 or Class 10 building or incidental structure |
$110.00 |
| (b) for demolition work in respect of a Class 2 to Class 9 building |
$110.00 per storey |
| Application to extend the time during which a building or demolition permit has effect (s.32(3)(f)) |
$110.00 |
| Occupancy Permits and Building Approval Certificates |
| Application for an occupancy permit for a completed building (s.46) |
$110.00 |
| Application for a temporary occupancy permit for an incomplete building (s.47) |
$110.00 |
| Application for modification of an occupancy permit for additional use of a building on a temporary basis (s.48) |
$110.00 |
| Application for a replacement occupancy permit for permanent change of the building's use, classification (s.49) |
$110.00 |
| Application for an occupancy permit or building approval certificate for registration of a strata scheme, plan of resubdivision (s.50(1) and (2)) |
$11.60 per Strata unit (minimum charge $110.00) |
| Application for an occupancy permit for a building in respect of which unauthorised work has been done (s.51(2)) |
0.18% of the estimated value inc. GST (minimum charge $110.00) |
| Application for a building approval certificate for a building in respect of which unauthorised work has been done (s.51(3)) |
0.38% of the estimated value inc. GST (minimum charge $110.00) |
| Application to replace an occupancy permit for an existing building (s.52(1)) |
$110.00 |
| Application for a building approval certificate for an existing building where unauthorised work has not been done (s.52(2)) |
$110.00 |
| Application to extend the during which an occupancy permit or building approval certificate has effect (s.65(3)(a)) |
$110.00 |
| Other Applications |
| Written advice from Building Surveyor |
$99 per hour (min 1 hour) |
| Town of Cambridge fees not mandated under the Building Regulations 2012 |
$99 per hour (min 1 hour) |