Council letters and forms are full of codes and terms. Here they are in plain English, in A to Z order.
- Ancillary dwelling
- The planning name for a granny flat: a small second home on the same lot as the main house. In WA, one up to 70 m² that meets the standard rules doesn't need planning approval, but it still needs a building permit. Read more
- BA1 (certified application)
- The building permit application that comes with a Certificate of Design Compliance from a private registered building surveyor. Council has up to 10 business days to decide it. Read more
- BA2 (uncertified application)
- The standard building permit application, where council's own surveyor checks the plans. Only allowed for houses, granny flats and outbuildings like sheds, patios and carports. Council has up to 25 business days. Read more
- BA7 (notice of completion)
- The form that tells council the building work is finished. It is lodged within 7 days of completing the work.
- BA13 (building approval certificate)
- The application used to get approval for building work that was done without a permit. It is lodged with a certificate of building compliance (BA18) from a building surveyor. Read more
- BAL (bushfire attack level)
- A rating from BAL-LOW to BAL-FZ that measures how exposed a building is to bushfire. In a bushfire prone area, many projects need a BAL assessment, and the rating decides how the building must be built.
- Building permit
- Approval that a structure is safe and meets the building code. Most garages, carports, patios, decks, granny flats and pools in WA need one before work starts. Read more
- Building Services Levy
- A state levy added to every building permit. It is $61.65 for work worth up to $45,000. Read more
- Certificate of Design Compliance (CDC)
- A certificate (form BA3) from a registered building surveyor saying the plans meet the building code. It turns your application into a faster certified (BA1) application.
- Class 10
- The building code's category for non-habitable structures. Class 10a covers sheds, garages, carports and patios. Class 10b covers fences, pools and retaining walls.
- Deemed-to-comply
- Meeting the standard measure in the R-Codes, such as a set distance from the boundary. If a project meets every deemed-to-comply rule, it often doesn't need planning approval.
- Development approval (planning approval)
- Approval that a project suits the site and street: setbacks, height, overlooking and heritage. It is separate from the building permit and, when needed, comes first. Read more
- Easement
- A strip of your land that someone else has a right to use, often for pipes or power. You usually can't build over one without permission.
- Exempt work
- Small structures that don't need a building permit, like a freestanding shed of 10 m² or less and no taller than 2.4 m. Exempt work still has to follow planning rules. Read more
- Heritage area
- A place or street protected for its character. Changes there, even small ones, usually need planning approval.
- Natural ground level
- The level of the ground before any digging or filling. Heights are measured from it, which matters on sloping blocks.
- Outbuilding
- The planning name for a shed, garage or workshop that isn't attached to the house. On most house lots the R-Codes cap their total size at 60 m² or 10% of the lot, whichever is less. Read more
- Owner-builder
- A homeowner who manages their own building work instead of using a registered builder. In WA, work worth more than $20,000 needs owner-builder approval first.
- Patio
- In the R-Codes, an unenclosed structure with a roof that keeps out the rain. Patios attached to a house need a building permit. Read more
- R-Codes (Residential Design Codes)
- WA's state planning rules for homes. They set setbacks, building heights, site cover, privacy and the size of sheds and granny flats.
- Registered building surveyor
- A licensed professional who checks plans and buildings against the building code. They issue design compliance and building compliance certificates.
- Retrospective approval
- Getting approval for something already built without a permit. In WA this is done with a building approval certificate (BA13). Read more
- Setback
- The distance between a building and a boundary. The front (primary street) setback is the area between your house and the street, where carports and sheds have strict limits. Read more
- Site plan
- A drawing of your lot from above, showing the boundaries, existing buildings and the new work with its distances to each boundary. Usually drawn at 1:200.