Wendy houses plans, nutec house plans (for fibre cement boards on a timber or steel frame) and container home plans all do two jobs: they show the supplier exactly what to make, and they show the municipality what you want to put up. Anything you will live in, and most buildings beyond a small garden shed, needs plans approved by the council before it goes up. A registered architect or draughtsperson draws them, often starting from the supplier's standard layout. Send one free, no-obligation request and plan drawers near you quote you directly.
What a set of plans includes
Plans for a prefab building are the same kind of set as for a brick one, with extra detail on the system:
- Site plan: the stand, where the building sits and the distance to the boundaries.
- Floor plan: rooms, doors, windows and sizes, such as a 1 bedroom granny flat or a 2 bedroom home.
- Elevations and sections: heights, roof pitch, the wall build-up and the foundation.
- Drainage and energy details: pipes, insulation and glazing to meet SANS 10400-XA.
Choosing a layout and who draws it
Many suppliers have standard floor plans for wendy houses, container homes and log homes, sized to their panels or containers. Starting from one can save drawing time. When choosing:
- Fit the stand. Check the building lines, servitudes and coverage that apply to your erf.
- Fit the system. Panel and container sizes fix some widths, so ask before you move a wall.
- Use a registered professional. The council needs plans from someone registered to submit them.
- Agrément. For a non-standard system, ask the supplier for the certificate to go with the plans.
Getting plans approved, and common mistakes
The plan drawer submits the plans to the municipality with the forms, proof of ownership and the fees. The council checks them against SANS 10400 and the zoning, and may ask for changes. Approval times vary from council to council, so ask yours. Mistakes that cause trouble:
- Putting up a backyard room first and drawing plans later.
- Ignoring estate or body corporate rules, which may ban timber or set colours.
- Handing in a brochure layout instead of a proper set of plans.
- Forgetting the NHBRC enrolment for a new home, which the builder does before work starts.
What plans cost and what to ask
Plan drawing is quoted per job. The price depends on the size, whether you start from a standard layout, how many site visits are needed and any engineer's work, and the council's own submission fees are separate. Ask each plan drawer:
- Are you registered to submit plans, and have you worked with this council?
- Are the submission and dealing with council comments included?
- Are council fees and any engineer's fee included or separate?
- Can you work from the prefab supplier's layout and details?
What to put in your request
- What you want to build and the size
- Number of rooms and bathrooms
- The supplier's standard layout, if any
- Stand address and erf number
- Whether you need the submission handled
Prefab House Plans for different clients
- Homeowners: plans for a garden room or a new family home before the supplier starts
- Backyard landlords and families: plans for backyard rental rooms, drawn and approved before they go up
- Farms and smallholdings: plans for staff housing and farm buildings, checked with the council first
- Lodges, guest farms and resorts: plans for chalets and staff units drawn to the lodge layout and council rules
- Schools and creches: plans for prefab classrooms and ablutions that the council and department will accept
- Contractors and mines: plans for a site camp that will stay on a project for a long time
- Shops, offices and small businesses: plans for a shop, clinic or office unit, with the zoning checked first
- Municipalities, churches and NGOs: plans for halls, clinics and housing that use an Agrément certified system
Frequently asked questions
Do I need wendy houses plans approved?
Where can I get plans for container homes?
How much do prefab house plans cost?
What is in a 1 bedroom granny flat floor plan?
Prefab House Plans by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg