How to get a copy building plans for existing house?

Hi guys,

I am trying to find a copy of the building plans for our house.
It's an established house, about 30 years old.
We did not get a copy at purchase.

I am guessing when it got the building approval, the building plans were lodged with council/local authority?
I would assume council keeps a copy of the plans?
Do you know how to get access a copy of the original building plans?

Cheers

 

Hi @Ouga

If you have purchased only recently, you could ask the selling agent to enquire with the vendors whether they happen to have a copy of the plans. Who knows, they may have owned the home since it was first built. You never know.

Otherwise, give council a call. They might have plans but they'd be in the archives and there would be a fee.

 

What do you actually want / need them for? If its just for keepsake, ask the council for the approval documents or the original builder.

If its for marketing the home for sale / rent, most photographers will do up a new floor plan.

 

Call council... But not today, or tomorrow, probably not Monday either, try Tue to Thurs, between 10 and 4, but not between 12 and 2

I wish you luck on your quest!

 

Don't call them on days ending in 'y'.

Tomorrow is fine.

 

lol Bob

@Ouga, standard not to get plans with purchase, only time I got them was when the elderly/original vendors were organised, had everything property related including receipts/manuals in a box which they kindly dropped around and gave me after settlement.
You could enquire with previous owners but from experience it's unlikely they'll have them.

What Bob's saying is Council are frustrating (putting it politely) to deal with.
Likely the only way your gunna find out what they have on file is to complete an application form and pay the required fee (non-refundable) to search if documents are available, ~$130+ (check council website).

Being 30yrs old I'd suspect the only thing if any they'll get "motivated" to discover/provide is any recent addition approvals on their computers, i.e a patio etc, rather than going to the dusty dungeon to search archives, which you've paid them to do.

What do you need it for? If you're after measurements for flooring, window treatments etc draw out a rough map of the house and measure each room etc.

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.
Nah we've had the home for a while, so no luck asking previous owners (they were not the original owners anyway).
I want to get a copy of the plans to know how deep our foundations are. Also we are sitting above a mains sewer so it would be good to know how it's been built down there. I believe they are generally encased in concrete, so I am thinking perhaps there is a fair bit of concrete under the house - but would really like to know how deep it is. Also feel having the building plans is a good thing in general.

I guess I will have to give council a call, I don't mind paying for them, that's ok.
Wish me luck!

 

Try this re services/easements effecting your property - Dial Before You Dig - Home

 

I got mine from council. The original plans
Only a$20 handling fee from memory

 

Yep hit council up. I got everything council had on my new place (which wasn't much) for free under a GIPA act request

 

Cheers guys!

 

Did you have to do anything special @BKRinvesting to get that information under GIPA?

 

Nope, it was blue mountains city council and it was just a standard form with them.
Search your councils website and see if they offer anything similar or just give them a buzz.

 

If it is to know how deep the sewer is and to know what it is made out of, then my advice would be to go to the water authority in your area and ask them and they should be able to give you a good idea of it.

 

Thanks mate! Ended up getting the plans from council, was all very easy really with a $25 fee, so all good!

Cheers all

 

Curious, how much detail did you receive (did they have) for a 30yr old place?

I got one piece of paper with like a pencil drawing with only external measurements and boundaries, much like I whats on title doc.

 

@WestOz I was quite surprised: there was a pretty big folder. In it a thick stack of paper with all the details around the building permit application at the time and you could see all the going back and forth. The interesting bit were the plans themselves. It had a few revisions of it and there was a plan with with the various outside views of the house, a detailed floorplan. In addition were a detailed plan of the foundation and another detailed plan of the slab.
All was original and printed (not hand written). It was quite good really.