Building plan approval is necessary before construction can commence. This is to ensure that building complies with building laws and codes and to prevent people from just constructing as they deem fit.
What is a Building Plan?
Table of Contents
A building plan is a graphical representation of what a building will look like after construction.
Process of obtaining building plan approval in Lagos
In order to get building approval in Lagos, the land in question, where the building is to be erected must first have a certificate of occupancy before your building plan can even be assessed by the appropriate bodies. Also, your land title determines the height and the density you can go, depending on the area the building will be or the kind of building you intend to put up.
Hence, in Lagos, the very first thing to do when you want to commence construction is to obtain a Development Permit from the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Authority (LASPPDA), a parastatal under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Step one: Get Architectural Drawings
You will need a service of a certified architect that is aware of Lagos State building plan approval peculiarities to prepare a design and plan for you.
For already built structures in Lagos without approval, it is important to get an Architect to study the structure and come up with an as-built drawing to get building approval.
A complete architectural drawing should include:
A Site plan (possible only if there is a Survey Plan).
Floor plan (the number of the floor plan is dependent on the numbers of storeys)
Roof plan
Section(s),
Elevations (north, east, south, west),
Schedule (doors, windows, finishing, etc.).
Sanitary Details.
Step Two: Get a survey plan
Survey Plan is a document that measures the boundary of a parcel of land. It gives an accurate measurement, description of the piece of land, the size, and the drawn-out portion as mapped out on the survey plan document.
Other information that must be shown on The Survey Plan includes:
The title of the survey (Name of the rightful owner)
A well-detailed location of the land
The area of the land (depending on the shape and size of the land.)
Consent no for lands under government acquisition.
The boundaries of the land.
The Beacons.
Bearings.
The Survey Plan number
The Registered Surveyor’s address, signature, and seal.
Stamp showing“Free from Acquisition” or not.
Step three: Get Structural Drawings, with Detailing/Calculations and Letter of Structural Stability from COREN Certified Engineer.
What is Structural Drawing?
Structural Drawing is a type of engineering drawing, plan, or set of plans showing how a building or other structure would be built.
The structural engineer determines the arrangement of beams and columns, sizes of beams and columns, the arrangement of steel and determination of sizes, the thickness of slabs or deck, determination of grades of concrete to be used.
Step Four: Get Title Document, Tax clearance, and Government fee (In the case of individuals)
The Government fee only comes to play after your building plan must have been assessed and marked for approval…
Step Five: Submission of Documents to the District Office and Payment
Send your architectural drawings, building plan, title documents, and survey plan to the district office for assessment and vetting after which it will be marked for approval. After getting an official government assessment and endorsement of your design, you’ll be required to pay a fee which is calculated based on your proposed design. Pay the fee at the bank.
Payment Advice: Carefully read and follow the instructions on it.
Please Note:
- The Payment Advice contains the Revenue Code and Agency Code that you will use to fill the bank teller.
- Avoid paying into a wrong account or using a wrong code
- Avoid time wastage due to the issuance of a receipt.
- Paying cash is faster than paying with cheques.
- Use any bank with fast internet connectivity.
Required documents for building plan approval in Lagos
The following are the requirements that must be submitted for approval processing.
- Proof of Land Ownership/Title Document (CTC)/ Clearance Letter
- Five (5) Copies of Survey Plan and 1 original (Beacon Sheet, In Case Of Scheme)
- Five (5) sets of corrected Stamped and Sealed Architectural Drawings
- Five (5) Sets of corrected Stamped and Sealed Structural Drawings with Calculation Sheet
- Five (5) Set s of Mechanical and Electronic Drawings (For Commercial, Office, Residential Above 4 Floors)
- Current Income Tax Clearance Certificate
- Current Special Development Levy Receipt
- Three (3) Different Photographs of Site with Current Date
- One (1) set of the sealed soil test report for developments above 2 floors
- The client will be required to sign the attestation form once the assessment fee has been paid to the Lagos state government see page 5 of application form from Lagos state
- Client phone number and current address are required as seen on page 2 of the Application form from Lagos state.
- Confirmation Letter from Lands in Lieu of Consent (if applicable).
- Letter of supervision from COREN registered engineers for the structural drawings.
- Environmental Impact Analysis Report (if applicable).
- Development Levy receipt.
- Evidence of payment of assessment fees.
- Land Use charge, Tenement Rate receipt, or sworn affidavit in lieu of tenement rate.
- Evidence of payment of ground rent (if Applicable).
- Copy of Demand Notice for current year ground rent (if applicable).
- Clearance Letter from L.U.A.C. (if applicable).
- Clearance letter from Housing, Fire, Transportation, and Drainage (if Applicable).
- Copy of Confirmation letter from NTDA (if applicable).
- 2 Passport Photograph of Applicant(s).
- Electronic tax clearance of applicant (with a copy of last payment receipt for tax).
- Copy of certificate of incorporation (if the applicant is a company).
- Two directors’ tax clearance (if the applicant is the company name).
- Evidence of Pay as You Earn of the company.
Please note:
- Ensure that you have all the necessary documents, especially tax and structural drawing papers, to avoid unnecessary delays in the approval process.
- Ensure that your tax papers are up-to-date as tax verification will be done at LIRS.
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Step six: Confirmation of Receipt at the Accounts Department of the District Office
The accountant at the Physical Planning office will log on to the LASG system to confirm your payment.
Note:
- Don’t wait until the last minute to confirm your receipt because the internet connection might be slow or unavailable.
Step Seven: Site Inspection from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
After the government fee has been paid, the site inspection will be carried out. A team is sent to the site to ensure that the land is still vacant, and also other attributes of the building correspond to what you have in the documents you presented. The Site Inspector, Charting officer, Architect, and Site Engineer will write their reports. A difference in land size or other attributes presented on the plan and the actual land attributes could lead to problems.
Please note:
- Clearly indicate the beacon numbers as shown on the survey plan on block work on the site.
- Monitor them so that they don’t visit the wrong site.
Step eight: second site inspection
Furthermore, a team is sent to the site again, after which the Site Inspector writes a report. The Charting officer charts while the Site Engineer also performs his duties.
Please Note:
In the case of 1-2 story buildings, the design is sent to the architect after charting, for clearance. Architectural design is submitted for inspection to confirm if the design is in conformity with the approval standards and order for the area in which the land is located.
But, if the structure is more than a 2-story building in the design, then a Mechanical and Electrical drawing will be required. Invariably, the site will also be checked with the
immediate environment to see if the proposal is in conformity with the existing land use and if the size of the plot is as presented in the survey plan and design proposal.
If the inspection report is satisfactory, the application will then be registered, provided all documents have been submitted.
Generally, for bungalows or one-story buildings, you can get your building plan approval within 6 weeks if you have complete documents. Also, your Architect, Surveyor, or any other knowledgeable member of your building team can help you get your building plan approved.
How to obtain building plan approval in Ogun state
What do I need to process a Building Plan Permit?
5 set of each of the following:
- Architectural drawings signed and sealed by ARCON Registered Architect.
- Structural/Civil Engineering Drawings signed and sealed by a COREN registered structural Engineer and 5 sets of Mechanical/Electrical Drawings signed and sealed by a COREN registered mechanical/electrical Engineer, where applicable (for residential buildings with one or more suspended floors, Commercial and Industrial Buildings).
- Photocopies of the survey plan.
E.I.A Report written, signed, and sealed by a registered Town Planner, where applicable.
Any other document as stipulated under the current Ogun State building codes and Urban and Regional Planning Law No 20 of 2005 as amended.
Evidence of payment of lease (cost of land) plus, ground rent and other fees up to date.
Step one: Get a Survey plan
Survey Plan is a document that measures the boundary of a parcel of land. It gives an accurate measurement, description of the piece of land, the size, and the drawn-out portion as mapped out on the survey plan document.
Please note:
- The survey plan should be prepared and signed by a Registered Surveyor also marked with a red pen or marker along the boundaries of the proposed plot.
- In each of the sheets of your site plan, you should paste (not stapled) the survey plan.
- Where required, the survey plan should be contoured.
Cost of land survey in Ogun state
The cost of a survey in Ogun state was increased in July 2017. The Nigeria Institution of Surveyors Ogun state branch reviewed its scale of fees upwards due to the dynamics of the economic situation as related to professional practice and instrumentation.
Before the review, the least cost for a registered survey of a plot of land in Ogun state was N120,000 (One hundred and twenty thousand Naira only) but now it is N150,000 (One hundred and fifty thousand Naira only).
There are two things to note:
1 As stated earlier, the least cost for a registered survey of a plot of land is now N150,000 (One hundred and fifty thousand Naira only).
2 Just like Lagos, the cost of a survey in Ogun state depends on the location. For the purpose of survey costing, Ogun state is divided into three major areas/zones. They are the General Area, Prime Area, and Special Prime Area. The minimum cost of a survey in these areas is N 150,000, N 215,000, and N 700,000 respectively.
General Area: Lands that fall outside urban or semi-urban areas
Prime Area: Lands that fall within urban or semi-urban areas
Special Prime Areas: Lands that are situated along major highway routes and within urban and commercial areas in the state.
Read: Cost of building a 3 bedroom flats/bungalow in Nigeria 2020
Step two: Get a Site Plan
Note: The Site Plan should be drawn to scale 1:100 and include the following details:
- A scale of not less than 1:1000
- Showing the geographical north point;
- Showing direction of gate swing;
- Indicating sizes and locations of all proposed developments e.g buildings, septic tanks and soak-away pits, drive-way(s), and parking areas in relation to all existing structures;
- Showing existing structures to be demolished (if any) on the site, to provide space for the proposal;
- Showing adjoining roads, parking spaces, fence, detail of drainage scheme of how all surface and storm waters from the property and those from the adjoining properties will be drained.
- Land-use Analysis must be indicated on the site plan
- Indicate orientation; that is the geographical North.
- Indicate correctly all the beacon numbers as is shown on the survey plan.
- The block plan of the buildings showing the horizontal and vertical dimensions.
- All septic and sanitary fittings reticulation must be indicated appropriately.
- Indicate access ways, driveways, and parking spaces.
- Residential use – 2 car parking spaces per family unit.
- Commercial use – 3 car parking spaces for every 100 sqm of the total lettable floor space.
- Industrial use – 2 car parking spaces for every 100 sqm of lettable floor space.
Read: How to build a house on a small budget in Nigeria
Step Three: Get Working Drawings / Architectural Drawings
Note:
- Working drawings supposed to be drawn to a scale of not less than 1:100 (i.e. 1: 100, 1:75, 1:50) and it should show dimensioned drawings of all the floors, basements, elevations, foundations, sections, roof plans.
- Building proposals in sloping areas should indicate detailed handling of topography e.g. stepped foundation, basement, etc.
- Drawings to be submitted for a proposed building and ancillary building(s) should include at least two sections (cross and longitudinal) sufficient to explain the scheme with dimensions to scale 1:50; and one of which must be cut through the staircase in the case of a two-story building. For ancillary buildings, i.e. guest chalet or boys’ quarter, either a longitudinal section or a cross-section should be submitted.
- Elevations of at least the front, rear, and one side should be shown to reflect the height, floor levels, and other relevant particulars. The elevations should be on a scale of not less than 1:100.
- Lettering/Stenciling on all drawings to be submitted should be in ink not in pencil for approval.
- Title and Information Panel: you should indicate the relevant name(s)/initials against the “Designed” “Drawn”, “Traced” and “Check
Step Four: Get Electrical/Mechanical and Structural Engineering Drawings
Note:
Submission in respect of basement or two-story structures (ground and first floor) and above should be accompanied with structural engineering drawings, details, and calculation sheets to meet the following requirements:-
- Engineering drawings should be submitted with convenient scales as follows:-
- General Arrangement 1:100
- Profiles and Sections 1:75; 1:50; 1:33
- Large sections 1:25; 1:10
- Foundations, Walls, Beams, Slabs, and all other structural elements.
- Services details – plumping, electrical, air-conditioning, ventilation, and low voltage electrical installations.
- All structural drawings and details with calculation sheets and services drawings must be prepared by a registered structural Engineer(s) and registered services Engineers respectively, and bear their signatures and seal.
Read: Role of a quantity surveyor in construction projects
Step Five: Submission of Documents
Submission of 5 copies of Architectural Plan, Engineering Drawings, and E.I.A report (where applicable) to the Town Planning Department of the Corporation, along with a cover letter. The applicant is to deliver a copy of the cover letter (acknowledged by the Town Planning department) to the office of the General Manager.
Note:
- All building plans in respect of plots on Ogun State Housing Corporation Estates should first be submitted to the Corporation for clearance/approval before applying for necessary approval of the Area Planning Authority (i.e. The Bureau of Urban & Regional Planning).
- One main building, with suitable out-building(s), is to be erected on each plot, and such building(s) are to be used strictly for residential purposes approved by the Corporation. (Two suitable outbuildings means one boys’ quarter with a maximum of two rooms and a two bedrooms guest chalet).
- All buildings are to be constructed of sand cement blocks, burnt bricks, or of stone and are to be roofed with asbestos or aluminum roofing sheets or any other roofing materials approved by the Corporation. Flat reinforced concrete roofs will be permitted for the main buildings of suitable design.
- There should be a minimum setback of 6.0 meters from the front beacons/boundary.
- There should be a minimum of 3.0 meters between the main building, the rear, and the side boundary of the plot. Where there are ancillary buildings, i.e. guest chalets or boys’ quarters, there should be a setback of at least 3.0 meters from the main building or any other building or structure.
- Site Coverage should not exceed percentages applicable in the following residential zones:-
- High-Density Zone: 45% of the total site area. A maximum of two flats with a suitable ancillary building consisting of two habitable rooms for each flat is allowed.
- Medium Density Zone: 40% of the total site area. A maximum of two flats, a duplex, or single-family housing unit is permissible with a suitable ancillary building consisting of two habitable rooms for each unit. If the proposal is a single-family unit house, a two-bedroom guest chalet is allowed plus the two-bedroom boys’ quarter.
- Low-Density Zone: 35% of the total site area. A single family-housing unit is permissible with boys’ quarter with a maximum of three habitable rooms and a two-bedroom guest chalet
Step Six: Submission Of Technical Report/Environmental Impact Assessment / Buildability Report
At the time of submitting the application for Development Permit you should also submit a detailed Technical/Environmental Impact Analysis Report and Buildability and Maintainability Analysis Report as may be required in respect of the application form:
- Residential land in excess of ½ hectare or development in excess of 3 floors or 6 family units;
- Factory building or expansion of factory building:
- Office or other commercial buildings; such as shopping complex, Hall, etc.
- Places of worship with user capacity exceeding 50 persons
- Major recreational development covering more than 2,000 square meters;
- Institutional buildings and public buildings; such as schools etc.
- Petrol/gas filling and service stations;
- Telecommunication towers and stations;
- Advertisement billboards of unusual sizes and heights, urban furniture;
- Change of use of existing development;
- Tank farm and refinery
- Any other building as may be specified in the Regulations made pursuant to Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law 2005.
Note
- When submitting an application for a change of use you should also submit a Technical Report prepared by relevant professionals registered to practice in Nigeria.
- Before the commencement of any work on the site, you should submit a production document for the project which is supposed to be prepared by a builder registered to practice in Nigeria.
Read: What to know before buying land in Nigeria: Don’t Be A Victim!
Step Seven: Calculation of Assessment
Calculation of Assessment using the Length × Breadth x Height x Rate (depending on the location) and penal fees (if applicable).
Step Eight: Payment of Assessment Fees
After getting an official government assessment and endorsement of your design, you’ll be required to pay a fee which is calculated based on your proposed design. Pay the fee to the bank.
Step Nine: Confirmation of payment by Accounts Department.
After payment, you should make sure that the accounting department confirms the receipt of your payment.
Step Ten: Physical Inspection
For further processing; Engineering and Building Departments (for vetting), Town Planning Department will be sent to the site for Physical Inspection.
This is to ensure that the land is still vacant, and also other attributes of the building correspond to what you have in the documents you presented. The Site Inspector, Charting officer, Architect, and Site Engineer will write their reports. A difference in land size or other attributes presented on the plan and the actual land attributes could lead to problems.
Please note:
- Clearly indicate the beacon numbers as shown on the survey plan on block work on the site.
- Monitor them so that they don’t visit the wrong site.
Step Eleven: Forwarding of Corporation stamps drawings to the Ministry of Physical Planning (MUPP)
You should forward Corporation stamps drawings to the Ministry of Physical Planning (MUPP) for further processing. If submitted drawings are found to have satisfied all statutory requirements (It is the responsibility of the allot-tee to ensure with all other statutory requirements at the Urban and Regional Planning Board)
Step Twelve: Payment of MUPP fee
You will be asked to pay a fee by the Ministry of Physical Planning (MUPP). Thereafter the MUPP will return the approved plans to OGSHC.
Step thirteen: OGSHC contacts applicant for pick up
After the successful submission of all the required documents and associated payment. OGSHC will contact you to pick up the approved plan.
Please note:
After the approval of the building plan. A copy of the approved building plan by the Corporation and the Area Planning Authority must be kept on-site for inspection at all times during the period of construction.
Cheers!
You may also want to know
Why Your Building Plan Approval Take Long to be Approved
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