This is a detailed and involved process, so you may want to let your architect or building contractor complete this for you, as he/she will be experienced in this process. It is your responsibility, however, to make sure that you get the required building approvals. If you are doing it yourself, the following steps will be required:
Land Development Control Authority
- You can get the application forms from the Planning Authority at the Town & Country Planning Department.
- Completed application forms, three (3) copies of your architectural drawings with supporting documents and application fees must be submitted to the Town & Country Planning Department.
The architectural drawings should include:
- Site plan
- Location plan
- Floor plans
- Two elevation plans
- One sectional drawing
- Septic details
You are also required to submit a copy of the land register, showing ownership of the land.
If you are a BVIslander, you must submit proof of your belonger status.
If you are non-BVIslander, you must submit a Non-belonger Land Holding License.
Application fees are as follows:
For residential development,
Less than or equal to 1,200 sq ft ……………………..5 cents per sq ft
More than 1,200 sq ft, but less than 3,000 sq ft……….7 cents per sq ft
Every additional 1,200 sq ft or part of……………….10 cents per sq ft
- After you submit the completed applications and supporting documents listed above and have paid your application fee to the Town & Country Planning Department, your application will be registered and given a reference number.
- Your application will be reviewed in-house by the Town and Country Planning Department. This will include a visit to your building site and preparation of evaluation and recommendations to be submitted to the Pre-Planning Authority Meeting, which includes all Government departments involved in the development process.
- The Pre-Planning Authority Meeting will evaluate your application and make its recommendations.
- At this stage of the application, if revisions are needed, you will be contacted to make the adjustments.
- Once the adjustments have been completed, the revised application with evaluation and recommendations will be submitted to the Planning Authority.
- The Planning Authority will review your application and make one of the following decisions:
- Approved
- Approved, subject to …..
- Deferred back to the applicant
- Refused
- If approved by the Planning Authority, you will be given the following:
- A Notice to Develop
- A Decision Notice
- Two (2) stamped and signed copies of your architectural drawings
- After this approval, you can move on to the Building Authority application process.
- If your application is “approved, subject to…,” you must make the necessary changes required to your architectural drawings and submit them back to Town & Country Planning. Your application will then be approved.
- If your application is deferred that means you must make the necessary revisions and your application will have to be resubmitted to the Planning Authority before being approved.
- If your application is refused, you can submit an appeal to the Premier’s Office or submit a new application.
- The process from application to a decision takes about six weeks to complete.
Building Authority
Before construction starts, you must get approval from the Building Authority.
- You can get the application forms from the Building Authority at the Public Works Department.
- The completed applications forms must be submitted to the Public Works Department with:
- Approval notice from the Planning Authority
- Inspection fees, which will be a minimum of:
- $375 with a retaining wall
- $350 without a retaining wall
- Additional inspections may be required, (each inspection costs $25)
- three (3) sets of working drawings, which must include the following:
- Site plan
- Location plan
- Floor plan
- Four elevations
- One section
- Slab plans
- Foundation plans
- Roof framing plans
- Electrical plans
- Plumbing plans
- Structural details
- The Public Works Department will review your application in-house and then submit it with recommendations to the Building Authority.
- Once approved by the Building Authority, you will be given the following:
- A Decision Notice
- An Inspection Card
- Two sets of stamped and signed copies of your working drawings
- The process from application to a decision takes a minimum of four weeks to complete.
You’ve been approved, what next?
After your approval from the Building Authority, you can start to build. You should have enough copies of your plans and approvals for your contractors, plumbers, engineers, plumbers and electricians.
After your building plans have been approved, you will have up to three (3) years to complete the construction of your home. If you do not complete the building in three years, you will be required to go through the application process again. You can apply for an extension before your three years is up.