Before you apply
Before you consider building, demolishing or altering a house, shed, deck etc. we recommend that you consult with either a Private Building Surveyor or one of our Building Officers to determine whether any approval is required. Surveyors can give you information on the Building Code of Australia.
In many cases we have building records relevant to your property, including design plans. If you want access to them before you lodge an application, you can complete and submit our house plan request form (PDF). There may be a cost involved with retrieving and producing copies of these records and some information may be subject to copyright protections.
Lodge an application
To apply for a building permit you need to complete:
- application forms: Building Permit or Notice of Work (PDF)
- application checklist (PDF)
- supporting documentation in PDF format
- building plans: prepared by a designer or architect licensed with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) and certified by a building surveyor.
You can email applications to gccmail@gcc.tas.gov.au or submit them in person.
All documentation should be clearly identified/named with the address of the building work and the name of the agent/contact person for the work. Do not include links to websites, or jpeg, tif, etc formats.
Pay application fees
Application fees are calculated after you submit your application, based on our Schedule of fees (PDF). We will send you an invoice and once you pay, we will process/assess your application.
Permit approval
We will let you know in writing when your application has been approved. You can then contact your builder who will liaise with your building surveyor to arrange a start work date. You cannot begin excavations until the building permit/ relevant approvals have been officially issued. Your approval is valid for 2 years however you must start works on site within the first 12 months or your permit will lapse.
Changes to permits
Once you have received approval it is possible to get a variation. Before you make any changes you should first consult with your building surveyor and our officers. Some variations may not require our consent.
Building permit extensions
You can extend your building permit for a period of time (usually in 12 months intervals) by using the Permit Extension Request Form (PDF).
Completing your application
Once you have finished building, you need to complete your application. Our building section is usually able to help you to complete your applications.
For more information, contact us