Receiving, Reviewing, and Approval of Drawings
(a) Where the Building Unit is not staffed with a Technical Manager and a Building Inspector
(b) where employees or officers of the Building Unit have consistently failed to comply with the requirements of this Act or regulations thereunder
(c) where the Building Unit has failed within thirty days (30) after receipt of the findings of an audit conducted by the Authority to begin to implement the recommendations specified in the audit in respect of its operations
(d) where the Building Unit has failed to submit to the Authority all building applications, approved building plans, building permits, inspector reports, occupancy certificates and monthly reports.
Where a Building Unit has been decertified in accordance with
subsection (1), the Authority shall exercise all the jurisdiction in
respect of pending or new applications.
The Building Unit shall utilize the Guidelines set by the CBA and the Belize Building Act Amendment 2017 in the carrying out of its operations. The Building Unit is subject to Routine Inspections and monitoring as well as quarterly audits by the Authority in order to ensure that the Building Unit is efficient and in good standing as regard Certification. Section 12 A of Belize Building Amendment 2017 states as well that the Technical Manager of each Building Unit shall on or before the 1st March of each year submit to the Authority an annual financial report for the Building Unit including all income and expenditure of the preceding year.
Reports shall include, but not limited to in either Digital or Hard Copy Format as the Authority may request:
1) Application for Review Form in Application books provided by Authority are numbered and are in duplicate form (copy for owner and copy for file). The Building Unit must keep a copy of ALL completed forms in Application book(s) for Auditing Purpose. SEE APPLICATION FOR REVIEW SAMPLE
2) An APPROVED PLANS REGISTER LOG (BOOK) must be kept for all Submittals made to the Building Unit and is to be UPDATED. The PLANS REGISTER LOG Template Provided in Excel format shall be updated in accordance to Status Sheet which is kept in File. SEE APPROVED PLANS REGISTER LOG (BOOK) Columns Table and PLAN REGISTER LOG TEMPLATE.
3) Central Building Authority Data Information Systems (DIMS) must be updated with each submittal and accompanying Documents/ Clearances.
4) All Permit fees must be calculated in accordance to SI 96. Calculation format for square footage must be done in AutoCAD; which must be kept in Digital Format PERMIT FEES CAD CALCULATION. Once completed a PDF/ Word version must be kept in a Binder PERMIT FEES CALCULATION and a copy to be placed in File as well as updated on STATUS SHEET.
5) The Site Inspection Report must be filled out upon completion of any Inspection. Formats for this include ODK INSPECTION FORM and SITE INPSECTION REPORT SHEET. The Site Inspection Report must be attached to respective file and a copy must be kept in Binder for aside for SITE INPSECTION REPORT as well as SITE INSPECTION LOG in Excel Format be updated.
6) Stop Order (New Construction or Contrary) are issued in Duplicates (original for Site and copy for Building Unit. In the event of a Site being issued a Stop Order (New Construction or Contrary) a Copy must be filed in respective file and Duplicate Copy filed in STOP ORDER BINDER as well as STOP ODER LOG in Excel format be updated.
7) All Receipts must be done in duplicate format for Application Fees and Permit Fees. The Original to be issued to Owner/ Agent and a copy for File in Binder APPLICATION FEES RECIPETS and a Binder PERMIT FEES RECEIPT.
Any person who proposes to construct a building shall submit to the Building Unit an Application for a permit to build. The owner, or an authorized agent acting on the owner’s behalf, shall submit to the office of the Building Unit the following documents/drawings:
1) Proof of Payment of Application Fee must be presented in order for an Application to be
submitted.
2) An Application for Review from Application Book (Duplicate-Original for File and copy for Owner/Agent). Application for Review to be filled out for respective Building works such as Buildings, Fence/Pool/Piers, Towers/Tower Base, Retaining Walls, Demolition.
3) A minimum of (3) three complete sets of Architectural and Structural plans. The minimum paper size on which drawings are accepted is 11” x 17” (Tabloid)
4) An electrical design approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) – one copy required.
5) A copy of their Land Document (Deed, Conveyance, Purchase Agreement, Notarized Letter, other)
6) A Fire Plan for buildings accessed by the Public, including but not limited to evacuation route, emergency lights, fire extinguishers, etc.
7) Clearance Letters from the relevant Authority/ Government Department where applicable.
8) An Architect and/or an Engineer, or a Technician must accept responsibility for ALL projects submitted for review. Buildings less than one thousand sq. ft. and not more than one storey do not need the signature of an architect or engineer. Technicians may write their names and sign on each page in lieu of stamping. Buildings between 1000 sq. ft. to 3000 sq. ft. and up to two storeys requires that plans and specifications be prepared, designed, stamped and signed by either an architect who is a corporate member of the Association of Professional Architects of Belize (APAB) or a civil or structural engineer who is a corporate member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Belize (APEB).
Buildings over 3000 sq. ft. and more than two storeys requires that plans and specifications be prepared, designed, stamped and signed by both an architect who is a corporate member of the APAB, and a civil or structural engineer who is a corporate member of the APEB.
(A)within fourteen days (14) in the case of buildings of 5,000 square feet or less, respond to the applicant in writing either by issuing a permit or refusing the application.
(b) within thirty days (30) in the case of buildings of over 5,000 square feet, respond to theapplicant in writing, either by issuing a permit or refusing the application
1. The drawings/documents are received by an Inspector who then fills out a Status Sheetfor that project, obtaining contact information for the owner/authorized agent and particulars for the File.
2. The project is then logged into the Approved Plans Register. After the application fee payment is verified by the presentation of a deposit slip, a receipt is issued. The application fees are calculated according to the Statutory Instrument 96 of 2011
3. The project is then assigned a project number in relation to its numerical position of the entry. All Documents submitted must be labeled with Project Number.
4. The review will be conducted within timeframe specified by Belize Building Act Amendment 2017 using a Plan Review Checklist as a review guide before conducting a detailed review of the documents/drawings submitted.
5. After the review is completed and if the project does not fulfill the requirements, a letter is prepared and a copy is sent via email whilst the original is sent via postal service to
the owner/authorized agent. The letter will list the issues that need to be addressed before the process can be completed. If after a resubmission all requirements are not
met, another letter will be sent via email (the original sent via postal service) to the owner/authorized agent informing them about the pending issues. If all issues are not
satisfactorily addressed by the third ( 3 r d ) submission, then the entire application process will have to be restarted including the payment of the application fee.
6. If all requirements are satisfied the project is approved.
2. The Inspector assigned to the project prepares the permits and stamp the drawings.
3. There are three forms to be filled out for the permit.
a) The No Objection to Proposed Development which is prepared with the corresponding project number and dates and then signed by the Technical Manager.
b) The Application for Permit to Commence Building Works which is to be filled out by the owner/authorized agent providing the date of when the construction will
start and when personnel from the Building Unit can conduct the first inspection.
4. Subsequently, the Permit To Commence Building Works is filled out with the Project name and Project number and then signed by the Technical Manager. The owner/authorized agent are reminded that an approved set of drawings must always remain on site to enable the Building Unit to conduct at minimal a first inspection (setting
out), two random inspections.
5. An Application to use and Occupy will be issued and within 7 days of completion of Structure for the final Occupancy inspection to be conducted and an Occupancy Certificate be issued.