Rules loaded for 205 municipalities and 450 estates

From building plan to municipal approval.

Upload your plans once. Lauren checks them against SANS 10400, the municipal by-laws and the estate’s rules, so you fix problems before the council finds them.

Start a project →See how it works

01How it works

Three steps from drawings to approval.

Step 01

Upload your plans

Create a project and drop in the drawings, title deed and zoning certificate. The property details are read for you.

Step 02

Lauren checks them

Every sheet is checked against SANS 10400, the by-laws and zoning scheme, and the estate’s rules. You get a clear list of findings, and at stage 4.2 Larry quality-checks the technical documents.

Step 03

Submit and track

The forms fill themselves. The plans go through the estate and on to the council, and you see where they are at every step.

See PlanApprove in action

The full seven-step process is on the Services page.

02The team

Four digital assistants, one project.

Each one does a single job well. Together they take a plan from first check to stamped approval.

Analyse

Lauren

Checks your plans against the rules.

More about Lauren →

For architects, engineers and owners

Quality check

Larry

Checks the technical documents.

More about Larry →

For architects and draughtspeople

Cost

Bill

Drafts the bill of quantities.

More about Bill →

For owners, architects and quantity surveyors

03Benefits

Less back-and-forth. More approvals.

Fewer rejections

Find the problems before the council does.

A missing north point or a building-line breach is a quick fix today — and a six-week resubmission later.

Time

Nothing typed twice.

The statutory forms fill in from what was read on the drawings.

Estates

Estate approval online.

The estate committee reviews the plans in its own portal, and the approved set comes back stamped, with a certificate.

Visibility

Always know where it stands.

One record from first upload to council — for the architect, the owner and the estate.

Your practice

Reuse what you already have.

Registrations, insurance and standard details are kept once and attached to any project.

Coverage

205 municipalities · 450 estates

Municipal by-laws and estate rules already loaded, with more estates added every week.

04Pricing

Simple pricing.

Lauren is built for architectural professionals: one monthly subscription per user, for them and every other user on PlanApprove — 50% off until 31 January 2027. Estate agents, banks, current and new homeowners and insurance companies can submit a property’s existing plans for a once-off compliance check, with no subscription.

Launch special · 50% offSubscription

R700/ month per user

Normally ~~R1 400~~ per month · Special ends 31 January 2027

Get started →

R700 per month until 31 January 2027
From 1 February 2027: R1 400 per month per user
For architectural professionals and every other user

Estate agents · Banks · Current & new homeowners · Insurance companies

R900once-off

Submit your existing plans for compliance

Pay R900 →

Selling, buying, financing or insuring a home? Check that its existing plans comply
Against SANS 10400, the municipal by-laws and zoning scheme, and your estate’s rules
Every finding listed: what is required, what was found, what to do
Once-off, no subscription

The council and estate portals cost municipalities and estates nothing. Find your council or estate.

05FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

What does PlanApprove check a plan against?

SANS 10400 (the National Building Regulations), the municipal by-laws and zoning scheme for the property and, in a security estate, the estate’s own architectural rules. The municipalities and estates loaded so far are listed further down this page.

Who are Lauren, Larry and Bill?

PlanApprove’s three digital assistants. Lauren covers work stages 1 to 3 and 4.1 and checks the plans against the rules, Larry quality-checks the technical documents at stage 4.2 and Bill drafts the bill of quantities. Meet the team.

Who signs off the findings?

You do. Every review is a digitally assisted first pass: Lauren lists what needs attention, and the architect or professional of record confirms every finding before anything is submitted.

Which files can I upload?

Drawings and documents as PDF, DWG, DXF, JPG or PNG — including the title deed, zoning certificate and SG diagram.

Does estate approval replace council approval?

No. The estate approves first, then the stamped plans go to the municipality. PlanApprove tracks both steps on the same project.

Can I add people from my practice?

Yes. Everyone in your practice works from the same projects and practice documents.

My municipality or estate isn’t online yet. Can I still use PlanApprove?

Yes. Prepare and check the plans on PlanApprove and submit as usual. Council officials and estate committees can ask us to switch their portal on.

Something else? Ask Lauren or email info@planapprove.co.za.

06Checked against

The rules behind every check.

SANS 10400National Building Regulations — every part, from structure to fire and energy use.

Act 103 of 1977National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

SPLUMASpatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 and the municipal land-use by-laws made under it.

Zoning schemesThe land-use scheme for the property — permitted use, coverage, building lines, height and parking.

Municipal by-lawsBuilding, land-use and related by-laws for 205 municipalities loaded so far.

Estate rulesArchitectural and design rules for 450 security estates.

Every municipality here has its by-laws loaded. Estates marked “Rules checked” have their rules loaded; those marked “Rules in progress” are being added. “Online” means it receives plans through PlanApprove today. Open the council & estate portals

The bodies that shape South Africa’s built environment

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Start your next submission on PlanApprove.

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