Depending on the complexity, scale, detail requirements and whether it is an Interior or Exterior rendering project, Photorealistic Renders can cost anything from R3500 per render to R8000 per render. Conceptual Visualisations can range from R40 to R90 per m2 to develop, also 100% dependent on the size and complexity of the design.
Photorealistic Renderings can take anything from 1 week to a couple of months from start to finish.When working on large projects, we work closely with our clients and schedule preliminary deadlines where we submit low-resolution renders for approval to allow required amendments to be made before we proceed with the final high-resolution renders to ensure the design and details are all rendered correctly.
YES, building plans are crucial when living in your home, wanting to make alterations to your space, and/or when selling your property. It is always good to have the latest set of approved plans on hand, should anything go wrong and you need to claim from your insurance.
Building without approved plans could result in your local municipality refusing to allow any further renovations, or could order the illegally erected structure/additions be demolished.
According to the South African Council of Architectural Profession, you’ll definitely need to appoint a SACAP
registered Architectural Professional to design, draw, and submit plans to the local authority. This is applicable for any residential, commercial, institutional or industrial buildings. Therefore the answer is no: you won’t be able to submit your plans without an Architectural Professional.
The required approvals for building a house depend on the type of project you are undertaking. If you are adding onto an existing house, you will need to consider the age of the original structure, as well as whether your property is located within an estate. If your house is 60 years or older, you’ll have to seek approval from the Heritage Council FIRST before submitting your plans to the council for official approval, and only once you have obtained the Heritage Council’s approval, you can include it in your official plan submission. If you live in an estate on the other hand, you’ll have to obtain pre-approval from the Homeowners Association before submitting plans to the council, regardless of whether you are building on vacant land or onto your existing home. Luckily your Architectural Professional will guide you through the entire process.
Depending on where you are situated, municipal approval can take anything from 2 weeks to a couple of months. For basic Residential Projects, the municipal approval phase can take 2 weeks to 30 days to get feedback from the local authority. For Commercial/Industrial Projects, municipal approval entirely depends on project parameters and site specifics.
