The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) regulates home building in South Africa under the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act of 1998. For a builder of new homes, two things matter: being registered as a home builder, and enrolling every new home before building starts. This guide explains both, and what the home owner gets in return.
Registration
A home builder registers with the NHBRC and receives a registration certificate. The NHBRC advises housing consumers to ask to see a builder’s current registration certificate, to phone the NHBRC to confirm the builder is still registered, to look at homes the builder has completed and to talk to their owners, and to make sure the builder provides a contract. For a builder, that means keeping registration current and being ready to show it.
Enrolment: 15 days before building
The NHBRC states that all new homes must be enrolled with it 15 days before construction starts. Enrolment is per home, separate from the builder’s registration, so plan it into the programme alongside plan approval: a home that isn’t enrolled in time holds up the start.
The NHBRC’s online services portal handles enrolment. Have the approved plans, the site details and the owner’s details ready.
What enrolment gives the owner
Enrolment lets the NHBRC inspect the home at stages during building and gives the owner warranty cover:
- minor defects identified within the first three months of occupation;
- roof leaks identified within the first year of occupation; and
- major structural defects identified within the first five years of occupation.
The NHBRC’s own pages differ on the first item. Its “Know your rights” page lists minor defects under the warranty cover, while its “Why enrol” page says the three-month maintenance and snag-list defects are not covered by the NHBRC warranty and that the builder must remedy all three. Either way, the builder fixes minor defects reported within the first three months; if the builder won’t, take it up with the NHBRC. For major structural defects, “Know your rights” puts the most the NHBRC will pay at R500,000 or the home’s enrolment value, whichever is less, including professional fees, accommodation and transport.
The owner reports defects to the builder in writing within those periods. If a builder can’t or won’t fix them, the NHBRC has complaints, conciliation and remedial processes. Without enrolment there is no warranty cover, which is why the NHBRC tells owners to check that their home is enrolled.
Building to the Home Builders Manual
The NHBRC inspects enrolled homes at various stages of construction for compliance with its Home Builders Manual, alongside the municipality’s inspections under the National Building Regulations. Keep the site ready and the work visible so an inspection doesn’t hold up the next stage.
The contract
The NHBRC’s guidance to consumers is to make sure the builder provides a contract. Put it in writing, set out what is being built and for what price, and have both parties sign it. Use a clear scope, payment schedule and list of exclusions; see writing a quote and setting your day rate.
Costs on the quote
Ask the NHBRC for the enrolment fee for each home and include it as its own line on the quote, so the client sees it. Keep the enrolment certificate with the job documents.
Keep a record of every stage
Warranty claims can come years after handover: up to five years for major structural defects. Keep photographs of the foundations, the brickwork, the roof structure and anything that will be hidden, with dates. Keep the inspection reports, the approved plans and any changes, delivery notes for structural materials, and the electrical and plumbing CoCs. If a defect is reported, these records let you answer quickly and show what was built.
Plan the lead times
Registration, plan approval and enrolment all take time. Put them at the start of the programme: plans approved, then enrolment at least 15 days before the start date, then the municipality’s four-day notice. A client who wants to start next week on a new home often can’t, and it is better to say so in the quote.
Checklist for a new home
- Builder’s NHBRC registration current.
- Plans approved by the municipality; see plans, minor building work and council approval.
- Home enrolled with the NHBRC at least 15 days before building starts.
- Written contract signed by both parties.
- Municipal and NHBRC inspections booked at each stage.
This guide is general information for estimating. It is not engineering, legal or tax advice. Check SANS 10400 (the National Building Regulations) and your local municipality’s building control officer for your project.