Project Stages & ERP Integration for SA Property Development

Development Lifecycle

A typical South African residential property development follows these stages. Each has specific regulatory requirements from SANS 10400, CIDB, and/or NHBRC.

Stage 0: Feasibility & Land Acquisition

• Zoning confirmation with local municipality
• Geotechnical investigation (required by SANS 10400-B for dolomite lands, recommended elsewhere)
• Environmental impact assessment (if required by NEMA)
• Title deed and SG diagram review

Stage 1: Design & Plan Approval

• Engage competent person (architect/engineer) for design
• Prepare building plans per SANS 10400-A requirements
• Submit plans to local authority for approval
• Await approval (30–60 working days)
• Obtain CIDB-registered contractor (for public sector projects)
• Register builder with NHBRC (if not already registered)

Stage 2: Pre-Construction

• Enrol each home with NHBRC (minimum 15 days before construction)
• Appoint CIDB-graded contractor (verify grade vs project value)
• Site establishment per SANS 10400-F (Site Operations)
• Secure construction guarantee/insurance
• Submit construction schedule to NHBRC

Stage 3: Foundation

• Clear site per SANS 10400-F
• Excavate per SANS 10400-G
• Lay foundations per SANS 10400-H and approved plans
• NHBRC Inspection 1: Foundation stage
• Obtain foundation sign-off before proceeding

Stage 4: Superstructure

• Construct walls per SANS 10400-K (masonry, damp-proof course)
• Install lintels, wall plate
• NHBRC Inspection 2: Wall plate / Structural stage
• Construct floors per SANS 10400-J
• Install stairways per SANS 10400-M (if applicable)

Stage 5: Roof & Envelope

• Install roof structure per SANS 10400-L
• Waterproofing (watertight 5+ years without maintenance)
• Install glazing per SANS 10400-N
• NHBRC Inspection 3: Roof stage
• Energy compliance check per SANS 10400-XA (building envelope)

Stage 6: Services & Finishes

• Electrical installation (registered electrician → CoC required)
• Plumbing installation (registered plumber → CoC required)
• Drainage per SANS 10400-P
• Stormwater disposal per SANS 10400-R
• Lighting and ventilation per SANS 10400-O
• Fire protection per SANS 10400-T (especially multi-unit)
• Disability access per SANS 10400-S (if applicable)

Stage 7: Practical Completion & Handover

• NHBRC Inspection 4: Practical completion
• Obtain occupancy certificate from local authority
• Obtain electrical and plumbing Certificates of Compliance
• Compile as-built drawings
• Handover package: warranty docs, maintenance manual, CoCs, approved plans

Stage 8: Post-Occupation (Warranty Period)

• 3-month snag list period (builder's obligation)
• 1-year roof leak warranty
• 5-year major structural defect warranty (NHBRC Warranty Fund)
• Track and manage defect reports

Regulatory Milestones Matrix

Stage	SANS 10400	CIDB	NHBRC
Feasibility	Part B (geotech)	—	—
Design	Part A (plans)	—	—
Pre-construction	Part F (site ops)	Contractor grade verification	Home enrolment (15 days before)
Foundation	Parts G, H	—	Inspection 1
Superstructure	Parts J, K, M	—	Inspection 2
Roof	Parts L, N, XA	—	Inspection 3
Services	Parts O, P, R, T, W	—	—
Completion	All parts	Project registered on RoP	Inspection 4
Handover	—	—	Warranty starts
Post-occupation	—	—	3mo / 1yr / 5yr warranty

ERPNext Doctype Mapping

Project (master)

project_name                    — Development name
project_type                    — Residential / Commercial / Mixed
local_authority                 — Municipality name
zoning_status                   — Confirmed / Pending / Requires rezoning
plan_approval_date              — Date plans approved
plan_approval_reference         — Local authority reference number
occupancy_classification        — Per SANS 10400 Part A (H3, H4, etc.)
estimated_cidb_grade            — Required contractor grade
environmental_approval          — Required / Not required / Approved
geotechnical_report             — Attached / Not required

Dwelling Unit (child of Project)

unit_number                     — Unit identifier
nhbrc_enrolment_number          — NHBRC enrolment reference
nhbrc_enrolment_date            — Must be ≥15 days before construction_start
construction_start_date         — Actual start
inspection_1_date               — Foundation
inspection_1_result             — Pass / Fail / Rectification
inspection_2_date               — Wall plate
inspection_2_result
inspection_3_date               — Roof
inspection_3_result
inspection_4_date               — Practical completion
inspection_4_result
occupancy_certificate_date      — From local authority
occupation_date                 — Consumer moves in
snag_list_deadline              — Auto: occupation_date + 90 days
roof_warranty_expiry            — Auto: occupation_date + 365 days
structural_warranty_expiry      — Auto: occupation_date + 1825 days
electrical_coc_date             — Electrical Certificate of Compliance
plumbing_coc_date               — Plumbing Certificate of Compliance

Contractor (linked to Supplier)

cidb_registration_number
cidb_grade                      — 1–9
cidb_classes_of_works           — Multi-select (CE, GB, ME, etc.)
cidb_registration_expiry
cidb_max_tender_value           — Auto from grade
nhbrc_registration_number       — For residential builders
nhbrc_registration_expiry
nhbrc_technical_manager

Compliance Checklist

project                         — Link to Project
stage                           — Pre-construction / Foundation / Superstructure / Roof / Services / Completion
sans_10400_parts_applicable     — Multi-select (A, B, C, etc.)
checklist_items                 — Child table of individual checks
overall_status                  — Pending / In Progress / Compliant / Non-compliant
sign_off_by                     — Competent person name
sign_off_date

Compliance Checklists

Pre-Construction

• [ ] Building plans approved by local authority
• [ ] NHBRC home enrolment confirmed (≥15 days before start)
• [ ] Contractor CIDB registration verified (grade ≥ project requirement)
• [ ] Contractor NHBRC registration verified (current)
• [ ] Geotechnical report obtained (if required)
• [ ] Site establishment plan per SANS 10400-F
• [ ] Construction guarantee/insurance in place
• [ ] Environmental approval obtained (if required)

Foundation

• [ ] Site cleared per SANS 10400-F
• [ ] Excavation per SANS 10400-G (safe faces, appropriate depth)
• [ ] Foundation layout matches approved plans
• [ ] Concrete quality per specification
• [ ] Damp-proof membrane installed
• [ ] NHBRC Inspection 1 completed and passed
• [ ] Foundation sign-off by competent person

Wall Plate

• [ ] Masonry per SANS 10400-K
• [ ] Damp-proof course correctly positioned (above finished ground level)
• [ ] Lintels correctly installed over all openings
• [ ] Wall plate level and aligned
• [ ] Window and door openings per approved plans
• [ ] NHBRC Inspection 2 completed and passed

Roof

• [ ] Roof structure per SANS 10400-L and engineer's design
• [ ] Trusses correctly installed and braced
• [ ] Waterproofing installed (5+ year durability)
• [ ] Fascia and barge boards installed
• [ ] Roof drainage connected
• [ ] NHBRC Inspection 3 completed and passed

Practical Completion

• [ ] All construction per approved plans and SANS 10400
• [ ] Electrical installation complete with CoC
• [ ] Plumbing installation complete with CoC
• [ ] Drainage per SANS 10400-P connected and tested
• [ ] Stormwater per SANS 10400-R properly channelled
• [ ] Lighting and ventilation per SANS 10400-O
• [ ] Fire protection per SANS 10400-T (if applicable)
• [ ] Energy compliance per SANS 10400-XA demonstrated
• [ ] Disability access per SANS 10400-S (if applicable)
• [ ] NHBRC Inspection 4 completed and passed
• [ ] Occupancy certificate obtained from local authority
• [ ] As-built drawings compiled
• [ ] Handover documentation package prepared

Document Requirements by Stage

At Plan Submission

• Architectural drawings (site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections)
• Structural engineer's drawings and calculations
• Energy compliance documentation (SANS 10400-XA)
• Geotechnical report (if applicable)
• SG diagram and title deed
• Municipal rates clearance
• NHBRC enrolment proof

During Construction

• NHBRC inspection reports (4 stages)
• Site diary/logbook
• Material test certificates (concrete cube tests, etc.)
• Variation orders (if changes to approved plans)
• Progress photographs

At Handover

• Occupancy certificate (from local authority)
• Electrical Certificate of Compliance
• Plumbing Certificate of Compliance
• NHBRC final inspection report
• As-built drawings
• Warranty documentation
• Maintenance manual
• Keys and access devices

Post-Occupation

• Defect reports (within warranty periods)
• Proof of written notification to builder
• NHBRC conciliation records (if applicable)
• Rectification completion records

Common Gotchas

1. Stage gates are hard dependencies. You cannot pour a foundation before NHBRC enrolment. You cannot proceed past foundation without Inspection 1 sign-off. ERP workflows must enforce this sequencing.
2. Occupation date drives all warranty calculations. Get this date wrong and every downstream deadline is wrong. Make it a required field with audit trail.
3. Variation orders require updated plan approval. Any change to approved plans during construction needs local authority sign-off — not just an internal change order.
4. CoCs are per-installation, not per-project. A multi-unit development needs separate electrical and plumbing CoCs for each unit.
5. The handover package is a legal deliverable, not a nice-to-have. Missing documents at handover create liability exposure throughout the warranty period.

See Also

• biz/property/za — Parent skill with regulatory overview
• biz/property/za/sans-10400 — Building code details per part
• biz/property/za/cidb — Contractor grading and procurement
• biz/property/za/nhbrc — Builder registration and inspections