Steps for MBPJ Approval - Demolish and Rebuild

Some of you may want to know when to do things, how long things will take and what happens in the process.

This is where many get caught and frustrated as well due to the lack of transparency from architects, and architects not being fully aware of what the local town council guidelines are. In our case MBPJ.

With this town council, before submitting things, ensure that you have your :

1. Setbacks done correct
2. 15% greenery of a lawn
3. 1 / 3 of your water tank capacity is for rain water harvesting
4. Angle of your roof pitch is safely done at 23 degrees from Rise to Run (or at least Overhang)
5. Neighbors consent has been approved by all 4 sides

These are the major things with MBPJ that you should have at the back of your mind - complying.

The Architect, Engineer, Surveyor, Soil Investigator are a separate entity that will be submitting on your behalf the correct documents. Get this house in order to comply with the requirements of the town council correctly and both will fit hand in glove well.

Here is a summary of what to do, by when and roughly how long things would take. No ranting here, but will be a copy and paste for most lowyatt folks for sure. Here it goes, and this applies only for those who are demolishing and rebuilding

STEP 1 - ENGAGE ARCHITECT

When : I would do this anytime after signing the SPA or when you have a design you like. You could do this too as soon as you have your Loan Offer Approval.

Bring your idea(s) to your architect. Nevermind the Interior Design and theme first. Draw out the basics first. No one builds cars with Colours and Leather seats in mind, the foundation begins first and that will be your desired plans for a layout. The theme comes later.

How long will it take : Approximately 1 - 2 weeks

What will happen :

1. You will discuss your plans with your Architect.
2. The Architect will indicate costings.
3. Your Architect will inform you about the local town council
4. Your Architect will inform you one the steps to get things forward (listed below)
5. Your Architect will draw up preliminary plans for you where you will approve or make amendments based on the local town councils guidelines

STEP 2 - AMMEND & APPROVE BUILDING PLANS WITH ARCHITECT

When : Anytime between SPA Signing and Loan Approval

How long will it take : Depends on how fast you have your own plans and sit down with architect. This is where my plans came in handy. Approximately 1 month going back and forth once every week. Inclusive of the Hari Raya break of 1 week.

Back and forth correspondences for changes

What will happen : You will get emails back and forth, whatsapp chats of progress and developments of your layout. You will have possibly some changes to the layout / you may wish to add / remove / change before signing off on your building plans

STEP 3 - GET NEIGHBORS CONSENT

Be nice to all 4 neighbors. Ring their bell if you have to say Hi even.

When : Right after picking up keys / when you have appointed your architect. At least say hello to neighbors first.

How long will it take : Depending on when your neighbors are home. Give it 1 week in General. Some will sign on the spot. Approach them on a weekend, its better when things are calm and people are home. 

What will happen :  Your architect will submit to you the Owners Consent Form that is a format available from your local town council, in our case MBPJ. You will ask for their kind consent. Ensure you have a honest - friendly relationship first with them. In any case, if someone objects here,  bets may be off.

STEP 4 - SURVEYOR WITH ROAD AND DRAINAGE

Survey the land, get your levels, know your boundaries, and know where the governments land boundaries are. Beyond your front gate, its government land so get your surveyor to let you know on where the markings are.

When : Right after neighbors consent. Without neighbors consent, you cannot do ANYTHING further. So this is where doing this first is important. Then bring in the Surveyor. Dont pay first only to have it rejected later

How long will it take : 1 week to do checks with the Land Department. 2 days on site. 3 - 5 days for submission of plans. Total takes 2 weeks from the time you made the first phone call to collecting your documents.

What will happen : Surveyor will check your current Grant, do a search on your property with Land Department as well, then come to your site to do markings with a tripod and his equipment. Markings will be made on the property as well. What you will get will be

1. Levels - Elevations of the property as shown above. It will be mentioned example +27.99 which means 27.99 meters above sea level etc.

2. Boundaries - Your 4 corners of your property with Nails. Every home will have one unless its been renovated and the old corner stones / nails have been removed. To know your boundaries again, you will have to get a surveyor to remark your boundaries

3. Road and Drainage - Where your elevations of the Road and Drains are. Its important especially if your building is too high above ground and you will want to know from the building to road what the elevations are so you could readjust them in future

4. Government Boundaries - Where the Governments land lies. its passed the gate but where exactly will be mapped out

5. Government Facilities - Light posts, your trees, telephone poles, electric poles, grass where it is outside your compound where your lowyatt neighbors cars often park on etc. 

STEP 5 - SOIL TESTING 

This is where you will engage in a Soil Investigator to take a look at your soil. He will use a Mackintosh Probe that will hammer into your soil with rods hammered into the ground. Yes, lowyatt people already know this. They do soil investigations every day

When : Same time as Surveyor / right after owners consent is done / Right after Surveyor

How long will it take : Approximately 2 - 3 weeks latest

What will happen : Soil gets tested by the Soil Investigator. He will come with a Mackintosh Probe and with rods and hammer down the rods into the soil. The soil collected from the very bottom will be obtained, and then be put for lab testing. What happens in lab testing ? They will measure the moisture in the soil. They will put the soil in an oven for about a day and then,.... actually here is a proper link :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lukc6Fpx-HE

STEP 6 - FINAL ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER APPROVAL FOR SUBMISSION

When : After soil testing is done with the reports

How long will it take : 2 - 3 weeks

What will happen : Any last changes will now be made before you sign off with the Architect and Engineer who will be submitting to MBPJ or your town council the Architects Plans, Surveyors Plans, Soil Testing Report, Engineers Plans etc. They will also fill up forms by MBPJ for Planning Approval

STEP 7 - KEBENARAN MERANCANG (KM) / DEVELOPMENT ORDER

When : When the Architects, Surveyors, Engineers have compiled all information needed for submission inclusive of your neighbors consent.

How long will it take : Approval to take 3 months WITH proper BP Documents approved. 

What will happen : IF all is okay and criteria s are met by MBPJ's guidelines to how big should your footings be, how deep should your footings for the pillars be etc. MBPJ too will have an Engineering department, so all things have to check out. Its not a matter of just submit and thats it. Its not what you think. This is a crucial stage too.

MBPJ as well will do their own mock up of a 3D rendering, take images of your neighbors and your premise as well. This is where you will be allowed to put up a sign for a notice to build. They too will come to your premise to take images of your building for submission for the KM stage.

You will see signs such as "PEMBERITAHUAN PEMBANGUNAN" Which is essentially a notice to build. This is to inform your neighbors and residences that a building will take place soon and if there are any objections it may be written in etc.

Yes, this guy too is a lowyatt chap, 3 storeys. This is MPAJ's format, not MBPJ but similar. So this is where you notify neighbors of your plans.






This is what MBPJ's sign looks like. ***Updated 11 June 2018***

This occurs while awaiting for the submission for building plans to occur. Its a simple board which can be printed even on Tarpaulin and hung up for the community to see and object if they have any objections.

STEP 8 - SUBMISSION FOR BUILDING PLANS (BP) TO MBPJ

When : When Architect and Engineer receive approval from MBPJ at Step 6 - KM

How long will it take : Approval is should take 3 months WITH proper documentation. 

What will happen : This is where the Board will sit down once every 2 weeks to approve your plans. In our case, our approval should be within 6 meetings with the Board of Approval at MBPJ. DBKL is faster though, as there are more "express ways" of doing things. We should be better off because we are complying to guidelines and not exceeding in any way any boundaries or set backs that MBPJ will be looking to catch you with.

STEP 9 - APPOINTING A CONTRACTOR 

Someones gonna be drinking Cristal soon at Marini's. No Kaya and Toast here, just Avacado Toast and Medium Rare steaks now onwards. 

When : You can start looking for Contractors when you are at the Building Plan Stage (Step 7). Your contractor as well will have to register with MBPJ or your local town council. Their information WILL have to be displayed as well on the Board

How long will it take : Depends, how much your contractors costs, and what are the specs you wish to have. How long will it take you to approve or negotiate ? 

What will happen : Your contractor will be greedy and whack your money and ask for a lowyatt 30% deposit to which you will decline because you are supposed to pay in stages. Use this as a bargaining tool as well, you have the plans approved, they didnt do squat. Without your plans, they have no job. With no job, they have no demand for anything. You have the job and opportunity, not them.

This is why it never makes sense appointing a contractor to do an architects work. This stage must ONLY HAPPEN when you have submitted your approvals in for construction. We should have done this here. Your contractor will also have to register themselves with MBPJ as their name will have to appear for the Construction Board when it is put up before construction. I say this again, do not engage with a Contractor first, this stage happens later, once things are approved for building. Move with the flow, not ahead of it.

STEP 10 - SIGNAGE FOR CONSTRUCTION BOARD

*** An image is still not available from me, but will have one soon ***

When : After KM has been approved

How long will it take : 1 week once you have got the letter for approval. You will then head to a printing / signboard shop and get your Signage for construction done. 

What will happen : You will need to tell the signage company to put up a GI Steel Plate etc, (they will know this) where it says who you are, your address, your architect, engineer, surveyor, etc. You will then get your signboard delivered and then will put it up for the neighbors to see what your plans are for about 1 month before starting work. Building Plans - BP, work can commence.

This is where you will find on the signboard :-

1. Details of your property such as your address and Lot Number
2. You the owner(s) name(s)
3. Arhictects details
4. Engineers details
5. Surveyors details
6. Contractors details
7. Soil Investigators details
8. Date of commence for construction
9. Intended date of completion for construction

STEP 11 - WORK COMMENCE

When : After having your signage up for a month and appointing a contractor AND all approvals at the BP stages have been approved

How long will it take : Depends on the size of your building

What will happen : Fun

~fin~

There you have it folks. These are the steps of getting things approved by MBPJ

Next up will be Renovation Costings which many also have a nightmare when you hear stories of renovations being over ballooned by greedy lowyatt contractors.

Now Im not sure if you can find the steps needed as mine anywhere online but am doing my best to share this so that no one is in the dark without any guidelines. I hope this will help