Before you commit to a property, obtain the approved building plan from the responsible planning or building authority, obtain the applicable final-inspection, completion or occupancy record, and check for unresolved notices. Then compare the approved documents with the building that actually exists. A seller’s copy is useful, but it is only a starting point: authority records, document scope and legal consequences vary by location.
What you are verifying
“The building plan” and “the completion certificate” are not necessarily one document or one approval stage. A property file may contain planning approval, building approval, amended drawings, inspection records, a completion certificate, an occupancy certificate and notices requiring work. Some authorities combine these stages; others keep separate searches and certificates.
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| Record or document | What it can establish | What it may not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Approved planning or building plan | The layout, additions, use, dimensions or other work accepted by the authority at a particular date and revision. | That the work was built exactly as drawn, passed final inspection or is currently free of enforcement issues. |
| Amended approval or variation | Whether later changes were formally approved and which drawing version superseded an earlier one. | That every physical alteration was included in the amendment. |
| Final inspection or completion record | That an authority or certifier recorded a final inspection or completion event, where that system exists. | That the record covers every structure, addition or later renovation on the lot. |
| Occupancy certificate or occupancy record | That the authority recorded permission or status for occupation for the relevant building type and date. | That an unrelated extension, outbuilding or change of use is approved. |
| Outstanding-notice or enforcement search | Whether the authority lists open notices, conditions or other unresolved matters. | That no private dispute, defect or unrecorded work exists outside the authority’s file. |
The exact names, legal effect, access rules and fees depend on the property’s jurisdiction. Treat a record listing, a downloadable copy and a certified copy as different products unless the authority says otherwise.
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Start with the address, but do not rely on the address alone. Planning and building records are usually indexed by a parcel identifier, title reference, lot-and-plan number, assessment number or a similar key. Ask the seller for the full legal description shown on the title or contract and confirm that it matches the building you inspected.
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Confirm which authority holds each record
One agency may hold planning approvals while another, a private certifier or a building-control office holds inspection or occupancy records. Ask the local council or planning department:
- Which authority approved the original plan?
- Which body records final inspection or completion?
- Which body issues or records occupancy status for this building type?
- Where are enforcement, building or planning notices searched?
- Does the search cover the whole parcel, a particular structure or only a date range?
Do not assume that a property’s utility provider, land registry or title search contains approved drawings. Those systems answer different questions.
Collect the record keys before ordering
- Street address, unit number and suburb or locality.
- Lot, plan, parcel or title number.
- Building approval, planning application or permit number, if the seller has one.
- Approximate construction date and dates of extensions or renovations.
- Names of prior owners or applicants only where the authority requires them for a search.
In Brisbane, Queensland, the city’s building-search request asks for the lot-on-plan number. A different authority may require a title reference or application number instead.
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Step 2: Obtain the approved plan from an official source
Request the complete approved drawing set, not just a marketing floor plan. Ask for the site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, schedules and approval stamp or reference, plus any approved variations. If the seller supplies a scan, ask when it was obtained and whether it is the latest approved version.
Use the seller’s copy as a lead, then verify it
Compare the seller’s document with the authority’s file or with an authority-issued extract. Check the property identifier, applicant or owner name where shown, approval date, application number, drawing number, revision and page count. A plan that has no authority reference, contains handwritten changes or ends before a known extension should not be treated as the final approved record.
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Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) specifically advises buyers of private residential property to check for unauthorised works. It identifies two routes: ask the seller for approved plans or submit DC15, a requisition of planning records, to URA. This is a Singapore-specific process; do not assume DC15 or URA terminology applies elsewhere. URA’s buying-property guidance was updated on 29 June 2026.
Ask what the authority will actually provide
Before paying a fee, ask whether the product includes:
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- Scanned copies of approved plans.
- Certified or authenticated copies.
- Inspection reports, completion documents or occupancy records.
- Records for every structure on the parcel or only the main dwelling.
- Current notices and conditions, or historical notices as well.
A search result that lists an approval is not the same as a copy of the approved drawing. Brisbane City Council expressly says its general building search can provide approval-record and occupancy-certificate information but generally does not include copies of approval plans or most building documents and certificates. Its separate products must be requested when you need those materials.
Step 3: Match the plan to the property as built
Read the plan while walking through the property, ideally with a building professional. Mark every difference rather than relying on memory. Compare the approved drawings with the exterior, internal layout, roof space, basement, garage, retaining walls, decks, balconies, pools, studios and other structures.
Use a room-by-room comparison
- Confirm the site boundary, orientation, access and building footprint.
- Check the number and position of bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and other enclosed rooms.
- Measure or estimate major additions against the dimensions shown on the plan.
- Check doors, windows, stairs, balconies, decks, carports and garages.
- Inspect roof forms, enclosed verandas, retaining walls, sheds, pools and external stairs.
- Record renovations, conversions or changes of use that are not shown.
- Photograph discrepancies and note the date, location and likely construction period.
A small furnishing change is not the same as a structural extension. Focus on changes that alter the building envelope, floor area, structure, use, fire separation, access or services. If you cannot determine whether an alteration needed approval, ask the authority or a locally qualified building professional rather than guessing.
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Check drawing versions and approval conditions
Look for revision clouds, superseded sheets, conditions of approval and references to separate permits. The newest date is not automatically the controlling document if a later variation changed only one part of the work. Ask the authority which plan is current and whether conditions were satisfied.
Where a plan and the building do not match, possible explanations include an approved amendment, a later permit held in another file, an exempt minor work, an unrecorded alteration or a drafting error. The discrepancy itself is a reason to pause the transaction until its status is documented.
Step 4: Verify completion, final inspection and occupancy separately
Approval to build is not the same event as confirmation that construction was completed or that occupation was permitted. Ask the authority which record applies to the building type and whether it is issued by the council, a private certifier or another body.
Questions to put to the authority
- What is the local name for the final inspection, completion or occupancy record?
- Is the record mandatory for this building type and construction date?
- Does it cover the whole property or only a specified structure or stage?
- Will the search return the certificate itself, a reference number or only a status?
- Are later additions required to have their own final or occupancy record?
- Are there conditions, expiry dates or restrictions attached to occupation?
Brisbane City Council distinguishes among building-record searches, final-certification or occupancy searches and searches for outstanding building property notices. Its material indicates that detached dwellings may be handled through building inspection or final-inspection records, while other structure types may involve occupancy-certificate searches. These categories and exceptions apply to Brisbane and should not be treated as a universal model.
Do not accept “the house is occupied” as proof
Long-term occupation, utility connections, rates notices or a lender’s prior valuation do not prove that the relevant completion or occupancy record exists. Ask for the official record and confirm its scope. A certificate for the original dwelling may not cover a later enclosed patio, loft conversion, secondary dwelling or commercial use.
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Step 5: Search for notices and unresolved matters
Request a search for open building or planning notices, enforcement directions, outstanding conditions and other matters affecting the parcel. An approval search can be clean while a separate notice file remains open.
Ask for status, date and responsible party
For each notice, obtain the reference number, date issued, work required, deadline, current status and whether responsibility transfers to the owner. Ask whether compliance has been certified or merely promised. If the authority will not release details to a prospective buyer, ask the seller to obtain them or make the request through the authorised channel.
Brisbane City Council lists a separate search for outstanding building property notices under its local legislation. The existence of a separate product is a practical reminder to ask for notices explicitly wherever the authority offers them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Step 6: Order the right records and budget for timing
Write down the exact products you need before submitting a request. A useful request can include the approved plan, all approved amendments, final inspection or completion evidence, occupancy status and outstanding notices. Ask whether one application covers all products or whether separate applications are required.
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When accessed, Brisbane City Council listed a standard building-search response time of 10 business days for AUD $106.55 and a fast-track response time of 3 business days for AUD $218.80. These figures are local, time-sensitive service information and should be rechecked with the council before relying on them. The council’s stated limitations mean that a general search may still not supply the underlying plans or most certificates, so additional record requests may be necessary.
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Plan for delays before exchange or closing
- Submit requests early enough to allow clarification questions and a second search.
- Keep payment receipts, request numbers and the date each record was downloaded.
- Ask how long an authority’s search remains current if the transaction is delayed.
- Check whether a fast-track option changes only response time, not the documents supplied.
- Allow time for a surveyor, architect, engineer, conveyancer or property lawyer to review discrepancies.
Step 7: Resolve discrepancies before making the commitment irreversible
Do not treat an unexplained mismatch as a cosmetic issue. It can affect financing, insurance, safety, future alterations, resale and the allocation of rectification costs. The legal consequence depends on local law and the nature of the work.
Use a written discrepancy schedule
Create a table with the plan reference, observed condition, likely date, evidence available, authority response and proposed action. Attach photographs and copies of the relevant drawing pages. This gives your adviser and the authority a precise question instead of a general concern.
Possible resolution paths
- The authority confirms that a later approved amendment exists and supplies its reference.
- The seller obtains a missing completion or occupancy record.
- A professional confirms that work was exempt or did not require the assumed approval.
- The owner applies for retrospective approval or regularisation where local law allows it.
- The contract is amended to allocate responsibility, obtain evidence or provide a remedy.
- You renegotiate or withdraw under the contract and local law if the risk cannot be resolved.
Do not sign a statement that the property matches the plan unless you have checked it. Do not rely on a seller’s promise to “sort it out after settlement” without written contractual protection and advice from a qualified local professional.
Who should review the file?
A conveyancer or property lawyer can explain title, contract, disclosure and local legal consequences. A building surveyor, certifier, architect or engineer can assess whether the physical work corresponds with the drawings and whether a technical approval appears missing. The authority can explain what its records mean, but it may not advise you on the commercial risk of buying.
Use the professional whose role matches the question. A lawyer cannot replace a structural inspection, and a building professional cannot give jurisdiction-specific contract advice unless qualified to do so. URA recommends professional advice for specific buyer situations; the appropriate adviser and scope vary by location.
A practical pre-purchase checklist
- ☐ Confirm the planning and building authority for the property.
- ☐ Obtain the legal parcel identifier and any permit or application numbers.
- ☐ Request the seller’s complete approved plan set and all known amendments.
- ☐ Verify those documents against the authority’s records.
- ☐ Confirm the drawing revision, approval date and property identifier.
- ☐ Walk the property and compare every material addition and change.
- ☐ Ask which final-inspection, completion or occupancy record applies.
- ☐ Confirm whether you receive a document copy, certified copy or listing only.
- ☐ Search separately for open notices, enforcement matters and unsatisfied conditions.
- ☐ Obtain written explanations for every mismatch.
- ☐ Have unresolved issues reviewed before exchange, waiver of conditions or settlement.
- ☐ Save the authority responses, plans, certificates, photographs and request receipts.
When you can proceed
Proceed only when you know which authority’s records govern the property, have the controlling approved plan, understand the status of completion or occupancy evidence, and have checked for outstanding notices. A clean result does not promise that the building is defect-free; it means the authority record has been checked for the specific scope and date requested. If the record is incomplete or the building differs from the plan, make the uncertainty explicit in the contract and obtain local professional advice before your commitment becomes binding.
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