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NHBRC registration for a contractor doing residential alterations and roof additions vs new builds?
We are a general building contractor in George mostly doing commercial maintenance and residential kitchen/patio renovations, and now a client in Wilderness wants us to build a complete second-dwelling cottage on their erf. Do we need full NHBRC home builder registration before breaking ground?
Shaun Witbooi · 20 Sept 2026
@gardenroutebuilder Yes! While minor internal renovations don't require NHBRC enrolment, building a new habitable dwelling (including a second dwelling / granny flat) or a major structural addition that requires municipal building plan approval falls squarely under the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act. Both you as the builder must be NHBRC-registered AND the specific home/dwelling must be enrolled prior to construction starting, plus if the client is using a bank building bond, the bank will not release a single progress draw without the NHBRC enrolment certificate.