chalkline. Snap the line. Build to it.
glossary Glossary 3 min read

Permit authority

In WA the permit authority is the local government that issues building permits under the Building Act 2011, distinct from the certifier who certifies design compliance.

By Dan Waring. Last updated 9 June 2026. Verified 9 June 2026.

Ask Chalkline about this →

In Western Australia, the permit authority is the body that issues building permits under the Building Act 2011. In almost all cases that is the local government (the council) for the area where the work is happening. It is the authority you lodge the building-permit application with and the one that grants or refuses it.

The key thing to understand in the WA system is that the permit authority is separate from the certifier. The two roles split the job:

So compliance certification and permit issue are different steps done by different parties. On a certified application the certifier has already signed off the design, and the permit authority’s role is largely to issue within a short statutory timeframe. On an uncertified application the permit authority’s own building surveyor does the compliance check, which takes longer.

For a builder the practical points are to know who your permit authority is (the relevant local government) and lodge with them, to understand whether you are going certified (private certifier first, faster permit) or uncertified (council does it all), and to keep the permit-authority approvals (the building permit, occupancy permit) separate in your head from the certifier’s documents. The permit authority also handles the occupancy permit / notice of completion at the end. Other approvals (planning/development approval) may run through the same council but are a separate consent.

Also known as: Building permit authority, the council (WA), local government permit authority.

Category: Approvals / WA.

See also

References

Last updated: 2026-06-09. Verified: 2026-06-09. Quarterly review for currency.

Related articles