Residential and commercial building plan search

The City keeps official records of all building approvals issued for properties within the district. These records may include building licences or permits, approved plans and supporting documentation.

Property owners, or people authorised by the owner, may request copies of these records.

What You Can Request

You can request copies of:

  • Approved building plans
  • Building licences or permits
  • Supporting approval documents held by the City

Please note:

Due to the age of some properties, some documents may be unavailable. Where this occurs, the City may provide a letter confirming what information is (or is not) held.

Who Can Apply

To request plans, you must:

  • Be the current owner of the property, or
  • Have written consent from the current owner, or
  • Have a signed Offer and Acceptance if purchasing the property

Additional requirements apply in some cases:

  • Company or trust ownership:
    You must provide evidence of your legal interest (e.g. business registration details). The applicant name must match this documentation.
  • Strata properties:
    • Requests for all units must be signed by the Secretary of the Body Corporate or Managing Agent, or
    • If this is not available, signatures from all owners involved in the Strata subdivision are required.

You must be the person named as the applicant, and the identification provided must be your own.

What to Include With Your Request

Your request must include:

  • Payment of the applicable plan search fee(PDF, 185KB)
  • Proof of ownership (e.g. recent rates notice or utility bill – do not attach photo ID)
  • Written owner authorisation or contract of sale, if applicable
  • Company or trust documentation, if applicable

Online applicants will be contacted by email to arrange payment before the search begins.

Timeframes and Processing

  • Once all required information and payment are received, the City aims to complete the search within 10 business days.
  • Some records are stored off‑site, which may require additional time.
  • If the property is for sale or under contract, early lodgement is strongly recommended to allow sufficient time before settlement.

To avoid delays, please provide any additional information requested promptly.


Important Information

  • An approval may be recorded even if the plans are missing. In this case, a confirmation letter will be provided.
  • If no approval or plans are recorded, the structure may be unauthorised and could be subject to compliance action.
  • A fee applies to all searches. Please refer to the current fees and charges schedule.
  • Additional fees may apply for large plan searches or copying large documents.

Online

The request will be completed within 10 business days of acceptance, unless otherwise advised, as records may be stored offsite. If the request relates to a property currently for sale or under contract please ensure the request is lodged promptly to allow sufficient time to be completed before settlement.

To process requests in a timely manner, any information requested from the applicant must be provided promptly.

Privacy Collection Notice

Personal information is collected by the City of Gosnells to support the delivery of services to the community. Information is handled in accordance with the PRIS Act 2024 and our Privacy Policy. Where necessary, information may be shared internally or with other agencies. See our Privacy Policy for more detail, City of Gosnells Privacy Information. 

Building plan search request

More information

Please contact the Planning Department if you require Planning and Development Approval documentation.

Telephone: 9397 3000 
Email: padmin@gosnells.wa.gov.au

 

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