Straight answers to the questions we hear most.

Yes. Any alteration that changes the structure of your home or adds floor area requires plans approved by your local municipality, and those plans must be drawn and signed off by a professional registered with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). Some minor building work, such as small garden structures, can be exempt from full plans, but even then you generally need written permission from the municipality before you start.

If you are unsure which side of the line your project falls on, ask us. The first conversation costs nothing and will tell you exactly what your municipality requires.

Architectural fees are usually structured in one of three ways: a percentage of the construction cost, a fixed fee agreed up front, or an hourly rate for smaller pieces of work. Which structure fits best depends on the size and complexity of the project.

At iDt, the first conversation and site visit cost nothing. At the end of it you receive a written fee proposal, so you know exactly what the design work will cost before you commit to anything.

SACAP is the South African Council for the Architectural Profession, the statutory body that registers architectural professionals in South Africa. Municipalities will only accept building plans signed off by a SACAP-registered professional, and registration categories determine the size and type of building a professional may take responsibility for. Working with a registered professional protects you: your plans will be accepted by council, and there is a professional body behind the work.

Izak du Toit is registered with SACAP as a Professional Senior Architectural Technologist, registration number ST 1958.

The studio is based in Stilbaai and works across the Western Cape: the Garden Route, the Overberg, the Cape Winelands, and towns including Mossel Bay, George, and Cape Town. For projects further afield, the first conversation will tell you whether it makes sense for both of us.

Three sectors: residential (new homes, alterations, additions, and holiday houses), commercial (offices, retail, and hospitality), and industrial (warehouses, workshops, and agricultural buildings). The same six-stage process applies to all of them.

In our experience across the Western Cape, council approval typically takes around four weeks from submission, though it is council-dependent and some municipalities take longer. Incomplete submissions are the most common cause of delay. We prepare the full submission, lodge it electronically, respond to council queries as they come up, and keep the file moving until the approval comes back.

No. Building without municipally approved plans is illegal under South Africa's National Building Regulations. The municipality can stop the work, impose penalties, and in serious cases order demolition. Unapproved structures also cause real problems later: banks can refuse bond finance, insurers can reject claims, and sales can fall through when the buyer's conveyancer asks for approved plans. Getting plans approved first is always cheaper than fixing the situation afterwards.

For a typical project, the design and approval stages before construction take roughly four to five months in total: the first conversation and concept design (2 weeks), design development (2 weeks), council submission (4 weeks), council approval (4 weeks, council-dependent), and tender (3 weeks). Construction time then depends on the size of the building. We tell you up front what each stage will produce and how long it should take, so there are no surprises.

We do. Preparing and lodging the submission drawings electronically, dealing with the municipality's queries, and handing you the electronically approved and stamped drawings is part of our standard process. You do not need to stand in a queue at the council offices.

As much as you need. We can stay involved while the building goes up: visiting site, answering the builder's questions, and seeing the project through to final inspection. The scope of construction-stage involvement is agreed per project, and the fee for it is based on what you require.

Nothing. We meet, walk the site if there is one, and talk through what you are trying to do. By the end you will know whether we are the right studio for the project, what a realistic budget looks like, and what the next step is. You then receive a written fee proposal, and you decide from there.

iDt Architectural Studio was founded by Izak du Toit, registered with SACAP as a Professional Senior Architectural Technologist (ST 1958) and practicing since 1996 across South Africa and abroad. Working in collaboration with a graphic designer and interior specialist, the studio unites architectural precision with creative visualization to deliver cohesive, client-focused design solutions. Izak, the studio's principal, personally leads every project from concept to completion.