New guidance on the National Building Code

Practice notes to help members apply LI 2460 with confidence on live projects.

Ghana's building control framework is set by the National Building Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2460), which replaced the long-standing 1996 regulations (L.I. 1630). For most members the change is not abstract: it affects how drawings are prepared, what a permit submission must contain, and what a District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly will look for before a permit is granted. These practice notes summarise the points that come up most often on live projects.

Know which approvals apply before you draw. Development in Ghana sits under two linked regimes: planning permission under the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), and the building permit administered by the Assembly. A permit application normally travels through the Assembly's Spatial Planning Committee and its technical sub-committee, so a scheme that is sound architecturally can still stall on zoning, plot coverage, setbacks or access. Confirm the zoning and any scheme-specific conditions with the Assembly at feasibility stage, not at submission.

Get the submission set right the first time. Assemblies expect a coordinated package: site and location plans keyed to a registered site plan, architectural drawings at readable scales, structural drawings and calculations, and services information. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, drainage and fire proposals should be shown, and the sanitation, water supply and drainage arrangements should be demonstrable, not implied. Incomplete or uncoordinated sets are the single most common cause of delay.

Design for fire safety and means of escape from the start. Escape route lengths, exit widths, stair enclosure, compartmentation and access for firefighting appliances shape plan geometry, so they cannot be resolved after the layout is fixed. The Ghana National Fire Service reviews proposals for many building types, and early engagement is far cheaper than a late redesign.

Treat accessibility as a design requirement, not a fitting-out item. Accessible approach, entrance, circulation and sanitary provision for persons with disability must be designed in, in line with the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715). Ramps, door widths, lift provision and accessible WCs all have plan consequences.

Use the regulations' emphasis on performance to your advantage. The framework gives more attention than its predecessor to energy efficiency, ventilation, daylight and sustainable servicing. In Ghana's climate, orientation, shading, cross-ventilation and envelope choices are the lowest-cost route to compliance and to lower running costs for the client. Document those decisions; they support both approval and the client's business case.

Keep the compliance trail. Retain the approved drawings, permit conditions and any subsequent variation approvals on file, and record site instructions that depart from the permitted scheme. Where construction diverges materially from the approved drawings, a revised approval is required. Building without a permit, or in breach of permit conditions, exposes the client to stop-work notices, penalties and demolition orders, and exposes the architect to a professional conduct complaint.

Members are advised to read L.I. 2460 in full alongside the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) and their Assembly's local requirements, which vary between districts. ASG will continue to publish worked guidance and to engage the Assemblies and regulators on consistent interpretation. Where you meet a practice problem that this note does not answer, contact the Secretariat so it can be raised through our advocacy work and reflected in future guidance.