If you’re submitting building plans to a municipality — whether you’re an architect, a draughtsperson, or a contractor managing the process yourself — there are two reference numbers you need to understand. Confusing them is an easy mistake to make, and it causes unnecessary delays and headaches. So let’s clear it up once and for all.
What Is an Erf Number?
An erf number is the number assigned to a piece of land. It’s a fixed, cadastral reference — it describes the property itself, not anything built on it. Whether there’s one building on the site or ten, the erf number stays the same. It’s how the municipality, the Deeds Office, and your title deed identify the land.
What Is a Plan Number?
A plan number is different. It’s the reference number assigned by the municipality to a specific building plans submission. You submit a set of plans; the municipality gives that submission a plan number. It’s their tracking reference for that particular application.
Here’s the key point: one erf can have more than one plan number.
If there are multiple buildings on a site, each building’s plans get submitted separately — and each submission gets its own plan number. If you submit revised or amended drawings, that’s a new submission, and it gets a new plan number. The plan number is tied to the submission, not the land.
Why Does This Matter?
The confusion usually arises when people are working on a site with multiple structures, or when they’re resubmitting amended drawings. It’s tempting to think: same site, same number. But that’s not how it works.
Using the wrong plan number — or reusing an old one — can cause one submission to overwrite another in the municipal system. That’s a problem that’s difficult and time-consuming to unwind.
A Simple Rule to Remember
Erf number = the land. Fixed. Doesn’t change.
Plan number = a specific submission. One erf, many possible plan numbers.
If you’re unsure how to handle a particular submission — especially on a larger or more complex site — ask. It’s far easier to get it right upfront than to chase a correction through the municipal system afterwards.
This applies primarily to Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, where we work, but the principle is consistent across most South African municipalities. The terminology may vary slightly, but the distinction between a land reference and a submission reference is universal.
— Tim Hewitt-Coleman
Director, noh Architects
Gqeberha, Eastern Cape
noh ARCHITECTS 