NHBRC enrolment fee calculator
The NHBRC enrolment fee is a sliding scale on the selling price of the home, VAT inclusive: 1.3% of the first R500,000, then 1% of the next R500,000, 0.75% of the next R1,000,000 and 0.5% of the next R3,000,000, capped at R34,000 for any home of R5,000,000 or more. A R850,000 home is R10,000. A R1,000,000 home is R11,500. A R2,000,000 home is R19,000. Enter the selling price and the calculator gives the fee, the band it falls in, and the VAT exclusive figure both ways it can be read.
Last updated 26 October 2026. Scale read from the NHBRC enrolment fee schedule on 25 October 2026. The fee is set by the NHBRC and changes by notice, so confirm the figure on the enrolment invoice.
How the sliding scale works
The fee is cumulative. Each band charges its rate only on the part of the selling price that falls inside it, and the cap on each band is simply that rate times the width of the band, so the scale has no steps in it. The published schedule is VAT inclusive.
| Band | Selling price | Rate on the amount in the band | Fee at the top of the band |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to R500,000 | 1.3% | R6,500 |
| B | R500,001 to R1,000,000 | 1% of the amount over R500,000 | R11,500 |
| C | R1,000,001 to R2,000,000 | 0.75% of the amount over R1,000,000 | R19,000 |
| D | R2,000,001 to R5,000,000 | 0.5% of the amount over R2,000,000 | R34,000 |
| E | R5,000,001 and above | No further charge | R34,000, the maximum |
Worked example, a R1,450,000 home: R6,500 for band A, R5,000 for band B, and 0.75% of the R450,000 in band C, which is R3,375. Total R14,875 VAT inclusive, about 1.03% of the price. The effective rate falls as the price rises, from 1.3% at the bottom of the scale to 0.68% at R5,000,000 and lower still above the cap.
The VAT column on the NHBRC schedule is at the old rate
The NHBRC publishes each fee VAT inclusive and alongside it a VAT exclusive figure worked at 100/114. That is the arithmetic for 14% VAT, the rate before 1 April 2018. VAT has been 15% since then, so the exclusive figure on the schedule is slightly higher than the one you get by dividing by 1.15. On the R6,500 band A maximum the two readings are R5,701.75 and R5,652.17. The calculator shows both. The inclusive figure is what you pay; the exclusive figure matters for the VAT input you claim, and for that the invoice, not the schedule, is the document.
Enrolment is per home, and it is not registration
Two separate fees, two separate things. Registration is the builder joining the scheme: R745.61 once off and R526.32 a year after that, both before VAT. Enrolment is the home joining the scheme, every home, before construction starts, and the NHBRC asks for the application at least 15 days before the start date. The enrolment fee on this page is what that costs. A builder who puts up ten homes pays one registration and ten enrolments.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home enrolment | Sliding scale above, R34,000 maximum, including VAT |
| Late enrolment fee | R150 including VAT |
| Late enrolment inspection fee | R250 an hour including VAT, plus travel at AA rates |
| Builder registration, once off | R745.61 before VAT |
| Builder annual membership | R526.32 before VAT (R600.00 including VAT) |
Who pays it
The builder pays the NHBRC, and the fee is priced into the home like any other cost of building it. On a plot-and-plan bond the enrolment form lets the lender pay it at the first progress payment instead. On a contract build for a private owner it is usually a line in the contract sum, and the owner should expect to see it there rather than as an extra after the fact. It is one of the fixed costs the building cost calculator on this site leaves out, so add it alongside plan approval and the connection fees.
Put the enrolment fee on the job budget with everything else
Built Simple holds the estimate, the schedule and the approvals for every home in one place, so the enrolment is a dated task with a cost against it rather than a surprise at the bond stage. Free to start.
Start free with Built SimpleFrequently Asked Questions
How much is the NHBRC enrolment fee on a R1 million house? R11,500 VAT inclusive: R6,500 for the first R500,000 and 1% of the second R500,000. A R850,000 home is R10,000 and a R2,000,000 home is R19,000.
Is the NHBRC enrolment fee VAT inclusive? The published scale is VAT inclusive. The NHBRC shows the exclusive figure at 100/114, the pre-2018 rate; at 15% the exclusive figure is a little lower. Use the invoice for the VAT input.
Is there a maximum NHBRC enrolment fee? Yes. R34,000 VAT inclusive, reached at a selling price of R5,000,000. Above that the fee does not rise.
What happens if I enrol a home late? The schedule adds a late enrolment fee of R150 and a late enrolment inspection fee of R250 an hour plus travel, and section 14A lets the NHBRC require work to be opened up, defects fixed and security lodged before it accepts the enrolment. Until the home is enrolled the NHBRC fund does not cover it, the builder may not take payments beyond the deposit, and a bank financing the purchase must be satisfied that it is or will be enrolled.
Is the enrolment fee the same as NHBRC registration? No. Registration is the builder, R745.61 once off and R526.32 a year, both before VAT. Enrolment is each home, on the sliding scale, every time.
Related calculators and guides
- NHBRC registration explained
- South African building cost calculator
- Building material list for a 1, 2 or 3 room house
- SANS 10400 explained
Sources
- NHBRC enrolment fee schedule, read 25 October 2026.
- NHBRC registration and fees pages, for the registration and membership figures.
- Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act 95 of 1998.
- VAT at 15% since 1 April 2018.
