Plans for a Certificate of Acceptability (R638)

A4AC Architects prepares the floor plans and kitchen layouts that food businesses need to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability under Regulation R638. We draw restaurants, staff canteens, school and university kitchens, takeaways, bakeries and food-processing rooms, in any municipality in South Africa. If you don't have plans of the building, we measure it with a LiDAR scan and draw it accurately from that.

What a Certificate of Acceptability is

Every food premises in South Africa needs a Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) before it may handle, prepare or sell food. It is issued by the local municipality's Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) under the Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises (R638 of 2018). People often call it a "health department certificate". In practice, the municipal environmental health section inspects and approves it.

The EHP checks that the premises meet R638's structural and hygiene requirements. A clear, scaled floor plan makes that check faster and shows up problems before the inspection does.

What we draw

• Floor plan of the premises: walls, doors, windows and room uses, drawn to scale.

• Kitchen and food-handling layout: preparation, cooking, washing-up, storage and serving areas, with the flow of food from delivery to service.

• Fixtures: wash-hand basins, sinks, cold rooms, extraction hoods, refuse storage, and staff toilets and change rooms.

• Finishes and services notes: floor, wall and ceiling finishes, lighting, ventilation and hot and cold water, where the EHP needs them.

If the layout won't comply, we tell you before you apply and show how to fix it. Typical problems are a toilet opening straight onto a food-preparation area, or no wash-hand basin in the kitchen.

Who we draw for

• Restaurants, cafés, coffee shops and takeaways

• Staff canteens in offices, factories and warehouses

• School, university and residence kitchens

• Bakeries, butcheries and small food-processing units

• Caterers and home-industry kitchens moving into commercial premises

Canteens and larger premises often need emergency evacuation plans as well, and we can draw both from the same survey.

Mortuaries and funeral parlours

Mortuaries and funeral undertakers' premises need a separate certificate of competence from the municipal EHP, under the Regulations Relating to the Management of Human Remains (R363 of 2013). We have drawn the plans for a mortuary application and can do the same for funeral parlours and body-storage facilities. For clinics and hospitals, see our healthcare architecture services.

How it works

1. Tell us about the premises: the address, the type of food business and whether you have existing plans.

2. Survey: if there are no reliable plans, we scan the building with LiDAR and draw it from the point cloud. If you have as-built plans, we can use them and check them on site.

3. Layout and compliance check: we draw the layout and mark anything that is likely to fail R638.

4. Plans issued: you receive PDF and DWG drawings ready to attach to the municipality's application form.

5. Submission (optional): most clients submit the application themselves. If you prefer, we submit it for you and deal with the EHP's comments.

If the work includes building alterations, such as a new extraction duct, moved walls or a change of use, those may also need building plan approval. We can handle both together.

What it costs

The fee depends on the size of the premises and whether we have to scan it. A small kitchen with existing plans is a quick job; a large canteen with no drawings needs a survey first. Send us the address and what you have, and we'll quote a fixed fee.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues a Certificate of Acceptability?
The Environmental Health Practitioner at your local municipality, under Regulation R638. The certificate is issued to the person in charge of the food premises after an inspection.

Do I need plans to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability?
Many municipalities ask for a floor plan or layout of the premises with the application, and a clear plan makes the inspection easier. We draw it to scale, showing the food-handling areas, fixtures and facilities the EHP will check.

Can you draw plans if I don't have any drawings of the building?
Yes. We scan the premises with LiDAR and draw an accurate floor plan from the scan, then add the kitchen layout.

Do you submit the application for me?
We can. Usually we supply the plans and the client submits, but we can submit on your behalf in any municipality.

Do you do plans for mortuaries?
Yes. Mortuaries and funeral parlours need a certificate of competence under R363, and we have prepared the plans for that application.

Opening or moving a food business?

Email info@a4ac.co.za  with the address, the type of premises and whether you have existing plans.