General information: This guide provides a general overview of NSW planning and approvals, not advice for a particular property or project. Planning requirements can change and depend on the circumstances. Check the current requirements with the relevant council, an accredited certifier or an appropriately qualified planning professional before proceeding.
The first question is whether approval is required
The planning pathway depends on the zoning, the type of work and the controls affecting the property. The NSW Planning Portal recommends checking the planning controls for the actual address rather than assuming that a particular type of addition always follows the same pathway.
The NSW Planning Portal local development guidance explains that zoning and applicable planning instruments determine whether development needs consent.
What is complying development?
Complying development is a fast-track planning and construction approval pathway for development that meets specific standards. It is assessed by a council or registered certifier rather than going through a full development application.
The NSW Housing Code can allow alterations and additions to dwelling houses as complying development where the proposal and site meet the relevant standards. Those standards can include building height, setbacks and landscaping requirements, and the Housing Code only applies in specified zones.
See the current NSW Planning Portal complying development guidance and the Housing Code overview.
When is a development application used?
If the proposal is not eligible for complying development and requires consent, a development application is lodged through the NSW Planning Portal for assessment by the relevant council. Local environmental plans, state policies and site-specific constraints can all affect the assessment.
A DA pathway can be appropriate for projects that do not meet the complying-development standards or where the property is affected by controls that require a merit assessment.
DA approval is not the end of the building-approval process
For work approved through a development application, a Construction Certificate is generally required before building work starts. The NSW Planning Portal describes this certificate as confirming that construction plans and specifications comply with the Building Code of Australia and council requirements.
See the Portal’s Before you start your build guidance for the current sequence.
What information is normally needed?
The exact documents vary with the project and approval pathway. For a complying development application, the NSW Planning Portal says applicants may need documents such as the certificate of title, site plan, design plans, structural plans and building specifications, plus any other documents required by the council or certifier.
That is one reason it is useful to establish the design and structural approach before treating the approval as an administrative step.
Heritage, bushfire, flood and other constraints
A property can have planning constraints that change what is possible under a fast-track pathway. Heritage conservation areas, bushfire-prone land, flood controls, vegetation and other site conditions can all require additional consideration. The rules are detailed and should be checked for the actual lot.
For heritage-sensitive upper additions, the existing Wal Robbins guide to adding a first floor to a Federation bungalow provides useful design context, but it does not replace a current planning assessment.
Do neighbours get notified?
Notification depends on the pathway and circumstances. The NSW Planning Portal notes that complying development can involve pre-approval and pre-construction neighbour notification requirements. For a DA, the council may notify neighbours in accordance with its processes and the applicable rules.
Who chooses the certifier?
NSW Fair Trading’s contract checklist reminds homeowners that where a registered certifier is required, the owner has the right to select the certifier. The building contract should also make clear who is responsible for obtaining council or other approvals.
See the current NSW Fair Trading contract checklist.
How Wal Robbins approaches approvals
Wal Robbins can work with homeowners who are starting without plans as well as homeowners who already have drawings. The project scope, property and approval pathway should be established before promising a particular route or approval timeframe.
For a more focused discussion of upper-level work, see CDC vs DA for Sydney first-floor additions. For the overall project sequence, see Our Process.
A practical checklist before you begin
Identify the property address and describe the work you are considering. Gather existing plans and note any known site features, such as a heritage listing, a shared wall, steep land, trees or flooding. The relevant council, designer or certifier can help establish which current controls and additional reports may apply.
Ask which drawings and specialist reports are needed, who will prepare and lodge them, who will assess the application, and which approvals or certificates must be in place before building starts. Record the answers in the project scope rather than assuming they are included.
Understand what each stage does
A planning pathway determines how the proposal is assessed. A complying development certificate combines planning and construction approval when the proposal satisfies the applicable requirements. For a development application, development consent and the subsequent construction and certification steps are separate matters.
The NSW Government guide to whether consent is needed is a useful starting point. For building after development consent, use the NSW Planning Portal’s pre-build guidance and ask the certifier which steps apply to your project.
Keep the approval advice specific to your property
A neighbour’s project, an online checklist or an indicative design cannot establish that your proposal qualifies for a particular pathway. Rules and site constraints can differ, and a design change may affect the assessment. Ask for current, property-specific advice before relying on an approval assumption.
For general project planning, see the first-floor addition planning guide or ground-floor extension planning guide.
Next step
If you are considering an addition or renovation, contact Wal Robbins with the property address and the space you are trying to create. That gives the team a useful starting point for discussing design and approval considerations.