Appointing a Principal Certifier in NSW

Before any approved building work begins in NSW, a principal certifier must be appointed and the right notices lodged. Getting the order right avoids a stop-work situation in the first week. Here is how the appointment works for homes, granny flats, pools and outbuildings.

Who makes the appointment

The appointment is made by whoever holds the approval, which is usually the property owner. The choice is yours. NSW rules prevent a builder from making the appointment or steering which certifier you pick, even if they offer to handle the paperwork. An owner-builder appoints the certifier in their own right.

The principal certifier can be a registered building surveyor, a registered certification company or the local council. Whoever you choose must hold the right class of registration for your building: Class 1 and 10 registration covers houses, granny flats and outbuildings, but not apartments or commercial buildings.

When to appoint

You need the principal certifier appointed before any work under the approval begins. In practice:

CDC projects. Many owners appoint the same certifier who issues the complying development certificate, so the appointment can be set up straight after the CDC issues. You are free to pick a different certifier.
DA projects. After council grants development consent, you need a construction certificate before work starts. The principal certifier is usually appointed at the same stage.

Leaving it until the excavator is booked is risky. The certifier needs time to review the approval and confirm any pre-start conditions.

The paperwork, step by step

Sign the certification contract. A signed contract is required before the certifier starts, and it must come with the official information sheet about certifiers.
Lodge the appointment on the NSW Planning Portal. Principal certifier appointments are made through the portal, and the certifier then accepts the appointment there.
Receive the inspection notice. The certifier lodges a notice listing the critical stage inspections your job will need.
Confirm the builder. Provide details of the licensed builder, or of your owner-builder permit, plus any home warranty insurance the work requires.
Lodge the notice of intention to commence. This goes in through the portal no later than two days ahead of the start date. It includes the start date and a statement from the certifier that pre-start conditions have been met.

Checks to make before you sign

Look up the certifier in the state's public register of building certifiers to confirm the registration class, any conditions, and that registration and insurance are current.
Also look at the disciplinary register for certifiers, which is kept separately.
Read the contract carefully. Look at which inspections are included, how re-inspections are handled and what happens if extra visits are needed.

Common slip-ups

The problems we see most often at this stage are:

starting demolition or excavation before the certifier is appointed and the commencement notice is lodged
a builder signing the certification contract in place of the owner
pre-start conditions that were missed, such as tree protection, sediment controls, a levy payment or a dilapidation report on a neighbouring property
approval documents that differ from the final construction drawings

Each of these can delay the first inspection. Read our What a principal certifier does on your build for what happens once the appointment is in place.

Ready to appoint?

We act as principal certifier for Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures across NSW. Send us your approval and plans and request a quote, and we will explain the inspections your job is likely to need.

Local help across NSW

CertifiBuild certifies Class 1 and Class 10 work in 39 council areas. Local rules on these council pages are a good place to start: Camden Council, Blacktown City Council, Fairfield City Council, Hawkesbury City Council, Liverpool City Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council.

Suburb pages with local planning notes: Austral, Berrima, Blackheath, Canley Vale, Clarendon, Oran Park, Schofields, Smithfield, Wetherill Park, Windsor. You can also browse every service area.

Appointing a principal certifier: timing and paperwork