A complying development certificate (CDC) can be a fast way to approve a new single storey home in NSW. The catch is that the land, the design and the paperwork all have to pass at once. This guide works through each piece so you can find the gaps before you lodge.
Start with the land
Before anyone finalises a floor plan, confirm the lot can take complying development at all. For most suburban houses the rules sit in the Housing Code, which is Part 3 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008. According to the NSW Planning Portal, a new house under this code needs:
- residential zoning (R1 to R4) or RU5 village zoning
- a lot area of at least 200 m²
- a lot no narrower than 6 m where it meets the building line
- for a battle-axe lot, a usable area of at least 12 m by 12 m (not counting the driveway handle) and an access handle at least 3 m wide
Some land is ruled out regardless of the design. Examples include heritage items, many heritage conservation areas and certain environmentally sensitive or hazard-affected land. Bushfire and flood mapping bring extra controls. The planning certificate from council (often called a 10.7 certificate) shows most of this, so order one early.
Then make the design fit the numbers
A CDC is a pass-or-fail test. A certifier cannot approve a design that misses a standard by a small margin, the way a council might weigh up a development application. For a single storey home the main controls are:
- Height: a ceiling of 8.5 m, measured up from the natural ground before any digging or filling. Most single storey designs sit well under this, but a steep block or a high raised floor can change that.
- Setbacks: minimum distances from the front, side and rear boundaries, which vary with the size and width of the lot.
- Gross floor area: a cap on total floor space that grows with lot area.
- Landscaped area: a minimum share of the lot kept as landscaping, split between the front and back.
- Earthworks: limits on cut, fill and retaining, which matter most on sloping land.
The related guides listed at the end explain how the setback and floor area numbers play out on a typical lot.
Make sure the documents agree with each other
Many CDC hold-ups come from documents that disagree. The plans, survey, BASIX certificate and engineering should match on levels, floor areas and window sizes. A typical set includes:
- a detail and level survey from a registered surveyor showing boundaries, levels, trees and nearby buildings
- architectural plans, elevations and sections
- a BASIX certificate, which locks in the energy and water commitments for the home
- structural engineering, plus soil testing (a geotechnical report) if the ground calls for it
- a stormwater plan that shows where water will legally discharge
- a bushfire assessment for land on the bushfire prone land map
If the BASIX certificate lists a window the plans no longer show, or the survey levels do not match the sections, expect a request for more information. A plan assessment before you lodge is a simple way to pick up these mismatches early.
Neighbours get two notices
In Sydney and other metropolitan areas, the certifier writes to neighbours whose land is within 20 m of your lot. That letter goes out 14 days or more before the certifier is able to issue the CDC. The decision still turns on the code, not on objections.
After approval, it is your turn. Before work starts, you send your own letter to the same neighbours. In metropolitan areas it needs to arrive seven or more days before the start date. Outside the cities, including many new release areas, the lead time is two days.
Line up the pre-start steps
Approval alone does not mean the builder can begin. Before the first peg goes in:
- appoint a principal certifier to oversee the work and carry out the mandatory inspections
- make sure council hears who the principal certifier is no later than two days before building begins
- confirm the builder holds home building compensation cover, needed for contracts worth more than $20,000 (GST inclusive)
- clear any pre-start conditions in the CDC, such as roads authority consent for a new driveway crossing
From there the build moves through its critical stage inspections, which we explain in Critical stage inspections: what we check and when. Please book each inspection at least 48 hours ahead.
If you are still deciding between approval paths, read CDC or DA: picking the approval your home project needs first. When you are ready, see how we certify single storey homes or request a quote.
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: Wingecarribee Shire Council, Blacktown City Council, City of Sydney, Hawkesbury City Council, City of Canada Bay, City of Newcastle.
Suburb pages with local planning notes: Abbotsford, Adamstown, Annandale, Appin, Asquith, Redfern, Sutton Forest, Toongabbie, Woolloomooloo, Yarramundi. You can also browse every service area.
Sources
- Housing Code overview, NSW Planning Portal
- Neighbour notice for complying development, NSW Planning Portal
- MyHome Planner, approvals stage, NSW Planning Portal