Waverley Council
Private building certifier in Bondi
Bondi shares postcode 2026 with two other suburbs, and the controls differ sharply. CertifiBuild certifies the semis, terraces, houses and Class 10 work here, starting with which suburb your lot is actually in.
NSW 2026
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Bondi's units, terraces and overland flow
A suburb of flats and terraces
In 2021, four in five occupied homes in Bondi were flats (79.6%). Semis, terraces and townhouses were 12.0%, while freestanding houses were just 6.6%. About 48% of Bondi is zoned medium density and 28% low density, with some high density and local centre land. Mapped heights reach 28 metres at the top end, the tallest of the three 2026 suburbs, and drop to 8.5 metres on low density land.
Heritage
Roughly 13% of Bondi lies within a conservation area. Woodstock Street and Imperial Avenue are the largest. Seventy-four local heritage items are listed. An inter-war Spanish style electricity substation is on the State Heritage Register.
Coastal risk and flooding
The local plan maps neither coastal hazard land nor flood land. A council coastal risk policy identifies affected land and notes it on planning certificates. Waverley adopted its flood study and floodplain plan in March 2026. The flood precincts are shown on Waverley's online planning map, and the development control plan (DCP) sets separate rules for high, medium and low precincts. Council says overland flow is the main flooding mechanism, so even a lot far from any creek may be affected.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Most Bondi homes are units, so house-scale work is focused on the smaller stock. Common Class 1 and 10 jobs include:
- Upgrades and rear extensions to semis and terraces, depending on conservation status.
- Second storeys and extensions on the few detached houses.
- Pools, decks and outbuildings, still possible as complying work on conservation land.
- Rear additions and ground-floor renovations on narrow lots.
Unit alterations, common property and fire upgrades in flat buildings are Class 2, outside our scope, so we will tell you early if your job falls there.
How approval usually works
First, confirm your lot is in Bondi, not Bondi Beach or North Bondi, because heights and heritage coverage differ widely. Inside a conservation area, additions generally need a DA because most housing code work is not permitted there. A CDC is still open to pools and detached outbuildings, as a fast-track approval under state rules. Coastal risk identified by council policy can also block a CDC. Council recommends getting a flood certificate before preparing a DA, since precincts sit outside the local plan. Check tree rules early as well, because the permit threshold is low and catches many garden trees. CertifiBuild confirms the suburb, heritage, coastal and flood position for your address before design, so you are not designing to the wrong controls.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Bondi job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Bondi are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageDoes the state’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy apply in Bondi?
Only at the fringes. No town centre has a 400 metre catchment reaching Bondi. On a ruler line, roughly 13% of the suburb lies inside 800 metres of Bondi Junction’s centre, yet the policy uses real walking routes, which trims that share further. So nearly every Bondi home is still governed by Waverley’s local plan, where the height map starts at 8.5 metres on low density streets and tops out at 28 metres. Check first that your address really is in Bondi, because the neighbouring suburbs that share its postcode use different numbers.
Should I get a flood certificate for my Bondi project?
Yes, council recommends getting one before you prepare a development application (DA). Waverley adopted its flood study and floodplain plan in March 2026. Its flood precincts appear on council’s online planning map rather than inside the local plan. The certificate shows which precinct, if any, covers your lot. Council says flooding here is mostly overland flow, so a home far from any creek can still be affected. Should your lot land in a high, medium or low precinct, the development control plan sets separate rules for each.
Which trees need a permit in Bondi?
More than most owners expect. Waverley requires a permit for trees listed on its significant tree register, trees forming part of a heritage item, and trees growing in a heritage conservation area. It also catches any tree three metres tall or more, or with branches spanning three metres. That low bar covers plenty of everyday backyard trees in Bondi. Mark every tree on your survey before design starts, because a protected one can decide where a new room, pool or shed ends up.
Building in this suburb?
Send us the address first.
We check the local maps for your lot, confirm the approval path and quote in writing.