Penrith City Council
Private building certifier in Caddens
Caddens is a recent release area with its own chapter in Penrith’s planning rules. CertifiBuild certifies patios, pools, sheds, studios and new homes here, starting with your subdivision plan.
NSW 2747
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Caddens: a release area with its own rulebook
A young suburb on farmland
Caddens sits near Kingswood and Claremont Meadows and was farmland until the 2010s. Houses started to be finished around 2013, so nearly every home is new. Most are large detached houses on lots sized for them, with little spare land behind.
Part E1 of the Penrith DCP
The Penrith Development Control Plan 2014 has a chapter just for the Caddens Release Area, Part E1, and it overrides the general chapters where the two conflict. It describes separate character areas, such as larger lots along Caddens Road and hilltop areas where slope and views matter. Your lot’s character area affects what is expected of it.
Creek corridors and your title
Werrington Creek runs through the release area, and Part E1 sets riparian, flood level and bushfire requirements for lots beside it. Your planning certificate shows whether any apply to you. Your title may also carry restrictions from the subdivision, including a zero-lot boundary wall with a maintenance easement in favour of the neighbour.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
With homes built from 2013 onward, Caddens work is mostly the second wave that follows a new estate. Typical jobs we certify include:
- Alfresco and patio roofs, which can quickly reach the limits on narrow rear setbacks.
- Pools and fencing certified to the barrier standard.
- Garden sheds and the occasional detached garage, within site cover limits.
- Studio lofts above a garage or carport, which Part E1 treats as secondary dwellings.
Rebuilds and second-storey additions are uncommon because the houses are so new.
How approval usually works
Read the section 88B instrument on your title before placing anything near a zero-lot wall, since a patio, shed or air-conditioner against that wall or inside the easement can breach the restriction even if the structure is otherwise exempt. Part E1 also has its own garage rules, and a carport or garage change on a narrow lot can fail them in a development application. Many narrow Caddens lots fall short of the lot width and area needed for a complying development certificate (CDC, the fast-track route under state rules), so a secondary dwelling often needs consent from council instead. CertifiBuild checks the lot width, title and Part E1 together before you pay for drawings.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Caddens job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Caddens are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageCan I build a granny flat in Caddens?
Sometimes. Under a development application, Part E1 treats a secondary dwelling as a studio loft of limited size, above a garage or carport or on a corner lot. The fast-track route has its own minimum lot size and width, which many narrower Caddens lots do not meet. Check the lot dimensions first, then decide which pathway is realistic.
Do I need approval for an alfresco roof in Caddens?
It depends on size, height and position. A small patio can be exempt development if it meets the state code limits for setbacks and site coverage. Because Caddens lots often have shallow rear setbacks and a site cover cap, larger alfresco roofs commonly need a complying development certificate or consent instead. Measure your lot before settling the roof size.
Which planning rules apply to my Caddens lot?
Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 and Penrith Development Control Plan 2014 apply, including Part E1, which was written for the Caddens Release Area and prevails over the general chapters where they conflict. Your section 88B instrument can add further restrictions. Read both, and order a planning certificate to see any flood or bushfire notes.
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.