Shellharbour City Council
Private building certifier in Calderwood
CertifiBuild certifies new homes, granny flats, pools, patios and garages in Calderwood. Owners first need to know the character area of their lot and the type of home it allows, because Calderwood has planning rules all its own.
NSW 2527
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Calderwood's estate rules come first
Its own planning framework
Council explains that Calderwood was once rural land, that the State approved for housing under a concept plan. Shellharbour's 2013 local plan (LEP) does not cover the project area. State provisions apply instead, along with a Consolidated Development Control Strategy from August 2021 that replaces council's usual design rules. The project also straddles council boundaries, so the land these documents cover does not line up with the suburb.
A young, house-based suburb
Freestanding houses account for nearly all homes in Calderwood. That points to new house completions and later backyard structures. Lots still vary in frontage width, and not all have space for a granny flat.
Character areas and dwelling types
The strategy sorts land into residential character areas and dwelling types, with diagrams in an appendix showing each layout. Choose a house design too early and the garage, courtyard or a later extension can land in an awkward spot. Laneways, benched lots and homes on higher ground are also covered, so the subdivision's levels and access plans are early design inputs.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Most Calderwood work follows the build of a new house. Typical jobs include:
- New homes, designed to the lot's character area and approved levels.
- Pools, patio roofs and pergolas, placed within the approved lot layout rather than squeezed in later.
- Garages, checked against laneway access and parking.
- Granny flats, which need their own eligibility review against the strategy and state rules.
- Fencing, retaining and landscaping structures that suit the estate's benched levels.
Where an old rural building survives, check its past approvals and history. It does not share the paperwork of the new homes around it.
How approval usually works
Start by checking that both the project boundary and Shellharbour take in your lot, because the project runs across more than one council. Then look up your lot's character area and the type of home it allows, before setbacks or garage placement. A rear-loaded or courtyard lot cannot be judged like a standard front-loaded block. If a CDC (fast-track approval under state rules) is an option, the plans have to satisfy those standards. Under a DA (council approval), a CC (construction certificate) must come next, before work starts. Developer design sign-off does not replace either step. Check that your drawings match the levels and access approved for the lot. CertifiBuild understands how Calderwood's strategy sits beside state rules and times critical stage inspections around your builder's schedule.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Calderwood job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Calderwood are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageDo Shellharbour’s usual DCP rules cover Calderwood?
Not inside the Calderwood project area. Council explains that this former rural land was approved for housing by the State under a concept plan, so Shellharbour’s 2013 local environmental plan (LEP) and usual design rules do not cover it. Instead, state provisions apply together with an August 2021 Consolidated Development Control Strategy. The project also crosses council boundaries, so first confirm that your lot sits within both the project boundary and Shellharbour. Then look up your character area and allowed dwelling type before settling setbacks or garage position.
Can I reuse a house design from another Calderwood lot?
Only after checking that it fits your lot’s own rules. Calderwood’s strategy assigns each lot a residential character area and a dwelling type, and an appendix of diagrams shows how each layout should work. A plan drawn for a block with a garage at the front may sit badly on a laneway lot or a courtyard lot, even if both are a similar size. Benched levels and access also differ from lot to lot. Compare your approved levels, access and frontage with the borrowed design before paying a designer to adapt it.
Can I start building once the developer approves my design?
No. Developer design approval is a private estate step. Legal approval and certification are still required on top of it. You still need either a complying development certificate (CDC) under state rules, or a development application (DA) followed by a construction certificate (CC). You also need to appoint a principal certifier before work starts, who then carries out critical stage inspections during the build. Check that your construction drawings match the levels, services and access approved for the Calderwood lot, since a mismatch can hold up the certificate.
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.