Randwick City Council
Private building certifier in Chifley
CertifiBuild certifies extensions, granny flats, pools, garages and sheds in Chifley. Unusually, owners here rarely hit an overlay first. The lot’s size, width and existing structures usually set the limits.
NSW 2036
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Chifley: a clean slate for house projects
A mostly residential suburb
No suburb in this corner of Randwick City is more residential than Chifley. About 67% of the land carries low density residential zoning, with another 2% in medium density. Most dwellings are freestanding houses, and semis plus townhouses account for roughly a quarter.
Mapped standards cover half the suburb
Across about 48% of Chifley, three standards overlap on the maps: lots no smaller than 275 square metres, a cap of 9.5 metres on height, and floor area up to half the lot size (0.5:1). No suburb around it has that much mapped coverage. It means many threshold questions can be answered from the maps.
Almost no overlays
No conservation area covers any of Chifley, and it has no heritage, archaeological or State Register item. It also has no bushfire, flood, coastal or foreshore mapping, and no landfill buffers or contaminated land notices. Acid sulfate soils mapping covers about 42% of Chifley, but only in the mildest category. Controls can still apply where a lot sits beside a listed item in a neighbouring suburb.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Chifley is a straightforward suburb for Class 1 and 10 work. The jobs we see most are:
- Ground floor extensions and new upper levels on freestanding homes.
- Swimming pools fenced to the barrier rules, placed to fit the backyard and respect boundary setbacks.
- Roofed alfresco areas, garages and sheds.
- Granny flats, where the lot is big and wide enough.
- Work on semis and townhouses, roughly one local dwelling in four, where party walls need care.
Because few overlays apply, the design and the lot itself usually decide the approval route, so good early survey information pays off quickly.
How approval usually works
Free of conservation areas, coastal land and hazard mapping, Chifley ranks among the easier spots in the council's area for a CDC (a quick approval under state rules). Even so, not every job will qualify. The design still has to meet each code standard, and if it cannot, a development application (DA) goes to council. Before lodging, confirm your lot area and width and list everything already on the block. Any garage, patio or pool already there uses up site capacity. Planning a pool, basement or deep footings? Check which acid sulfate soils class applies early, because the trigger depth varies by class. CertifiBuild checks your lot against the code standards early and books inspections around your builder's program.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Chifley job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Chifley are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageAre there any heritage listings in Chifley?
No. Chifley has no heritage items, no archaeological items, no conservation area and nothing on the State Heritage Register. That makes it one of the simplest suburbs in Randwick City from a heritage point of view. The one catch is a lot that sits beside a listed item in a neighbouring suburb, because council controls can still apply there. So check what is next door, not just your own block. A planning certificate will confirm the position before any extension is drawn.
Can I add a granny flat to my Chifley house?
Often, yes. Most Chifley homes are freestanding houses and the suburb has almost no planning overlays, so the lot itself usually decides. Across about 48% of Chifley, the maps set three numbers at once: lots of 275 square metres or more, buildings up to 9.5 metres, and floor area up to half the lot. Whether a granny flat fits then depends on the area and width of your block and on what is already there. A garage, patio or pool all use up site capacity. Measure those before engaging a designer.
Will acid sulfate soils affect my Chifley pool or footings?
Possibly, though the risk is low. About 42% of Chifley is mapped for acid sulfate soils, every part of that falls in the mildest category. In that category, approval is only triggered by deeper works, so most ordinary footings will not be affected. A pool, basement or deep piers are the jobs to check. Find the category for your lot on the council map or planning certificate before you settle on excavation depth. If your works go below the trigger depth, extra checks may be needed before approval.
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.