Hornsby Shire Council
Private building certifier in Glenhaven
Hornsby Shire covers just a slice of Glenhaven, and much of it is rural land. We confirm your parcel, zone and road frontage first, then plan the extension, shed or granny flat.
NSW 2156
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Rural Holdings on Glenhaven's Hornsby Side
Which council are you in?
Most of Glenhaven falls within a neighbouring council area. Hornsby Shire takes a smaller share, at the south of its rural planning area. Your address settles whose plan governs, and here we cover the Hornsby land.
Sandhurst to Glenhaven
The district was first known as Sandhurst. It was renamed Glenhaven in 1894, partly to avoid a mix-up with a town in Victoria. Children were attending a local school from March 1889. Early settlers used the old route north, the Great North Road. The new name drew on a valley locals knew as the Haven and the Glen.
What the numbers cover
For Glenhaven as a whole, the 2021 Census found 6,619 residents in 2,356 private dwellings. Roughly three in four were detached houses. Attached homes made up almost one quarter. Those figures mostly describe the other council's side, where suburban streets are more common. On Hornsby's rural land, the zone, road type and existing buildings matter far more. Slope, bushland, heritage or bushfire controls are checked per parcel.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
On a Hornsby rural holding, typical requests cover the home and its surrounding acreage:
- Main house extensions. Keep space and access around existing buildings.
- Domestic sheds and garages. State whether a large shed is for household storage or farm use.
- Pools. Placed so they do not crowd driveways or working land.
- Granny flats. Designed to share access and keep the property rural in feel.
A shed fitted out as a habitable room has a new use. That is a bigger step than re-roofing or re-cladding, even if the outline stays the same.
How approval usually works
Hornsby's rural DCP sets out key numbers. On lots over 4,000 m2, buildings need a 30 metre setback from a designated road and 15 metres from a local road. Old Northern Road is listed as a designated road. On rural lots of that size, no single outbuilding may exceed 250 m2, and together they may not pass 500 m2. Only a genuine intensive rural use can justify going higher. Existing sheds count toward the total. These figures are design limits, not an automatic approval.
Some work may suit a CDC, a fast approval issued by a certifier. Otherwise Hornsby Shire Council must give consent before a CC is issued. Send a site plan showing every existing building, your road frontage and your planning certificate. If you plan two attached homes rather than a granny flat, that is another kind of development with separate rules. CertifiBuild will help you lay out new work so it fits the rural controls.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Glenhaven job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Glenhaven are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageDoes Old Northern Road change my Glenhaven setback?
Yes, on larger Hornsby rural lots. Old Northern Road appears on the designated road list in Hornsby’s rural development control plan (DCP). If your rural block exceeds 4,000 square metres, buildings must sit 30 metres back from that frontage, double the 15 metres required beside a local road. That can shift where an extension or new building may sit. Check which road your lot actually fronts and the lot’s size before placing any addition, because the same design can work on one Glenhaven property and not the next.
How much shed area can I have on a Glenhaven rural lot?
Where a Hornsby rural lot reaches 4,000 square metres, one outbuilding may be up to 250 square metres, and all outbuildings combined up to 500 square metres, unless a genuine intensive rural activity supports a larger figure. Existing sheds count toward that total, so list every building before planning a new one. These are design limits, not an automatic approval. Say whether the shed is for household storage or farm use, and include your road frontage and planning certificate when you brief us.
Can I build a granny flat on my Glenhaven acreage?
Often, if your zone allows it. Glenhaven is split between councils, and on Hornsby’s rural land the controls expect a second dwelling to share the main home’s driveway and keep the property working as rural land rather than reading as a separate lot. Show the granny flat on a plan with every existing building, the access and its water and wastewater servicing. If you are thinking of two attached homes instead, that is a different type of development under separate rules, so decide early.
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.