Hunter's Hill Council
Private building certifier in Hunters Hill
Heritage listings and river mapping usually rule out a quick CDC in Hunters Hill. Within those limits, CertifiBuild certifies house alterations, rebuilds, pools, garages and other Class 10 work across the suburb.
NSW 2110
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Sandstone villas, heritage maps and the river front
Built by stonemasons
Stonemasons from Italy and the Italian part of Switzerland began arriving in 1855. Their sandstone villas still give the streets their look. Hunters Hill LEP 2012 lists 335 items in this suburb alone. Six have State significance, such as The Chalet and the Garibaldi Inn. The Peninsula heritage area, a conservation area, takes in about 51% of the suburb. The council area is the smallest in metropolitan Sydney, and this suburb takes up roughly two-thirds of it.
Two maps that close the CDC door
Most housing work inside a heritage conservation area cannot use a CDC (fast-track approval under state rules). Roughly 52% of Hunters Hill also falls on a separate river front area map, which removes the same codes. The two maps overlap but cover different land. Land on a lot that sits outside both maps keeps its CDC options.
Other local checks
Bushfire prone land covers around 16% of the suburb, mostly buffer areas rather than bush itself. The Alexandra Street village is a local centre, yet the state housing rules give it no mapped town centre status.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Old houses with rich heritage, on land facing the river, mean careful upgrades far more often than new builds. The jobs we see most are:
- Extensions to Federation and sandstone homes, usually by DA, supported by a heritage impact statement.
- Extensions and rebuilds on river lots, where the foreshore line and landscaped area set the envelope.
- Garages, pools, terraces and retaining on sloping sandstone ground.
- Granny flats and dual occupancies on larger lots, within the local plan's lot size thresholds of 700 or 900 square metres.
Flat buildings are Class 2, which sits outside our registration.
How approval usually works
A house here avoids any floor space ratio limit provided it stays within the rules on height and landscaped area. Bulk comes down to height, capped at 8.5 metres across nearly all the land, and landscaped area. That is 60% where a lot fronts the river directly, otherwise 50%. A path, patio or small pool can take up to one third of that. Inside a heritage conservation area, certain pools and freestanding outbuildings can still go by CDC. The Housing Alterations Code also applies, but with limits: no change to the street wall, no extra height and no dormers. Near the water, a tight foreshore strip allows little new work. Tree consent applies at 4 metres tall or 200 millimetres thick. CertifiBuild checks every map over your lot early, so heritage and river rules guide the design from the first sketch.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Hunters Hill job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Hunters Hill are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIs there a floor space limit on my house?
Not if your house stays within the height limit and meets the landscaping rule. Then Hunters Hill LEP 2012 drops the floor space ratio, and size is controlled by the height cap of 8.5 metres, the two storey aim and landscaped area instead. A lot facing the river directly needs 60% landscaped, other lots 50%, and as much as one third of that can be a path, patio or small pool. Heritage controls can still limit size within the Peninsula conservation area. Have a survey prepared and test landscaped area first.
Is any work here still eligible for a CDC?
Yes, some work is. Inside the Peninsula heritage area, pools and certain freestanding outbuildings can still go through a CDC, and a state code for house alterations is available within tight limits: no change to the street-facing wall, no added height and no dormers. Land on a lot that sits beyond both the conservation area and the river front mapping, which covers roughly 52% of Hunters Hill, keeps its CDC options. Most house extensions still go through a development application (DA). Check both maps for your lot before choosing a pathway.
Does trimming a small tree need council consent?
It might, because Hunters Hill sets a low threshold. Consent is needed for a tree 4 metres tall, or one whose trunk is 200 millimetres thick at a height of 1.4 metres. That captures plants many owners would not think of as trees. For a heritage listed home, or anywhere in the Peninsula conservation area, expect the work to be handled as a development application rather than a simple permit. Measure the tree before any pruning or removal, and show affected trees on plans for extensions, pools or garages.
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.