Lithgow City Council
Private building certifier in Littleton
CertifiBuild certifies house extensions, granny flats, garages, sheds and pools in Littleton. Nearly all homes are free-standing, so the opening question is usually how much the block can fit.
NSW 2790
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Littleton: detached homes in a Lithgow locality
Nearly all houses
Littleton is a residential locality in the Lithgow area. At the 2021 Census it had 737 residents in 374 private dwellings. With 97.3% of occupied dwellings being detached and no flats at all, nearly every project concerns one home on its own lot.
What the DCP allows
The Lithgow Development Control Plan 2021 sets the detailed rules for homes on residential land. In the R1 and R2 zones, house walls can reach 6.5 metres and the building 8.5 metres. Front setbacks on lots of 800 square metres or less are 4.5 metres or the average of the neighbouring houses. To limit bulk beside neighbours, the DCP angles a 45 degree plane inward from 3.5 metres above ground at side boundaries.
Outbuildings
Garages and sheds are capped by total floor area based on lot size, and by height and setbacks based on zone. As one example, an R2 lot of 2,000 square metres or less allows a 4.8 metre ridge and 3 metre walls.
Check the maps
Look up mine subsidence and bush fire mapping for the block before any drawings begin.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Littleton's detached houses lead to a familiar set of jobs. Most add space or storage to an existing home. Typical projects:
- Rear extensions and new living areas, kept inside the side boundary height plane.
- Granny flats on larger lots, within the size limit set by the local plan.
- Single and double garages, with doors kept 5.5 metres or more behind the front boundary.
- Garden sheds and workshops within the floor area cap for your lot size.
- Pools and decks, with safety barriers, levels and stormwater drainage planned from the start.
How approval usually works
A CDC (complying development certificate, the fast state code route) covers many Littleton extensions, garages and pools, as long as the block and plans satisfy the code. A development application (DA) to council is needed when the code does not fit, for example on heritage listed or certain hazard affected land. Before lodging, confirm your zone and lot area, as these set setbacks, heights and shed limits. Check the mine subsidence map, because new buildings inside a district need prior sign-off from Subsidence Advisory NSW. Check the bush fire map too, and locate any sewer or drainage easements on your survey. CertifiBuild confirms these limits for your block before drawings are finished, and replies quickly when questions come up on site.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Littleton job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Littleton are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageHow big can my shed be in Littleton?
Lot area and zoning decide it. On urban land, the Lithgow Development Control Plan 2021 (DCP) puts a ceiling on total outbuilding floor space, rising with lot size: 80 square metres below 900 square metres, 100 up to 2,000 and 120 above. Height and setbacks then follow the zone. On an R2 lot of 2,000 square metres or less, for example, the ridge can reach 4.8 metres and walls 3 metres. Existing garages count toward the total, so measure them first and check the mine subsidence map before ordering.
What front setback suits a new Littleton house?
In the R1 and R2 zones, a Littleton lot of 800 square metres or less needs a front setback of 4.5 metres or the average of the neighbouring houses. Larger lots use 6 metres or the average. Corner blocks carry a secondary street setback as well. Beside the neighbours, the development control plan also projects a 45 degree plane inward from 3.5 metres above ground at each side boundary, with walls capped at 6.5 metres and the building at 8.5 metres. A survey showing the houses next door makes the averaging straightforward.
Can I build a granny flat in Littleton?
Often, yes, provided the block is big enough. With 97.3% of occupied Littleton homes detached and no flats at all, granny flats on larger lots are a familiar project. One can be approved by complying development certificate (CDC) where every code standard is met, or through a development application (DA) to council. Either way, the local plan limits its size. Mine subsidence mapping can add a sign-off from Subsidence Advisory NSW, and bush fire mapping may set construction standards. Locate any sewer or drainage easements on your survey 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.