North Sydney Council
Private building certifier in McMahons Point
McMahons Point mixes interwar, Federation and Victorian homes with a village strip on Blues Point Road. House certification here depends on which street and conservation setting your home sits in.
NSW 2060
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Heritage settings across McMahons Point
Local housing
In 2021, 2,315 people were counted in McMahons Point, living in 1,525 private homes. Most occupied homes, 62.8 per cent, were apartments or flats. Semis, terraces and townhouses were 23.6 per cent and separate houses 13.0 per cent. Shared walls and tight side access are common hurdles for house work. Even an interior change can affect the attached home next door, so the structure needs checking early.
Planning documents
The North Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2013 sets zones and heights. The North Sydney Development Control Plan 2013 separates Blues Point Village, the general residential streets and two heritage conservation areas to the north and south. On these sloping lots, a design must account for survey levels, the street, the garden and the harbour.
Conservation areas and village
The DCP's northern conservation area holds homes built in Victorian, Federation and interwar times. Outer streets are irregular while subdivision along the ridge is more regular, and the Federation subdivision along Princes Street is singled out. The DCP values pitched roofs, and skillion roofs on rear extensions. It lists altered roof forms, roof decks and oversized dormers as undesirable. In the village, the ground floor stays as shops, and rear parking depends on a usable lane. Converting a building with a shop below counts as commercial work and is outside our scope.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Popular McMahons Point house projects include:
- Rear extensions to terraces and cottages. Settle how the shared wall, roofline and back wing meet the neighbour.
- Fixing old roofs and verandahs. Keep original detail where possible.
- Kitchen and bathroom upgrades. Work within the retained building.
- Roof rooms. The roof outline seen from the street, and any visible detail, limit what can change.
- Lane garages. Check lawful access, levels and retaining.
- Garden structures and stairs. Keep them modest on steep rear gardens facing the harbour.
Apartment interiors and work on village shops or the floors above them fall outside Class 1 and 10. They need a certifier whose registration covers those building types.
How approval usually works
A CDC, a certifier's fast-track approval, has narrow scope in conservation areas. Many terrace and roof projects need a DA from North Sydney Council and then a construction certificate. Present the retained roof, new openings and views from street and lane together. Garage plans should start with the title and measured levels, because odd lot shapes and sloping ground can make two neighbouring sites quite different. CertifiBuild can help settle the route and inspect each stage of the build.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole McMahons Point job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in McMahons Point are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageHow should I approach renovating my McMahons Point terrace?
Begin with the parts you share. Look at the party wall, the roof and the back wing, and how each meets the house next door, before settling any layout. Attached homes account for 23.6% of McMahons Point dwellings, and tight side access is common, so even a simple-looking interior change can affect the neighbour. Keep original roof and verandah detail where possible. If the house sits in one of the two conservation areas, a development application (DA) to North Sydney Council is the usual route, followed by a construction certificate.
Is a roof deck allowed on a McMahons Point heritage house?
Probably not, if your home is in the northern heritage area. The North Sydney Development Control Plan 2013 (DCP) lists roof decks, altered roof forms and oversized dormers as undesirable there, and it values pitched main roofs with skillion roofs on rear extensions. Start by checking that the mapped heritage area really includes your lot. Then sketch how the idea would appear to people in the street and in the lane. A parapet will not necessarily hide the new space well enough. A development application (DA) is the likely route, since the fast-track option has narrow scope in conservation areas.
Will a rear lane let me add a garage?
A lane helps, but it is only the start. You still need access that is lawful and workable, with driveway grades and any retaining sorted out. Lots in McMahons Point have odd shapes and sloping ground, so two neighbouring sites can turn out quite differently. Begin with your title and measured levels. The garage must also suit the conservation setting and leave a reasonable rear garden. Present it alongside views from the lane and street. Within the heritage areas, this kind of work commonly goes to North Sydney Council as a development application (DA).
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.