City of Canada Bay
Private building certifier in North Strathfield
North Strathfield sits where older house streets meet a station renewal area and the Bakehouse Quarter. We help house owners check which rules now apply and then certify their project.
NSW 2137
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
House projects inside a renewal area
Houses and apartments side by side
In 2021, 4,618 people were counted in North Strathfield, living in 1,859 private homes. Apartments were 55.3% of occupied homes and separate houses 34.2%. Attached homes such as semis, terraces and townhouses were 8.3%. House projects therefore sit among a lot of unit blocks, and neighbours can be close on several sides. Privacy, overshadowing and construction access often need early thought.
The Homebush precinct rezoning
A State-led rezoning for the Homebush precinct started on 27 November 2024. It amended council's local environmental plan (LEP), the main zoning document for the area. A design guide now applies within a defined land boundary. It also explains how it works with council's older development control plan (DCP) chapters. That means an old local diagram may no longer tell the whole story for land inside the boundary.
Station and Bakehouse Quarter
The guide treats the existing station and the future metro as part of the renewal. It also asks new work in the Bakehouse Quarter to respect the old industrial buildings and link them to public space. Lots outside the boundary are checked against the usual local and State controls. For those homes, council's DCP chapters still guide setbacks, privacy and landscaping. Either way, start from the map showing where each set of rules applies, not the suburb's name or any station catchment.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Class 1 and 10 work we see in North Strathfield includes:
- Rear additions. Begin with a measured survey that shows the current roof and the houses next door. Then confirm which planning framework covers the lot.
- Garages and carports. Check driveway width and front setback against the current controls, not an older precinct plan.
- Semi and terrace alterations. The shared wall, footings and fire separation come first.
- Pools and outbuildings. Plot them against boundaries, services and the landscaped area you must keep.
Work on apartments, shopfronts or mixed-use buildings, including in the Bakehouse Quarter, falls in other building classes. It needs a certifier who holds the matching registration.
How approval usually works
Small jobs meeting every standard can be exempt. Otherwise there are two main routes. A certifier can issue a CDC quickly when the block and plans comply with a State code. A development application (DA) is lodged with council, and then a CC is issued. Heritage items, flood mapping or the precinct rules can steer a project to a DA. Your first task is finding out if the Homebush guide boundary takes in your lot. Next, send us a survey and plans of the house as it stands. CertifiBuild can then map out the approval steps and look after the inspections through to completion.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole North Strathfield job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in North Strathfield are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIs every North Strathfield lot covered by the Homebush design guide?
No. The Homebush design guide applies only inside its own land boundary map, so a suburb name alone gives no answer. Check your exact lot against that map. If the boundary includes your land, read the guide together with the current local environmental plan, as amended by the State-led rezoning from 27 November 2024, and any council controls still in force. Outside the boundary, the usual local and State controls apply, with council’s development control plan chapters guiding setbacks and privacy.
Can my designer still use the old council precinct diagram?
Not without checking. The Homebush precinct rezoning, which started on 27 November 2024, changed the local environmental plan, and a design guide now explains how it works with council’s older development control plan (DCP) chapters. For land inside the boundary, an old local diagram may no longer tell the whole story. Confirm which documents govern your lot before drawings are developed, to avoid redesigning later. Outside the boundary, the older DCP chapters still guide houses.
Can I build a larger house because the station is close by?
No. Being close to North Strathfield station, or the future metro, gives a house no extra building envelope. Your lot’s zoning, the Homebush guide boundary and the applicable codes set the limits. A neighbour’s redevelopment approval does not change them either. With apartments making up over half of local homes, privacy and overshadowing often shape a house design more than station distance. Start with a measured survey of the present roof and the buildings next door.
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.