Blacktown City Council
Private building certifier in Quakers Hill
Quakers Hill was built in waves, from 1960s subdivisions to estates finished in the early 1990s. That mix of house ages and townhouse complexes shapes how every extension or patio gets approved.
NSW 2763
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Quakers Hill's housing waves and what they mean
Farms, then subdivisions
Before subdivision from the 1960s, the Dictionary of Sydney says, vineyards, orange groves and poultry farms occupied the area. Blacktown's Local Housing Strategy points to later releases from 1971 to 1974 and again from 1981 to 1991. So there is no single estate date. Lot shapes, setbacks and building styles change from one pocket to the next.
Houses and townhouses
In 2021, 27,893 people were counted in Quakers Hill, living in 9,253 private dwellings. Houses on their own lots were roughly 71.2% of occupied homes, semis, terraces or townhouses a sizeable 25.5%, and flats just 2.7%. That attached share is high for Blacktown. Within a townhouse complex, a garage, courtyard or driveway can be bound to the original approval covering the entire site.
The controls
Zoning comes from Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015. Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015, in Part C, splits its rules by housing type. Houses, granny flats, dual occupancies and grouped townhouses each get their own section. Use the section that matches both your approved home and what you plan to build.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Class 1 and 10 work we often see in Quakers Hill:
- Extensions and upper floors. Each house was approved at a different time. Find your own consent plans rather than copying a neighbour's design.
- Townhouse courtyards and covers. Covering a courtyard with a pergola or roof may alter private outdoor space and planting across the complex. Read the by-laws and strata plan first.
- Garage changes. Parking may be a condition of the original consent. Converting a garage to a room can breach that condition, so check before you start.
- Pools and decks. Where lots slope, raised decks and pool fencing need careful setback and height checks.
- Granny flats and dual occupancies. These create another home, so they follow different rules from simply adding rooms.
How approval usually works
Small sheds, decks and pergolas may be exempt when each limit is satisfied. Bigger work is approved either by CDC, which a certifier grants once state codes are satisfied, or by a Blacktown City Council DA, with a construction certificate after that. Strata issues, consent conditions or a tight lot often decide which path applies. Collect your original approval, a measured survey and, for townhouses, the strata plan and owners corporation consent. From there, CertifiBuild can map the steps clearly and carry the job through its inspections.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Quakers Hill job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Quakers Hill are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageCan I cover my Quakers Hill townhouse courtyard?
Possibly, but read the original consent, the strata plan and the by-laws first. In a townhouse complex, your courtyard may count as required open space or planting for the whole site, so a roof or pergola can affect more than your unit. Expect to need agreement from the owners corporation as well as a complying development certificate (CDC) or development application (DA). Some small pergolas can be exempt, but only when every limit is met.
My Quakers Hill neighbour extended. Why can’t I reuse their design?
Because Quakers Hill grew in several waves, from 1960s subdivisions through to estates finished around 1991. Lot shapes, setbacks, building styles and consent conditions can change from one pocket to the next. A nearby approval shows what may be possible, but your own lot, house and controls decide what you can build. Find your own consent plans and order a measured survey. Each house was approved at a different time, so its conditions may differ too.
Is a granny flat in Quakers Hill assessed like an extension?
No. A granny flat is a separate home, so it follows its own state rules and the secondary dwelling section of Blacktown’s development control plan, rather than the rules for adding rooms. Put the current home, the granny flat, access, parking and yard space together on one plan so eligibility can be tested properly. Check whether your original consent tied parking to the garage, since converting it may breach that condition.
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.