Burwood and Strathfield councils
Private building certifier in Strathfield
We certify new homes, additions, dual occupancies and pools in Strathfield. Large lots are common, but the first surprise is often how floor area is worked out for your block.
NSW 2135
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Strathfield's big lots, sliding scales and boundaries
A suburb split three ways
About 86% of Strathfield sits in Strathfield Council, around 12% falls to Burwood, and Canada Bay holds the last sliver. Each council uses a separate local environmental plan (LEP). Over most Strathfield Council land, buildings can reach 9.5 metres. The usual minimum lot is 560 m², and some areas need 1,000 m². Burwood's share carries a height cap of 8.5 metres, and its FSR (floor space ratio) sits at 0.55:1.
Floor area on a sliding scale
On Strathfield Council's low density land, there is no floor space ratio map. A clause sets it in seven steps instead. The ratio starts at 0.65:1 for lots under 500 m² and drops to 0.50:1 once a lot reaches 1,000 m². Bigger lots get a lower ratio, so floor area grows more slowly than land size.
Heritage and the station
Twelve conservation areas sit in the Strathfield Council portion, and together they take in roughly 6.3% of Strathfield. There are also 157 heritage items. On the Burwood side, Philip Street and the Mosely and Roberts Streets area are both conservation areas. Despite the busy interchange, Strathfield station brings no station based height or density uplift.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Plenty of Strathfield homes are freestanding, many on roomy Federation and interwar lots. Apartments are Class 2, which sits outside our registration, so houses are our focus. Owners with a big block often want more from it. Typical Class 1 and 10 projects include:
- Upper floors and back extensions on big detached lots.
- Rebuilding from scratch where the old home is worn out and the lot can take a larger replacement.
- Dual occupancies, if the lot reaches the mapped minimum area.
- Pools, outbuildings and granny flats, often simplest on big lots outside conservation areas.
- Careful alterations to heritage listed homes.
How approval usually works
Outside conservation areas, a CDC (fast-track approval under state codes) can suit pools, outbuildings and granny flats. Heritage items and conservation areas narrow that route, leaving a development application (DA) and then a construction certificate. Before lodging, get a planning certificate to confirm the council. On Strathfield Council low density land, a dual occupancy needs 800 m² in mapped Area A and 560 m² elsewhere. A battle-axe handle does not count towards lot area. On Burwood's Cooper Street listed lots, keep 6 metres back from Cooper Street, and from Cowdery Lane keep 3 metres. CertifiBuild works across both council areas here and will tell you early which plan governs your Strathfield block.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Strathfield job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Strathfield are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageHow much can I build on my Strathfield block?
It depends on which council covers your lot and its size. On Strathfield Council’s low density land there is no floor space ratio map. Instead, the ratio steps down in seven stages as lots get bigger, starting at 0.65:1 for blocks below 500 m² and ending at 0.50:1 once a block reaches 1,000 m². Bigger blocks get a lower ratio, so floor area grows more slowly than land. In Burwood’s section, the ratio is 0.55:1 and homes are capped at 8.5 metres. Check your planning certificate first.
Does being near Strathfield station allow a taller home?
No. Despite being a major interchange, Strathfield station is not part of any tier of the transport oriented development scheme, and it does not create its own catchment for the state’s low and mid-rise housing rules. Those rules touch just one small pocket near The Boulevarde, and that is because Burwood’s town centre catchment extends there. Everywhere else the usual height limits stand, typically 9.5 metres under Strathfield Council and 8.5 metres in the Burwood section.
What lot size is needed for a dual occupancy here?
On Strathfield Council’s low density land, a dual occupancy needs 800 m² or more on land shown as Area A, and 560 m² on other land. On a battle-axe block, the driveway handle is left out of the area count, which can push a block below the minimum. Check the dual occupancy lot size map and your surveyed area before paying for designs. For land in Burwood’s portion, different rules apply, so confirm the council on a planning certificate first.
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.