Kiama Municipal Council
Private building certifier in Werri Beach
Near Werri Lagoon, your lot’s surveyed levels and mapped controls matter, not today’s water level. At Werri Beach, CertifiBuild certifies renovations, pools, decks, new upper levels and full rebuilds.
NSW 2534
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Werri Lagoon, flood studies and beachside rebuilds
A lagoon that opens and closes
Council describes Werri Lagoon as a water body whose mouth is sometimes open to the sea and sometimes closed. Waves, tides, rain and wind all move the entrance, and council manages it under its own policy. So the lagoon side of the suburb behaves differently from the ocean beach. That alone does not put a flood constraint on every Werri Beach property.
Two separate flood studies
Council has a flood study covering the catchment of Werri Lagoon and Ooaree Creek. It also lists a flood mitigation investigation for the holiday park at Werri Beach, which is a separate piece of work. Base a house design on the lot's own property information and controls, not on what the holiday park offers or how high the lagoon is that day.
Mostly detached homes
Stand-alone houses dominate, alongside some attached homes and only a handful of flats. Holiday homes form part of the dwelling total, yet that total does not count approved rentals. Before you settle the envelope, survey the current floor, the planned rooms, the access and the drainage in one exercise.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Since most Werri Beach homes are detached, owners mostly upgrade or rebuild what is already there. Some want more space inside the current walls, others a backyard rebuilt around outdoor living. Typical jobs include:
- Renovations that add living space within the current footprint.
- Upper floor additions, once lot levels and drainage are confirmed.
- Replacement decks and reorganised outdoor areas.
- Pools, with safety barriers and drainage planned in at the outset.
- Knockdown rebuilds, plus granny flats or dual occupancies after their own feasibility check.
Holiday park development and apartment work sit outside our Class 1 and 10 focus.
How approval usually works
A CDC (fast-track approval under state rules) is available if your project meets every standard. If it does not, you need a DA (council approval) and then a construction certificate. Gather up to date property information and a levels survey ahead of setting new floor heights or altering access. An open entrance on site day proves nothing about flood requirements. For a rebuild, the old house's floor height, footprint and driveway do not automatically comply for new work. Show what you are keeping and what is new, then test it against today's rules. Where consent applies, the construction drawings must reflect its conditions. CertifiBuild helps Werri Beach owners get levels, drainage and pool barriers into one coordinated design, so the approval and the build line up.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Werri Beach job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Werri Beach are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIf the lagoon is open, do flood rules still apply?
Yes, they can. An open Werri Lagoon mouth on the day you visit has no bearing on the planning requirements for your lot. Kiama Council describes the lagoon as one whose entrance opens and closes naturally with waves, tides, rain and wind, and a council policy governs how the entrance is managed. Flood rules for a house come from the lot’s own property information and current controls, never from the water level on show. Get up to date property information and a levels survey before setting new floor heights or changing access to the house.
Can the holiday park flood works guide my house design?
No. Council lists the flood mitigation investigation at the local holiday park separately from its flood study for the Werri Lagoon and Ooaree Creek catchment, and the two cover different ground. Ideas tested for the park aren’t adopted rules for nearby homes. Design a private home from its own lot’s up to date property information and controls. Ask council which study material, if any, bears on your property, then combine that with a levels survey so floor heights, drainage and access are settled in one design.
Could a new house go on my existing footprint?
Often, but the old footprint, floor height and driveway don’t prove that a new Werri Beach home complies. A replacement house is tested against today’s controls, so begin with a fresh survey and your lot’s property information. Show clearly what you are keeping and what is new, then work out site levels, access and the new living areas together. If the plans tick every standard, a complying development certificate (CDC) may be available. If not, a development application (DA) to council comes first, and the construction drawings must then follow its conditions.
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.