What is a construction certificate in NSW?

What does a construction certificate confirm?

A construction certificate, usually shortened to CC, confirms that your detailed plans show the home your council approved. It also confirms the home will meet the building rules once it is built to those plans. The NSW Government's guide to the post consent process describes it as an independent check of the construction plans against the consent and the Building Code of Australia.

A development application (DA) asks whether the house suits the site and the street, while the CC asks whether it can be built as approved. You need both before work starts. The certificate can only issue once you meet the conditions your consent sets for this stage, such as paying contributions or supplying specialist reports.

You only need a CC on the DA path. Complying development does not need one, because a CDC (complying development certificate) combines planning and construction approval in one certificate. Our guide to choosing between a DA and a CDC explains which path suits which site.

Who issues a construction certificate?

Your local council or a registered private certifier can issue it and you as the owner choose which one. As Service NSW explains, you apply online through the NSW Planning Portal and can link the application to your existing DA.

The City of Sydney notes that the applicant must be the owner or the person with the benefit of the consent. A builder cannot apply unless they own the land. When a private certifier issues the certificate, they must send a copy to the council within two days.

Once the CC is issued you appoint a principal certifier to inspect the work at set stages. You then give the council and the principal certifier two days' notice before work begins. The Department's DA guide lists the usual inspections for a house as piers, slab, frame, stormwater, wet areas and a final inspection.

What goes into a construction certificate application?

The application carries far more detail than the DA set, because the builder works directly from these drawings. The post consent guide lists architectural plans with elevations, sections and details, along with building specifications and structural engineering plans. Stormwater plans, a geotechnical assessment, the BASIX certificate and a Sydney Water building plan approval are added where they apply.

Unlike a development consent, a CC can only carry conditions where legislation provides for them, so the plans and specifications have to be fully resolved before you lodge. Any gap comes back as a request for more information.

How much does a construction certificate cost and how long does it take?

There is no single statewide price for a construction certificate. A council charges from its schedule of fees and a private certifier quotes for the job. The Department's pre-lodgement guide tells owners to budget for this fee alongside inspection fees and engineers' certificates.

Other payments may fall due before the certificate can issue. They can include local infrastructure contributions under section 7.11 or 7.12 and any bonds your consent sets. The long service levy must also be paid first, at 0.25 per cent of the total cost of building work worth $250,000 or more including GST.

Plan the timing around the drawings. The post consent guide says detailed construction certificate designs can take several months to prepare, depending on the development. Some documents may also need separate sign-off from council or an agency, so build that time into your program from the day consent arrives.

How we prepare for the construction certificate

At SHORE Design + Build our architect and our builders work in the same studio. The working drawings, specifications and schedules are prepared by the people who will build from them, so the detailed set stays consistent with the approved design. That consistency is what a certifier checks. You can see where this stage sits in how we design and build a home or explore design and build in Sydney with us.