Private Building Certifier for NSW homes, granny flats and pools

A building certifier makes sure building work follows the law, acting independently of the owner, designer and builder. Before anything is built, the certifier tests the plans against state planning rules and the National Construction Code (NCC) and, if they comply, issues a complying development certificate (CDC) or a construction certificate. While work is under way, the principal certifier visits at each critical stage before it is covered. Once everything checks out, an occupation certificate lets people use the building. Certifiers serve the public interest, so designing the work, running trades and enforcing your contract sit outside their role.

Yes. Since 1998, NSW owners have been able to pick a registered private certifier rather than council for most certification work. A private certifier can issue a construction certificate (CC) or a complying development certificate (CDC), and can be appointed principal certifier to inspect the build. Council still decides development applications (DAs), so a DA project goes to council first. The choice of principal certifier belongs to the owner or whoever holds the approval, never the builder. Before signing, check the certifier's registration class in the Building Commission NSW register to make sure it covers your building.

Most Class 1 and Class 10 applications start from two things: scaled architectural plans and a detail survey of the lot. On top of those, expect to supply a planning certificate from council, engineering details, a stormwater plan and the owner's written consent. A BASIX certificate joins the set for a new home, a pool or spa over 40,000 litres, or alterations with a total cost of $50,000 or more. Bushfire, flood, soil or tree reports apply only where the site needs them. Share the address and draft drawings with us, and we will list exactly what your job requires.

Book each critical stage inspection at least 48 hours before the work reaches that stage, and always before it is covered up. Typical points are after excavation for footings, before concrete is poured, before framing is lined, before wet area waterproofing is tiled over and before stormwater lines are buried. A pool also needs a check once its safety barrier is complete and before it is filled. Your approval lists the stages that apply to your job. Hidden work cannot be inspected later, so schedule the bookings into the build timeline from the outset.

We certify only two building classes under the National Construction Code (NCC): Class 1 and Class 10. Class 1 takes in houses, duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and terraces where no home is stacked over another, along with granny flats and small boarding houses. Class 10 applies to structures and outbuildings that are not lived in, for example garages, carports, sheds, decks, pergolas, pools, fences, retaining walls and private bushfire shelters. Apartments, shops, offices and factories belong to other classes, which call for a different certifier with the right registration. Unsure of your class? Send the plans for a quick check.

Our service area is 39 NSW council areas, reaching north to Newcastle and the Central Coast, west to the Blue Mountains and Lithgow, and south through Wollongong and Kiama to the Southern Highlands. Within Sydney it includes the North Shore, Northern Beaches, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Western Sydney, South West Sydney and Macarthur, plus St George and Sutherland. We do not work in The Hills Shire. Every council page explains the local maps and controls that commonly shape approvals there. If your street is close to a council boundary, your rates notice settles which council covers it.

A BASIX certificate sets out how a new or renovated NSW home will save water and energy and stay comfortable. BASIX is short for Building Sustainability Index. You create it online on the NSW Planning Portal, and it must be ready before the application goes in. It is needed for any new home, renovation work worth at least $50,000, and a pool or spa holding over 40,000 litres. Features such as insulation, glazing or a rainwater tank are then shown on the drawings. Before the occupation certificate is issued, the principal certifier confirms those features are in place.

Yes. Any newly built home or structure, or newly built part of one, needs an occupation certificate (OC) before it is used. Nobody may live in or use it until the principal certifier has issued that certificate. That covers a new house, a granny flat, an extension or a pool alike. The OC follows the final inspection plus a check of completion documents, for example waterproofing, smoke alarm and BASIX certificates. File the OC with your approval papers, because buyers, lenders and insurers often request it. Asking each trade for its certificate when it finishes stops the last step stalling.