Our Residential Building Design Process in Sydney

Our Process

Initial consultations

The initial consultation is free of charge. Here, we will meet with you, have a look at the site and go over all your requirements. From here, we will be able to advise you if your proposal is feasible and give you an initial ballpark quote. If you wish to proceed, a written quotation will be prepared for you. A deposit is required prior to commencement of Stage 1.

The first part of this stage is to produce floor and site layout sketches. In this step, we will make sure we comply with all local and state building restrictions. We will then provide you with several alternate floor layouts. Once you have decided on a final floor layout, we then proceed to the elevations. From here we have a look at several ways we can alter the façade to produce a variety of different appearances.

There are several schedules we will get you to complete, covering your internal and external finishes and colours, as well as a variety of other inclusions. Some of these process' are required for your BASIX Certificate, the rest will be included in your tailored specification. This, along with the plans, form part of the contract you will sign with your builder.

If meetings are required with the local council, all relevant documentation will be prepared and presented to the council by Advanced Building Design.

There are several types of submissions that can be made. Development Application (DA), Construction Certificate (CC) or CDC Applications, all which require different processes. Depending on the local government jurisdiction your land falls under, along with restrictions on the land and zoning, the level of documentation required will change. These will be stipulated in your quotation. All plans, specifications and relevant documentation will now be prepared. We will also notify you of other professional services you will need to undertake at this time.

If submissions are required to a development body, they will be made at this time. Your final payment will be required at this point, before the release of any documentation or plans.

Most people decide to complete the council submission themselves to save money. This process is quite simple and at Advanced Building Design, we will run through what is required to make it easier on you. If you have requested Advanced Building Design to undertake council submission on your behalf, you will have received a quotation outlining all submission fees.

Depending on the type of application you are submitting, council will usually advertise to your adjoining neighbours, sending them copies of the notification plans. They will have a chance to review your proposal and respond to the application if they feel they have any valid reasons for concern. The entire application process can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months, sometimes longer, depending on the size of the proposal and if any variations to the Local Environmental plan (LEP) or Development Control Plan (DCP) have been requested.

Upon completion of the application process, council will determine if they approve or reject your application. Once approved, they will issue you with written consent. This document will contain any stipulations to the approval. If the application is likely to be rejected by council, they will usually notify the applicant and allow you to submit changes to the proposal to lead to a more favourable outcome. Alternatively, you can pursue the application in the land and environment court.

If your application was not submitted as a joint DA/CC application, then all appropriate documentation and plans have been prepared and submitted to council. When issued by council, that is your go ahead to proceed to the construction stage. Your builder will now review the CC approval and finalise the quotation.

Now it's time to get building!