Free homeowner guide · Sydney NSW
Sydney Home Extension Planning Guide
A practical starting point for renovations, rear extensions and second-storey additions. General information only—not site-specific planning or legal advice.
1. Start with feasibility
Review the title, survey, planning controls, constraints, setbacks, landscaped area and the existing house before committing to a design.
2. DA or CDC
CDC can be efficient when every standard is met. A DA may be needed for constrained sites or proposals requiring merit assessment. Check the pathway before promising a timetable.
3. Coordinate consultants
Depending on the project, the team may include a surveyor, structural or stormwater engineer, BASIX assessor, arborist, heritage or bushfire consultant and certifier.
4. Design old and new together
Consider light, circulation, privacy, levels, structure, drainage and how the family will actually use the completed spaces.
5. Prepare consistent documents
Plans, elevations, sections, calculations, BASIX commitments and consultant reports should align and tell the same project story.
6. Understand fees
Clarify feasibility, design, approval drawings, lodgement, consultant coordination, construction documentation and external fees.
7. Prepare for construction
Confirm approval conditions, engineering, inspections and the pathway to occupation approval before building begins.