Dual Occupancy Certifier in Sydney
Dual occupancy and small-lot townhouse projects can move faster than a standard Development Application if they meet the right standards, and that is where a registered certifier comes in. Vast Consulting Group certifies dual occupancy and townhouse projects across Sydney, and because our team has worked on the construction side as well as compliance, we look for a way through the rules rather than just a list of problems. You dream it, we approve it.
How it works in New South Wales
Many dual occupancy and townhouse developments in New South Wales can be approved as complying development under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code, part of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, known as the Codes SEPP. If your project meets the development standards in that code, a registered certifier can issue a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) rather than sending you through a full council Development Application.
If your site or design does not meet the complying development standards, for example because of lot size, zoning or a heritage overlay, the project needs a Development Application (DA) to council followed by a Construction Certificate (CC) from a certifier. You will need a Section 10.7 Planning Certificate from council as part of a CDC application either way. Once building work is finished, a registered certifier acting as Principal Certifier carries out the critical stage inspections and issues the Occupation Certificate before you can use the new dwellings.
The process with Vast
Send us your drawings
Architectural plans, site plans and any survey or engineering documents you already have, so we can assess which approval pathway fits your project.
Assessment and approval
We check your plans against the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code or, where a DA has already been approved, assess the drawings for a Construction Certificate.
Inspections as Principal Certifier
We carry out the critical stage inspections through construction, from footings to frame to final, and flag any issues early.
Occupation Certificate
Once the work meets the approved plans and the National Construction Code, we issue the Occupation Certificate so you can occupy or sell the dwellings.
Common issues we solve
Areas we cover
We certify dual occupancy and townhouse developments across the Sydney metropolitan area, including Bayside, Randwick, Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Sutherland, Liverpool and Parramatta council areas, and Sydney-wide beyond those. If you are not sure which council area your site falls in, tell us the address and we will confirm.
FAQs
Can my dual occupancy be approved without a full council DA?
Many dual occupancy projects can be approved as complying development under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code, which means a registered certifier issues a Complying Development Certificate instead of council assessing a full DA. Whether your site qualifies depends on the zoning, lot size and design, so send us your plans and we will check.
What is the difference between a dual occupancy and a townhouse development?
A dual occupancy is generally two dwellings on one lot, attached or detached, while a townhouse development usually involves three or more attached dwellings, often each on its own lot after subdivision. Both can potentially use the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code, subject to meeting its standards.
Who inspects the build once it starts?
A registered certifier is appointed as Principal Certifier before work begins. The Principal Certifier carries out the critical stage inspections set out in the approval and issues the Occupation Certificate at the end.
Do I still need a Construction Certificate if I go through a CDC?
No. A Complying Development Certificate combines planning and construction approval in one document, so you do not need a separate Construction Certificate for that scope of work. A Construction Certificate is only needed where your project instead goes through a Development Application.
Call our Sydney office on (02) 9821 2062 to talk through your dual occupancy or townhouse project, or use our Get a free quote page. Building in Brisbane instead? See our Townhouse and multi-unit certification page, since the approval pathway in Queensland is different.
Send us the drawings. We'll tell you what it takes to get approved.
Unrestricted building surveyors and certifiers. Residential, commercial and industrial. Brisbane and Sydney.
Woolloongabba QLD 4102 (07) 3112 7689 Also serving the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast