You're going to need to obtain a Construction Certificate (CC), and you're going to need that prior to commencing the build. 

The Notice of Determination outlines what you need to do prior to starting the build. It determines which consultants are required and what needs to be actioned before any works can commence on site.

No, you can't start construction until you've obtained your Construction Certificate (CC). 

You're going to need the consultants as outlined in the Notice of Determination, such as a Structural Engineer, Stormwater Engineer, Private Certifier, and several others before you can start building.

There's no real minimum level of documentation. The more information you provide on the drawings, the more accurately the builders can price the project and the less wiggle room there is for them to hit you up with variations in cost and the more details can be resolved prior to construction. This will also help you avoid time delays on site because you haven't decided on things. It's in your best interest to have thought through the design prior to commencing the work on site so you can resolve as many details as possible prior to construction.

The level of detail on the DA drawings is primarily to get you consent from Council. The next level of detail is what's required prior to commencing construction. Some examples often include but not limited to; engineering plans, wall set out plans, door/window schedules and electrical plans. You may even need someone to design your kitchen, laundry or bathrooms, joinery, help you select fixtures/fittings, tiles, lighting and other finishes that are important for you and the builder.

The cost of a  Construction Certificate (CC) varies depending on the conditions of the approval. We go through the conditions of the approval and work out what conditions need to be addressed and what consultants are required. We help you understand all the steps and outline what's required from you and the builder. We then put together a tailor-made quote to address all these conditions of consent to make your job easier. All you need to do is focus on the building works as opposed to being overwhelmed by all the red tape. 

We lacked direction on how to obtain the Construction Certificate (CC). We involved all the people suggested to us, but we needed someone that could bring them all together. That's why we've come to you! You've got the experience and network of consultants to help us get it all approved, because we've been struggling with it. It’s been overwhelming and has caused time delays trying to do it ourselves. It costs money  not building straightaway. 

No, you can’t start building without your Construction Certificate (CC). Councils’ conditions of approval note that prior to commencement of work, you need to obtain a Construction Certificate (CC) and issue a Notice of Commencement. 

Part of the certifier’s role is to ensure that the conditions of the approval (Notice of Determination), have been satisfied prior to the commencement of work. One of the many conditions includes the appointment of a Structural Engineer. 

Other parts of the certifier’s role will include carrying out the mandatory inspections during construction and post construction stage, which includes the issuing of the Occupation Certificate (OC).

In summary, you've worked with the Council to obtain your initial consent, and you require the Construction Certificate (CC) prior to construction. 

That's when we appoint a certifying authority and other consultants. The certifying authority can be the Council or a Private Certifier.

Working with a private certifier is generally quicker and easier. Most of our clients have experienced extensive wait times during the Development Application (DA) assessment of their projects, so they prefer not to have deal further  with Council. 

Clients are frustrated and feeling as though the whole process has dragged on, so, we often work with an independent certifier, that's in our network of consultants to get things done more efficiently.

The Occupation Certificate (OC) is required prior to occupying the building. It's one of the key requirements upon completion. You're not supposed to occupy the building on the completion of the work until you've obtained the Occupation Certificate (OC). 

For most of our clients, the average timeframe is between 8 to 12 weeks. For some clients, that process can drag on and take months or even years. 

A lot of that will come down to what consultants have been appointed and their availability, the people preparing the plans and how well they work together. There is someone amending your plans and bringing it all together, so it's a seamless process from start to finish. 

It's generally not the certifiers’ role to assist with the Construction Certificate (CC) process. They generally issue a checklist of requirements which outlines what they require. Some of these items often include things such as structural engineering plans, erosion and sediment control plans, stormwater plans, BASIX certificate commitments on plans, Dilapidation Reports and much more. 

Once the Certifier has everything on this list, they should be able to issue the consent. Some information required needs to go on the DA approved drawings that will then form part of the Construction Certificate (CC) package.

So essentially, we're addressing all the conditions of this consent and then creating a separate set of drawings, which we refer to as the Construction Certificate (CC) drawings.

It's not recommended to use your DA drawings for the Construction Certificate (CC) application because the intent of the DA approved drawings was to obtain consent from Council (not for construction). The DA approved plans do not address the conditions of consent. In short, no, you can’t use your DA drawings to form part of your Construction Certificate (CC) application.

Details on the Construction Certificate (CC) plans will vary for every project based on what's in the conditions of approval. In some instances, there's only a few additional notes that are required, but in many instances there's an extensive list of conditions.

One recent approval had 55 conditions that needed to be satisfied prior to obtaining the Construction Certificate (CC), and this one in particular required design amendments.

When waiting for your DA approval, there is no maximum timeframe. Unfortunately, with local Councils, it could be a few weeks, it could be a few months. We have seen some projects even take up to a couple of years in Council. That is a very rare circumstance, but most of our clients are waiting between 3-12 months for their DA approvals.

Yes, we can make changes to the DA approved plans. We submit those amendments as part of a set of drawings that form part of a Section 4.55 Application (formally known as a Section 96 Application). 

In some instances, we may require amended reports prepared by other consultants. It's generally a fast-tracked process and for most projects they're approved in approximately 1-2 months.

We can connect you with some of the builders that have been servicing our clients for many years.

There are some builders that are more suited to certain types of projects and work in certain Council areas.

We are happy to share those contacts with you for your consideration.

Most DA approvals are valid for 5 years before the consent lapses. During that period, you need to obtain your Construction Certificate (CC) and make a substantial commencement of works. 

There are some scenarios where our clients need more time, or they want to make some changes. We can apply to Council to make some modifications to the design. If that application is assessed and approved, we generally get an additional couple of years during which they can commence the work. If they're not looking to make any changes and simply need an extension of time, we can lodge an application to the Council seeking an extension and put forward the reasons.

It's always recommended to have an interiors package to achieve a better finish and avoid problems during construction.

It does help, especially if you're busy or in a position where you don't have the time to be constantly answering questions on the fly. If you've got the builder on site, there's going to be an extensive number of questions that keep popping up. They're going to need instructions and there's going to be trades asking questions. If you can resolve as much of that as possible prior to commencing work, it's going to help you ensure that the build can be completed quicker with less variations in costs, and you can resolve important details prior to construction.

Sometimes during construction, things end up in the too hard basket or they become very expensive to change. These things can create substantial time delays. If you want to build in the fastest timeframe and you want a nice finish, it's in your best interests to engage with someone to prepare drawings including detailed plans for your kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. You can also get them to make preliminary selections for your flooring and much more. The more information you provide the builder, prior to commencing work, the better.

We do have some clients who can't make those decisions prior to construction, and that's okay. There are a lot of people that can't visualize things and would prefer to walk into a room to get a feel for it and make decisions on site. That can have some disadvantages, and can increase costs. It can be a frustrating process for both clients and builders. 

There are different levels of interiors packages. There are some packages that are only conceptual. There are some interior designers who will prepare drawings that are very detailed, right down to the set out and height of every fixture and fitting, every power point and lighting selections. Some include all the finishes selections for the building in a schedule.

There is no minimum or maximum level of detail that can be provided.

Alternatively, you can choose to save money and build without the interiors package.

When obtaining a Construction Certificate (CC), you need to appoint several consultants in order to address some of the conditions of approval as well as any extra items the certifier requires. 

We have a network of trusted consultants that we've worked with for over 10-20 years. 

This network of consultants provide us with good service, fast turn around and a very streamlined process, and you have access to that network of consultants.

A lot of our clients that have been through the Construction Certificate (CC) process before have had a much better experience where someone has taken care of all the red tape for them, making it easy and seamless.