Building Permit
A building permit is the approval required before building work may lawfully commence, confirming the proposed work complies with planning controls and building regulations.
Terminology varies between Australian states. In NSW, residential work generally proceeds by one of two pathways. A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a combined planning and construction approval available where the proposal meets all of the prescribed standards. A Development Application (DA) is assessed on its merits by council, and is followed by a Construction Certificate before work can begin.
The pathway makes a substantial difference to time and certainty. A CDC can be determined in weeks by a private certifier where the proposal complies, whereas a DA is a public assessment process measured in months.
Establishing the likely pathway during early design is one of the highest-value pieces of advice on a project, because it shapes both the design and the program.