BASIX Completion Receipt NSW 2026: What Your Certifier Must Confirm Before the Occupation Certificate

Answer first: In NSW, the principal certifier must issue a BASIX completion receipt through the NSW Planning Portal before an occupation certificate can be issued for BASIX development. The receipt confirms the work was built as per the BASIX certificate, so every “Certifier check” commitment must be installed, visible and provable at final inspection.

By: giantA Pty Ltd · Updated 22 October 2026

What is a BASIX completion receipt?

A BASIX completion receipt is the final BASIX step in the NSW approval chain. The NSW Planning Portal’s BASIX and planning approvals page (last updated 6 August 2026) says that you attach the BASIX certificate to the application for an occupation certificate and, following the final inspection and prior to issuing the occupation certificate, the certifying authority must issue a BASIX completion receipt “to confirm that the project has been built as per the BASIX certificate”.

In other words, a BASIX certificate is a promise made at design stage. The completion receipt is the record that the promise was kept on site. Most of our earlier BASIX guides focus on the front end of that process — getting the certificate right, validating it on the Planning Portal and passing council or certifier checks at lodgement. This guide covers the back end: what happens to your BASIX commitments between the construction certificate and handover, and what your certifier needs to see before the occupation certificate (OC) can be issued.

It applies to any project that needed a BASIX certificate in the first place: new houses, dual occupancies and multi-dwelling housing, and alterations and additions valued at $50,000 or more (or that include a pool or spa over 40,000 litres), according to the Portal’s alterations and additions page.

Where does the completion receipt sit in the BASIX approval chain?

The Planning Portal sets out BASIX as a chain of steps, each one building on the last. The table below summarises what BASIX requires at each stage, who checks it and where the requirement comes from.

The section numbers come from the Department’s Section guide to the EP&A Regulation 2021 (PDF), which maps the old 2000 Regulation clauses to the current provisions. It shows the former “Fulfilment of BASIX commitments” clause for occupation certificates (cl 154B) is now section 44, and the former “BASIX completion receipt” clause (cl 154C) is now section 45 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.

What do the three columns on a BASIX certificate mean at OC stage?

Every BASIX certificate has a schedule of commitments for water, energy and thermal performance, with three tick columns. The legend printed on the current DPHI certificate template explains them:

• Show on DA plans — commitments that must be shown on the plans accompanying the development application (if a DA is lodged).
• Show on CC/CDC plans and specs — commitments that must be shown in the plans and specifications accompanying the application for a construction certificate or complying development certificate.
• Certifier check — commitments that “must be certified by a certifying authority as having been fulfilled, before a final occupation certificate (either interim or final) for the development may be issued”.

The same template states that the commitments “regulate how the proposed development is to be carried out” and that complying with them is a condition of any development consent or CDC issued for the development. It also defines “applicant” as the person carrying out the development — in practice, the owner and the builder they engage.

That third column is the one that matters at handover. If an item carries a “Certifier check” tick, the principal certifier needs to be satisfied it has been delivered before the OC. Items commonly found in the schedule include water fixture ratings, rainwater tank size and connections, hot water system type, lighting, insulation and glazing specifications, depending on what was committed in your certificate.

Who issues the BASIX completion receipt, and when?

The Planning Portal says the certifying authority issues the receipt after the final inspection and before the OC. Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, an OC can only be issued by the certifier appointed as principal certifier for the development, according to the Department’s Building and Subdivision Certification – Occupation Certificates guideline (November 2019, PDF).

That guideline lists, among the matters a principal certifier may consider when determining an OC application, “whether the principal certifier applied to the Planning Secretary for a BASIX completion receipt, if required for that building or part”. In practice the receipt is generated through the Planning Portal’s post-consent certificate workflow. The Portal’s BASIX support materials page directs councils and certifiers seeking instructions on how to issue a BASIX completion receipt to the Post-Consent Certificate guides in their Knowledge Management section.

The Portal’s council or certifier page (last updated 15 October 2026) adds that certifiers are required to check the information on a BASIX certificate prior to issuing a construction certificate or an occupation certificate. So the certifier looks at BASIX twice after consent: once on paper at CC stage, and once on site at OC stage.

What must accompany the occupation certificate application?

The 2019 DPHI OC guideline (written under the former 2000 Regulation, with the provisions since carried into the DC&FS Regulation 2021) lists the documents that must accompany an OC application. They include a copy of any relevant construction certificate, any relevant fire safety certificate, any relevant compliance certificate and a BASIX completion receipt where the development is subject to a condition requiring BASIX commitments — except where the application is for part of a partially completed building.

The current Planning Portal guidance is simpler from the applicant’s side: attach the BASIX certificate to the OC application, and the certifier issues the completion receipt after the final inspection. Either way, the outcome is the same — no completion receipt, no OC for BASIX development.

Practical tip (not a Portal rule): make sure the BASIX certificate attached at OC stage is the latest version that was lodged with the consent authority. If the design changed during approval, the certifier will be checking the build against the revised certificate, not the first one.

What happens if the build doesn’t match the BASIX certificate?

Because complying with BASIX commitments is a condition of consent, a built outcome that does not match the certificate is a compliance problem, not a paperwork detail. The Portal’s BASIX and planning approvals page says that if you make any changes to your project you must revise the BASIX certificate and resubmit it to council, and that there is no charge to revise a valid certificate lodged with the consent authority.

The Portal’s validity and changes page says a project change means completing another BASIX assessment and printing a new certificate, with no additional charge where it relates to the same property and project recorded on the original certificate, and the certificate has been lodged or is still valid to lodge. Where the change also needs a modification of the consent, the Portal’s BASIX legislation page notes the Regulation sets out when a new BASIX certificate is required to replace the current one for a modification application.

We cover revision timing in detail in our BASIX certificate validity guide. The key point for OC stage is timing: a revision is far easier to manage while the work is still being designed or built than after final inspection has found a mismatch.

Practical tips (from our experience, not Portal rules):

• Typical late-stage mismatches include a smaller rainwater tank than committed, a tank not connected to all the committed outlets, a different hot water system, lower-rated tapware or showerheads, or glazing that does not meet the committed frame and glass specification.
• Builder or client substitutions during procurement are the most common cause. Check any substitution against the BASIX certificate before ordering, not after installation.

How do NatHERS Simulation projects differ at OC stage?

Where the thermal section was completed with the Simulation method, the BASIX certificate carries the NatHERS assessor details and heating and cooling loads, and the stamped NatHERS plans form part of the documentation. Our guide to BASIX Simulation method checks explains the four checks councils and certifiers apply to those documents at approval stage and during construction, based on the DPHI guide for checking thermal performance.

At OC stage, the practical consequence is that the built fabric — insulation, glazing, shading and construction types shown on the stamped plans — should match what the NatHERS assessor modelled. If insulation or glazing changes during construction, talk to your assessor before installation so the NatHERS and BASIX certificates can be revised if needed.

For alterations and additions over $50,000, Simulation is only available in special circumstances; see when NatHERS modelling is allowed for alterations. Most alterations use the standard alterations pathway, where the commitments are listed directly on the certificate.

Does BASIX completion apply to Part OCs and staged projects?

The 2019 DPHI OC guideline says the BASIX completion receipt requirement for the OC application does not apply where the application is for part of a partially completed building. The BASIX certificate legend, however, refers to “Certifier check” commitments being certified as fulfilled before an OC “(either interim or final)” is issued.

Because staged and part-OC arrangements depend on the consent conditions and the certifier’s assessment, confirm early with your principal certifier how BASIX commitments will be checked across stages. For multi-dwelling projects, see our guide on BASIX for dual occupancy and multi-dwelling projects.

What step-by-step process gets you to a clean BASIX completion receipt?

1. Lock the certificate before CC. Confirm the BASIX certificate attached to the CC application is the current version lodged with the consent authority, and that every “Show on CC/CDC plans & specs” commitment appears in the construction drawings and specifications.
2. Build a BASIX commitments checklist. Pull every “Certifier check” item from the schedule into a simple list for the builder: fixture star ratings, tank size and connections, hot water type, lighting, insulation, glazing and any pool or spa items.
3. Brief trades and the procurement team. Share the checklist with plumbers, electricians, glaziers and insulation installers. Flag that substitutions need to be checked against the certificate first.
4. Revise early if anything changes. If a committed item must change, revise the BASIX certificate (and NatHERS certificate if relevant) and resubmit as the Portal requires, before installation where possible.
5. Keep evidence as you go. Practical tip: keep product data sheets, WELS ratings, glazing specifications, invoices and photos of insulation before it is covered. Your certifier decides what evidence they need, but having it ready avoids delays.
6. Pre-check before final inspection. Walk the site with the checklist and the BASIX certificate side by side, and fix gaps before the certifier arrives.
7. Apply for the OC with the BASIX certificate attached. After final inspection, the principal certifier issues the BASIX completion receipt through the Planning Portal and can then determine the OC.

For the front end of this process, see our step-by-step BASIX certificate guide, our explainer on Planning Portal certificate validation and our summary of the May 2026 BASIX tool upgrades.

Which BASIX commitments most often need attention before OC?

The exact list depends on your certificate, but these are the categories we see most often on residential projects. They are practical observations, not an official list:

• Water: rainwater tank volume, roof catchment area and connections to toilets, laundry and outdoor taps; WELS star ratings for showerheads, toilets and taps. See our BASIX water efficiency guide.
• Energy: hot water system type, heating and cooling systems, lighting and any committed solar PV. See our BASIX solar PV and battery guide.
• Thermal: insulation types and locations, glazing frame and glass specifications, and shading devices.
• Pools and spas: committed covers, pumps or tank connections. See our BASIX pools and spas guide.

Where does giantA fit in?

A completion receipt is only as straightforward as the documentation behind it. Our BASIX and NatHERS service prepares certificates whose commitments are realistic to build, carries them through to CC drawings, and helps owners and builders manage revisions when the design changes. For Sydney projects, see BASIX assessment in Sydney, or browse our full range of design and approvals services. If you are approaching OC and unsure whether the build matches your BASIX certificate, contact giantA for a project-specific review.

Frequently asked questions

What is a BASIX completion receipt?

It is issued by the certifying authority after the final inspection and before the occupation certificate, to confirm the project has been built as per the BASIX certificate, according to the NSW Planning Portal.

Can I get an occupation certificate without a BASIX completion receipt?

Not for BASIX development. The Portal says the certifying authority must issue the receipt prior to issuing the OC. The 2019 DPHI guideline notes an exception for an OC application for part of a partially completed building.

Who issues the BASIX completion receipt?

The certifying authority — in practice the principal certifier appointed for the development — through the NSW Planning Portal post-consent certificate workflow.

What does “Certifier check” mean on a BASIX certificate?

Commitments ticked in that column must be certified by a certifying authority as fulfilled before an interim or final occupation certificate can be issued.

Does the completion receipt apply to renovations?

It applies to development that needed a BASIX certificate. For alterations and additions, BASIX applies where the work is valued at $50,000 or more, or includes a pool or spa over 40,000 litres.

What if we changed a fixture or the hot water system during construction?

The Portal says project changes require a revised BASIX certificate resubmitted to council, at no charge for a valid lodged certificate on the same property and project. Revise before installation where possible, and tell your certifier.

Preferred sources (verify current versions)

• NSW Planning Portal — BASIX and planning approvals (updated 6 August 2026)
• NSW Planning Portal — Council or Certifier (updated 15 October 2026)
• NSW Planning Portal — BASIX support materials
• NSW Planning Portal — Validity of the certificate and changes to the project
• NSW Planning Portal — Alterations and additions
• NSW Planning Portal — BASIX legislation
• DPE — Section guide to the EP&A Regulation 2021 (April 2022, PDF)
• DPIE — Building and Subdivision Certification: Occupation Certificates guideline (November 2019, PDF)