Building Project Support in NSW
Design, Approvals & Documentation — One Team, One Contract
End-to-end building project support by giantA Pty Ltd — architectural design, drafting, BASIX/NatHERS and council approvals across Sydney and NSW.
What is end-to-end building project support?
End-to-end support means a single consultancy carries your project across all pre-construction stages — briefing, concept design, planning approval (DA or CDC), BASIX/NatHERS energy compliance, detailed documentation, and Construction Certificate (CC) — so the drawings stay consistent, the approvals arrive on time, and compliance isn't left to the client between siloed consultants.
In NSW, that continuity matters because your project's drawings are referenced across at least four regulatory checkpoints: council or certifier lodgement, BASIX certificate issuance, CC documentation, and the eventual drawing sheet package. One studio that owns the whole chain eliminates translation loss between consultants and reduces Request for Information (RFI) rounds by roughly a third compared to assembled teams.
What happens in each stage of a NSW building project?
| Stage | What happens | giantA's role | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief & Feasibility | Site analysis, zoning check, project scope, indicative budget. | Site inspection, planning constraints report, fixed-fee quote. | 1–2 weeks |
| 2. Concept Design | Sketch plans, massing, shadow and privacy checks against DCP. | Design iterations, cost alignment, pre-lodgement advice. | 2–4 weeks |
| 3. Planning Approval (DA or CDC) | Lodgement with council or private certifier via NSW Planning Portal. | Full drawing package, BASIX, SEE, RFI responses, stakeholder liaison. | 10–20 days (CDC) or 30–90+ days (DA) |
| 4. Detailed Documentation | Working drawings, sections, details, specifications. | Council/CC-ready drawing sheets, structural coordination. | 3–6 weeks |
| 5. Construction Certificate (CC) | Certifier issues CC — confirms build meets the approved plans and NCC. | CC package, certifier coordination, condition compliance. | 2–4 weeks |
| 6. Construction Support | Site queries, variations, compliance certificates during build. | On-call advice, amendment drawings, occupation certificate (OC) support. | Duration of build |
Do you need DA or CDC for your project type?
Most NSW residential projects fall into three buckets:
- Exempt development — small low-impact works (decks, pergolas, garden sheds under specified sizes) require no approval, provided all standards in the Codes SEPP are met.
- Complying Development Certificate (CDC) — the fast track for code-compliant residential work: new 1–2 storey homes, granny flats, renovations, extensions and pools. Determined by council or a private certifier in as little as 10–20 days.
- Development Application (DA) — required for heritage, bushfire, complex envelopes, duplex/multi-dwelling, or any project exceeding CDC standards.
Read the detailed comparison in our DA vs CDC approval guide, or check our DA/CDC document checklist to see what each pathway demands before lodgement.
What documents do councils and certifiers require?
The core package for either approval pathway in NSW:
- Architectural plans — site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections (to the scales councils require)
- BASIX certificate (residential projects)
- Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) — DA only
- Stormwater, bushfire (BAL), acoustic or heritage reports where the site triggers them
- Certificate of title, owner's consent, cost estimate of works
- Structural engineering coordination for the CC stage
For the exhaustive required-information list by drawing sheet, see our Information Drawing Sheets page.
How do BASIX and NatHERS fit into the project?
BASIX (Building Sustainability Index) is NSW's mandatory sustainability check for residential work — it sets water, energy and thermal comfort targets that must be met before a DA or CDC can be approved. NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) provides the star rating that demonstrates the thermal comfort target within BASIX, with 7 stars now the NSW minimum.
These are not end-of-design add-ons: orientation, window-to-floor ratios, insulation, and shading all determine the score, so the BASIX strategy is built into concept design — not retrofitted. giantA prepares BASIX and NatHERS in-house on every residential project.
What does a typical NSW building project cost and how long does it take?
Indicative budgets and timelines for a NSW single-dwelling project (design through to CC, excluding construction):
- Design & documentation fees — typically 5–8% of construction value for full-service, or fixed-fee for standard residential ($8K–$25K).
- Approval fees — $3K–$6K CDC, $5K–$15K+ DA (council fee + supporting reports). See the DA vs CDC guide for the breakdown.
- Timeline to CC — 4–8 weeks (CDC route) or 4–6 months (DA route), assuming no RFIs.
Use our Cost Estimating tool to set an indicative construction budget, and check the NSW Faster Assessments council league table for your LGA's median DA timeframe.
How giantA runs your building project
At giantA Pty Ltd, Franz Phan — a Registered Design Practitioner (NSW) with 15+ years of residential experience — personally oversees every project through all six stages. The model is simple:
- One contract, one accountable practitioner — no hand-offs between separate architect, drafter, energy assessor and document controller
- Fixed-fee for defined stages — feasibility, concept, lodgement and CC priced separately so you can see where the money goes
- Council-ready documentation — designed against the relevant LEP and DCP from day one, not retrofitted after RFI
- NSW-wide via the Planning Portal — Sydney metro and regional councils handled remotely
Start your project
Tell us about your site and what you want to build — we'll confirm the approval pathway, give you a fixed fee, and outline the timeline in a 15-minute call.