Registered Architect Design Review & Statutory Compliance Declarations

What's included in a design review & declaration package

• Registered Architect Design Review — comprehensive review of architectural drawings prepared by draftspersons or building designers, identifying compliance gaps and design risks before lodgement
• Design Verification Statement (DVS) — statutory declaration confirming BCA and relevant standards compliance for the DA stage
• Class 2 Regulated Design Review — specialist review under the DBP Act 2020, including regulated design coordination across structural, fire, hydraulic, mechanical and acoustic consultants
• Design Compliance Declaration (DBP Act) — statutory declaration confirming the design integrates all relevant consultant designs and complies with the BCA, issued before building work commences
• Construction-Issued Regulated Design (CIRD) review — review the regulated designs issued for construction across each discipline (structural, fire, hydraulic, mechanical, acoustic, accessibility) to confirm they remain consistent with the declared architectural design
• Design Variation Review & Declaration — review and declaration of design variations during construction to maintain ongoing compliance
• Architectural & Consultant Design Coordination — end-to-end coordination between architecture and engineering disciplines for DBP Act submissions
• NSW Planning Portal Documentation — preparation and lodgement support for DA, CDC and modification applications via the NSW Planning Portal

Why we don't provide "sign-off only" services

Under the NSW DBP Act 2020 and the Design Practitioner registration scheme, a practitioner who issues a Design Compliance Declaration must have genuinely prepared, supervised, or coordinated the preparation of the design. A declaration signed without substantive review is void — and exposes the owner, builder and certifier to rectification orders, prohibition orders, and the statutory 10-year defect liability period.

giantA's service is structured as a substantive design review: we identify compliance gaps, coordinate consultant inputs, require amendments where needed, and only then issue the statutory declaration. This protects your project at DA, CC and Occupation Certificate stages.

Building classes covered by the DBP Act 2020

For full architectural design of new Class 2 buildings see our Class 2 Apartment Building Design service. For fit-outs within existing Class 2 shells see Interior Fit-Out Design. For other regulated classes (9a, 9b) see Specialist & Regulated Services.

Fees and timeline

Fees include initial gap analysis, review comments, consultant coordination, one round of revisions and the statutory declaration. Additional revision rounds or significant design changes are quoted separately.

Our design review process

1. Initial document intake — send us the full drawing set, specification, engineering designs, and any planning consents
2. Gap analysis — BCA/NCC compliance check, DBP Act regulated design identification, accessibility review, BASIX/NatHERS cross-check
3. Review comments — detailed written comments to the designer with specific amendments required before declaration can issue
4. Consultant coordination — confirm structural, fire, hydraulic, mechanical and acoustic designs integrate with the architectural design
5. Designer resubmission — review amended drawings, confirm all comments addressed
6. Statutory declaration issue — Design Verification Statement (DA) or Design Compliance Declaration (CC) issued via NSW Planning Portal
7. Construction-phase support — design variation reviews as needed during the build

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Design Verification Statement and when is it required in NSW?

A Design Verification Statement (DVS) is a statutory declaration confirming that a building design complies with the Building Code of Australia and relevant Australian Standards. It is required for State Significant Development, some council DAs, and as part of the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 framework. A DVS must be prepared or supervised by a practitioner with appropriate registration — for architectural designs this is a Registered Architect in NSW.

What's the difference between a Design Verification Statement and a Design Compliance Declaration?

A DVS verifies a design at the development application stage (pre-construction). A Design Compliance Declaration is issued under the DBP Act 2020 for regulated buildings (Class 2, 3, 9c) at construction stage — it confirms the construction-issued regulated design integrates all relevant consultant designs and complies with the BCA. Both must be issued by registered practitioners.

Can a draftsperson or building designer sign a Design Verification Statement for a Class 2 apartment building?

No. For Class 2 buildings (apartments) regulated under the DBP Act 2020, the design must be prepared or supervised by a Registered Design Practitioner with the appropriate class of registration. For architectural designs on Class 2 buildings, this means a Registered Architect (NSW Architects Registration Board) with DBP Act registration. Draftspersons and building designers without RDP registration cannot lawfully issue the required declarations.

How much does a Registered Architect design review cost in Sydney?

Review fees range from $4,500–$10,000 for small residential projects to $15,000–$25,000+ for Class 2 apartment buildings with full DBP Act compliance declarations. Fees depend on building class, design complexity, number of regulated designs to review, and whether coordination with other consultant designs (structural, fire, hydraulic) is included. giantA provides a fixed-fee proposal after an initial document review.

How long does the design review and declaration process take?

A standard design review takes 2–3 weeks for residential projects and 4–8 weeks for Class 2 apartment buildings with multiple consultant designs. The timeline includes: initial gap analysis (1 week), review comments and revisions (1–2 weeks), consultant coordination (1–3 weeks), and final declaration issue (3–5 business days). Fast-track is available for time-sensitive DA or CDC lodgements.

Do you provide 'sign-off only' services where you just sign drawings prepared by others?

No. Under NSW law, a practitioner who issues a Design Compliance Declaration or Design Verification Statement must have genuinely prepared, supervised, or coordinated the preparation of the design — not merely reviewed and signed it. giantA's service is a substantive design review and coordination service. We identify compliance gaps, recommend amendments, coordinate consultant designs, and only then issue the statutory declaration. This protects you, your builder, and future occupants.