Exempt development
Many low decks need no approval at all: up to 25 m², floor no more than 1 m off the ground, set back from the boundaries and behind the front of the house. We confirm your deck qualifies before you build.
Design & approvals
We design it, and we sort the council paperwork
Every deck starts as a proper drawing, set out to scale, structure and all, so you can see exactly what you are getting and council gets what it needs. From there we work out the approval path and, where one is needed, handle it end to end, so it stays simple for you.
Design first
Draw it properly first, then build it
A deck is settled on paper before a single board is cut. We set the whole thing out to scale, work out the structure, and show you exactly what you are getting. The same drawing that lets you picture the finished deck is the one an approval needs, so the two jobs become one.
That is a habit from twenty years in the building industry, including many years designing log homes at British Log Cabins. Draw it properly, agree it, then build it: that is what keeps a job running smoothly on site.
- Drawn to scale, structure and all
- Exemption, CDC or DA checked before you commit
- Plans & supporting documents prepared
- Lodged on the NSW Planning Portal for you
- Engineering & certifier liaison where needed
- Designed, approved & built by one team
Check which approval you need · Do you need approval? · How a DA or CDC works
The approval path
Three ways a deck gets the green light in NSW
Want a quick read on which one is yours? Run the two-minute deck approval checker.
Complying Development (CDC)
A fast-track approval issued by a certifier when the deck ticks all the boxes. Quicker than a DA, and we prepare everything it needs.
Development Application (DA)
For decks that need council to take a closer look. We prepare the plans and documents and lodge it for you, then keep you posted.
Lodged on the Planning Portal
CDC or DA, we lodge the application on the NSW Planning Portal on your behalf, so the admin stays off your plate.
One team, start to finish
Design, approval and build under one roof
When the same team draws the deck, sorts the approval and builds it, nothing falls through the gap between trades. The deck you approved is the deck you get, on a timeline we set out up front and keep you across the whole way through.
Deck building · Deck set-out calculator · Indicative pricing
Common questions
- Do I need council approval for a deck in NSW?
- It depends on the deck. A low deck of up to 25 square metres, with its floor no more than 1 metre above the ground and set back from the boundaries, usually falls under exempt development and needs no approval. Larger or higher decks usually need a CDC (a fast-track approval) or a full DA through council. We check which path applies to your deck before you commit.
- What is the difference between a CDC and a DA?
- A CDC (Complying Development Certificate) is a combined planning and construction approval issued by a certifier, and it is quick when the deck ticks all the boxes. A DA (Development Application) goes to council for assessment and suits decks that need a closer look. We work out which one fits and handle whichever it is.
- Who draws up the plans?
- We do. Every deck starts as a proper scaled drawing, structure and all, so you can see exactly what you are getting and any approval has what it needs. That habit comes from twenty years in the building industry: draw it properly first, then build it.
- Do you lodge the application, or do I?
- We do it for you, end to end. We prepare the plans and the supporting documents, and lodge the application on the NSW Planning Portal on your behalf, then keep you posted as it progresses. You get one team handling design, approval and the build.
Not sure if your deck needs approval?
Tell us about your place and we’ll work out the approval path, draw it up properly and handle the lodgement, so design, approval and build run through one team.