When building your new home there are two ways you can gain your building plan approval. A Development Application and a Complying Development Certificate are namely the two certification types. At Artisan by Icon Homes we’re well-versed in understanding the requirements of the industry and are therefore well-positioned to help those going through the process for the first time, decide which will be the most appropriate route of action to take. Below we’ve outlined all you need to know about the two.
What’s a Development Application (DA) and how does it work?
A Development Application (DA) is submitted to your local council and involves meeting certain requirements. It is often necessary for more complex projects and will request information such as,
- What will be the result of the outcome: upon completion what will the development look like?
- The specific materials being used in the development.
- Will the development incur any impact on the surrounding area?
What’s a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) and how does it work?
A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) on the other hand, is essentially a workaround to bypass local councils when creating low-impact developments. At Icon Homes we will always steer customers toward a CDC where possible however, depending on the block or building plans, this isn’t always possible.
The main differences between a DA and CDC
Although both permits involve a three-stage process, the nature of a DA being signed off by an external body means that time delays can occur. Their external colour selections will also need to be made a lot earlier in the process as these will have to be submitted to the council for approval. From here it may take approximately 12 weeks to get approval from the local council (design and council dependent). Nonetheless, a CDC is often more stringent in its regulations with no flexibility. Therefore, if a home we are building for a client presents some unconventional design requirements, we will likely advise going down the DA route where there is more leniency for councils to approve buildings that would otherwise not pass through a CDC.
Below is a basic overview of each certification process:
| Complying Development Certificate | Development Application | ||
| 1.Design Review
Approx. 7 weeks |
Architectural designs are ordered, reviewed and approved.
|
1.Design Review
Approx. 7 weeks |
Architectural designs are ordered, reviewed and approved (with additional rounds of review). |
| 2.Selection Process
Approx. 3- 5 weeks |
Appointments for tile and timber flooring selections are attended, reviewed and signed-off with client.
|
2.Pre-DA Lodgement Tasks
Approx. 4 weeks |
External colour selections reviewed and signed off and the application for the local council is prepared. |
| 3.Site Preparation
Can take up to 14 weeks |
The construction architectural design is signed-off. Client books gas disconnection and demolition. Building contract and deposit is presented and received. CDC is lodged and received before demolition begins. | 3.Post DA Lodgement Tasks
Can take up to 32 weeks |
From paying the building deposit to cover the application fees, to choosing internal colour selections and preparing the land for demolition, the main hold up we see here is that it can take up to 12 weeks for local council approval before demolition can begin. |
When approaching the task of building your dream home, we believe the process is just as important as the outcome. Ensuring that our customers have a smooth, stress-free build, begins and ends with ensuring the customer is well-informed to make the decisions that are right for them.
If you would like someone to run through the process in greater detail or answer any of your questions feel free to get in touch with a friendly member of our team.
