CDC Packages & Complying Development Certificates in Sydney
A complying development certificate (CDC) is a fast-track approval for building work that meets every criterion in the Codes SEPP, issued by council or a private certifier with no merit assessment. A CDC package is the full set of work to get one issued: the eligibility check, the documents and managing the certifier.
Free planning consultation
- 2–3 weeks where the project qualifies
- From $2,200 + GST for our package, plus certifier fees
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
The fast-track pathway, and its one condition
EHUP's fixed-fee CDC packages cover the eligibility check, the documentation and the certifier from start to finish. The value of complying development is speed and certainty. The condition is absolute compliance. There is no mechanism for a certifier to accept a minor breach, no merit argument, and no negotiation. A structure 150mm too tall is not "substantially compliant" - it is ineligible.
CDC compared with a DA
| Complying Development | Development Application | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframe | 2–3 weeks | 6–10 weeks typical |
| Assessment | Compliance check only | Merit assessment |
| Neighbour notification | No | Generally yes |
| Variations possible | No | Yes, via Clause 4.6 or DCP justification |
| Who can issue | Council or private certifier | Council only |
| Refusal risk | None if compliant | Real |
How CDC approval works in NSW
A CDC isn't a judgement call. A certifier checks your plans against a fixed set of rules in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, which most people just call the Codes SEPP. If the plans meet every rule, the certificate gets issued. If they miss even one, you're into a DA.
Here's how it usually runs. We check your lot and your design against the rules first, before anyone spends money on drawings. Then we put the application together and lodge it with council or a private certifier. Once the documents are complete, most CDCs are decided in two to three weeks.
CDC requirements in NSW
A certifier looks at three things.
The lot. Some sites can't use the CDC pathway at all. Heritage items and heritage conservation areas are the common ones, and bushfire prone or flood affected land can rule it out too.
The design. Every standard that applies to your type of project has to be met. A new house, a granny flat, a dual occupancy and a shop fitout each have their own set, so a design that works for one won't automatically work for another.
The paperwork. Plans, a BASIX certificate where one applies, a survey, and whatever technical detail the certifier asks for. Missing documents are a common reason a two to three week job drags out.
Say a homeowner wants to add a second storey. The lot is fine and the design fits, but the survey is missing. The certifier can't go any further until it turns up, and the clock stops.
How much does a complying development certificate cost?
Our CDC packages start from $2,200 + GST. That covers the eligibility check, the documents and managing the certifier. Certifier fees are on top, and they depend on the value of the work and who you choose. After a free eligibility check we'll give you one figure, so you know the full cost before you commit.
What is in a CDC package
A CDC package covers the full eligibility check against every Codes SEPP criterion, the certificate documentation to certifier standard, the BASIX, survey and technical documents required for issue, and managing the certifier through to the certificate. Where the project does not qualify, we say so early and move it to a DA.
CDC pathways by project type
Complying development applies differently depending on what you are building. See CDC for new houses and granny flats, dual occupancies, restaurants and cafes and retail and office fitouts, or the wider change of use pathway for existing premises.
When a DA is the better choice even though it is slower
If your proposal needs a variation - extra height, a reduced setback, greater floor space - the DA pathway is not a fallback, it is the only pathway. Trying to redesign a good proposal down to fit CDC criteria sometimes costs you more in built outcome than the extra weeks are worth. We will tell you which way that trade-off falls.
How it works
Eligibility check
2–4 days
We test the proposal against every applicable Codes SEPP criterion and every constraint on your lot.
Package preparation
1–2 weeks
Drawings, BASIX, survey and the technical documentation the certifier requires.
Certification
2–3 weeks
Lodged with council or an accredited certifier and managed through to issue.
If it does not qualify
-
We tell you immediately and set out the DA pathway, rather than pushing an application that will fail.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- A full eligibility check against every Codes SEPP criterion before you commit
- Preparing the certificate package to certifier standard
- BASIX, survey and technical documentation required for issue
- Managing the certifier through to issue
- Telling you honestly and early when the project does not qualify
What you don't have to deal with
- Discovering at week three that one criterion fails and starting again as a DA
- Paying certifier fees on an application that was never eligible
Frequently asked questions
What does CDC stand for, and what is a CDC package?
CDC stands for Complying Development Certificate. A CDC package is the complete set of work needed to get one issued: the eligibility check against the Codes SEPP, the BASIX, survey and technical documentation, and managing the certifier through to the certificate. EHUP quotes it as a fixed fee, with certifier fees separate.
How long does a Complying Development Certificate take?
Typically two to three weeks where the project qualifies, compared with six to ten weeks for a typical DA. The eligibility check comes first, because finding that one criterion fails at week three costs more than the check does.
CDC or DA - what is the actual difference?
A CDC is a compliance check: satisfy every criterion and it must be issued, usually in two to three weeks, with no neighbour notification. A DA is a merit assessment: council weighs the proposal, can impose conditions, can approve a variation, and can refuse it - typically over six to ten weeks. CDC is faster and certain; DA is slower and flexible. If your proposal complies in full, CDC is almost always the better choice.
What kinds of projects qualify for a CDC?
Commonly: new dwellings on standard lots, single and double-storey additions, granny flats and secondary dwellings, swimming pools, internal alterations, and many retail, office and food premises fitouts and changes of use. The project type is only the starting point - eligibility turns on the specific criteria being met on your lot.
What stops a project from being eligible?
Heritage listing or a heritage conservation area. Bushfire-prone land in many cases. Flood-affected land. Land subject to certain covenants or environmentally sensitive area classifications. Exceeding any dimensional criterion - height, setback, floor area, landscaped area, site coverage. And in some cases, the zone itself.
Can a private certifier issue it instead of council?
Yes. An accredited certifier can issue a CDC, and that is often faster than going through council. It does not change the criteria - a certifier has no more discretion than council does.
All pages in this section
Related approvals
CDC - House & Granny Flat
A new single dwelling house on a standard lot, or a secondary dwelling - a granny flat - can frequently be approved as complying development rather than through a full Development Application, provided the lot and the design satisfy every criterion in the Codes SEPP in full: minimum lot size, maximum floor area, height, setbacks and landscaped area among them.
CDC - Dual Occupancy
Dual occupancies - two dwellings on one lot, attached or detached - were traditionally assessed as a Development Application in most council areas.
CDC - Retail & Office
Retail and office fitouts, and many changes of use within commercial premises, can be certified as complying development in two to three weeks where the premises satisfies the Codes SEPP.
Council Approvals
Almost every building project in NSW falls into one of three categories: exempt development (no approval needed), complying development (a fast-track CDC), or a full Development Application.
Development Application (DA)
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 17
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.