Development Application (DA) Services
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway. Council weighs your proposal against the planning controls and can approve it, approve it with conditions, approve a variation, or refuse it. It is slower than complying development, but it is the only pathway where a proposal that does not strictly comply can still be approved. We prepare the package, lodge it and manage council through to determination.
Free planning consultation
- 6–10 weeks with council after 2–4 weeks preparation
- From $3,800 + GST including Statement of Environmental Effects
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
What is a DA in NSW?
A development application, or DA, is how you ask council for permission to build something or change what a property is used for. Council looks at the proposal on its merits, checks it against the planning rules for your land, and decides whether to approve it. If it does, you get a development consent with conditions you have to follow.
You need a DA when your project isn't exempt and doesn't meet the complying development rules. A common example is a second storey that goes over the height limit. Another is a cafe that wants to open in a shop that's only approved for retail.
DA rules in NSW
The rules come from three places. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act sets out how the process works. Your council's Local Environmental Plan, the LEP, says what's allowed in your zone and sets limits like height and floor space. Its Development Control Plan, the DCP, covers detail such as setbacks, parking and landscaping.
You don't always have to hit every number. A DA is judged on merit, so if your design misses a standard you can put a case to council for why it still works. We do that in the planning report. A narrow lot might not fit the usual side setback, for example, and a good report shows how privacy and light for the neighbour are still protected.
How much does DA approval cost in NSW?
Our DA service starts from $3,800 + GST, and that includes the Statement of Environmental Effects. Council charges its own lodgement fee on top, and the amount depends on the council and the value of the project. If your site needs specialist reports, such as a bushfire or flood report, we'll quote those separately. We give you a fixed fee after a free scope check.
How long does DA approval take?
Allow 6 to 10 weeks with council once the application is lodged, plus 2 to 4 weeks beforehand to prepare the package. It runs longer if council writes back asking for more information. The easiest way to avoid that is to lodge a complete package where the plans, reports and forms all say the same thing.
When a DA is required
A DA is required whenever the proposal is not exempt and does not satisfy the complying development criteria in full. In practice that means: any variation to a development standard, most work on heritage items or in conservation areas, most development on bushfire-prone or flood-affected land, dual occupancy and subdivision in many councils, most changes of use, and anything where a merit argument is needed.
What council is actually assessing
Section 4.15 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act sets the matters for consideration - the relevant planning instruments, the likely impacts of the development, the suitability of the site, any submissions received, and the public interest. A Statement of Environmental Effects is the document that addresses each of those directly.
Why applications get delayed
Almost never because council is slow for its own sake. The two dominant causes are a package that was incomplete at lodgement, and an inconsistency between documents that council has to resolve before it can assess. Both are avoidable.
Why applications get refused
A proposal that breaches a development standard with no Clause 4.6 request, or with a weak one. An impact on neighbouring amenity - overshadowing, privacy, bulk - that the design does not mitigate. Insufficient parking. Or a use that is simply not permissible in the zone, which is a check that should happen before anything is drawn.
How it works
Pathway confirmation
1–2 days
We confirm a DA is required rather than a CDC, because lodging the wrong one costs weeks.
Package preparation
2–4 weeks
Statement of Environmental Effects, drawings coordination and specialist reports assembled.
Lodgement
1–2 days
Lodged through the NSW Planning Portal with the fee schedule calculated correctly.
Assessment management
6–10 weeks
We handle notification submissions and every request for further information.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Confirming a DA is actually the right pathway before you commit to it
- Statement of Environmental Effects and supporting planning argument
- Scoping and coordinating the specialist reports the site requires
- Lodgement through the NSW Planning Portal and correct fee calculation
- Responding to requests for further information and neighbour submissions
What you don't have to deal with
- Lodging a DA for something that qualified as complying development
- A package missing a document that triggers a six-week delay
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Development Application take in NSW?
Six to ten weeks with council is typical for a straightforward DA once lodged, plus two to four weeks to prepare the package. Applications requiring referral to another agency, or on heritage, bushfire or flood-affected land, take longer. Council's clock stops while a request for further information is outstanding, which is why completeness at lodgement matters more than anything else.
What documents does a DA need?
At minimum: the application form, architectural drawings, a Statement of Environmental Effects, a cost of works estimate, and an owner's consent. Beyond that it depends entirely on the site - BASIX, survey, stormwater, waste management, arborist, heritage, bushfire, traffic or acoustic reports as applicable. We produce a specific list rather than a generic checklist.
Will my neighbours be notified?
Generally yes. Councils notify adjoining owners and consider submissions received during the notification period. Objections do not automatically defeat an application - they have to raise a valid planning consideration. If submissions are lodged against your DA we prepare the response.
Can I start work once I have lodged?
No. Work cannot commence until consent is granted, and for most work a construction certificate is also required after that. Starting early is the most expensive mistake available on this page.
Related approvals
Complying Development (CDC)
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.
Modification (s4.55)
Once consent is granted, changes to the approved development are made by a Section 4.55 modification rather than a new application.
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.
Pre-Purchase Planning Check
Before you commit to a property, know what you're buying into.
Commercial & Industrial Approval
Commercial and light industrial projects span a wide range - from a cafe fitout that can be certified in two to three weeks, to a warehouse development where the capital at risk makes feasibility the first priority, not documentation.
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.