Design Services for Development Approval
Council assesses your plans against rules on height, floor space, setbacks, solar access, landscaping and drainage. When the drawings are prepared separately from the planning advice, they often do not answer the controls, and the DA comes back with questions. We prepare the design set and the planning case together so each supports the other.
Free planning consultation
- BASIX 3 to 5 business days, stormwater design 1 to 2 weeks, drawing sets 2 to 4 weeks
- BASIX from $450 + GST · stormwater design from $1,600 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
What goes into a DA or CDC drawing set
Site and survey based plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, shadow diagrams, a landscape and open space plan, a materials schedule, a waste management plan, a stormwater concept plan, and an erosion and sediment control plan. For residential projects the BASIX certificate and, where needed, NatHERS thermal modelling sit alongside the drawings. We can also work from your architect's drawings if you already have them. The same set can support a DA or a complying development certificate.
Design that answers the planning controls
Setbacks, floor space ratio, building height, private open space, deep soil and landscaped area, parking and solar access are the usual reasons a DA stalls. We check the design against your council's LEP and DCP before lodgement and tell you early where a variation will be needed, so you can decide whether to redesign or argue the case in the report.
BASIX and NatHERS, done early
BASIX sets energy, water and thermal targets for residential projects, and a design that fails them means changes to glazing, insulation or fixtures late in the process. Running it early costs a few hundred dollars and avoids rework. BASIX starts from $450 + GST and usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
Stormwater and drainage
Most councils want a stormwater plan showing how roof and surface water is collected, stored or detained, and discharged. The design depends on the site slope, soil, and council's on site detention and water quality rules. Stormwater design starts from $1,600 + GST and typically takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Timelines and fees
BASIX, 3 to 5 business days. Stormwater design, 1 to 2 weeks. A full drawing set, 2 to 4 weeks depending on size and revisions. Fees are fixed after a free scope check.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Architectural documentation to lodgement standard
- Stormwater and drainage concept and detailed design
- BASIX certificates and NatHERS thermal modelling
- Coordination between the drawings and the planning case
What you don't have to deal with
- A drawing set that does not match what the planning report describes
- A BASIX certificate obtained late and forcing a design change
Choose your situation
BASIX & NatHERS
BASIX is the mandatory sustainability assessment for new dwellings, alterations and additions above a cost threshold, and pools above a volume threshold.
Frequently asked questions
Can you work from my architect's plans?
Yes. We review them against the planning controls and prepare the supporting reports.
Do I need BASIX for a granny flat or alterations?
Many residential projects do. It depends on the type and value of the work, so we confirm early.
Why not just hire a drafter and a planner separately?
You can, but the planner and designer then work from different assumptions. A single set avoids contradictions that council picks up.
Do drawings change if council asks questions?
Often slightly. Minor amendments during assessment are included in what we handle.
All pages in this section
Related services
Planning Reports
A Development Application is only as strong as the planning argument attached to it.
Specialist Reports
Most applications of any size need reports from specialists outside town planning.
Residential Council Approval
Most residential developments do not need a full Development Application.
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.