Build a single house — NSW, merit-assessed development application

The standard path: a development application is lodged with the consent authority, an officer assesses it on the merits, and consent is granted before separate certificates authorise construction and occupation. Since 1 September 2026 a house of up to two storeys that needs no height or floor space variation is generally not publicly exhibited.

developmentSingle detached dwelling on an existing lot draft compare across jurisdictions

140 days elapsed
longest dependent chain

14 discrete steps
across 2 bodies

18% waiting on availability
scheduling or queue, not assessment

0 days saved by concurrency
vs. 140 if run end-to-end

Where the time goes

Critical-path days only. Steps that run alongside others are real work but do not lengthen the process, so counting them here would overstate the prize.

assessment	65d	Someone is genuinely evaluating the merits.
applicant	50d	Waiting on the applicant to supply or fix something.
scheduling	19d	Waiting for a person or committee to become available.
queue	6d	Waiting behind unrelated work in a backlog.

25 of 140 elapsed days are spent waiting for a person or a meeting rather than for a judgement to be formed. Removing that time changes no assessment standard and lowers no bar -- it is the cost of scheduling alone.

The process, step by step

Applies when: The proposal does not fit within the complying development codes, or the land is excluded from that pathway.

#	Step	Who	Why it waits	Clock	Typical	Basis
1	Pre-lodgement advice application only if triggered Optional meeting with council to identify issues before formal lodgement.	Consent authority (NSW council)	scheduling	—	21 estimate	—
2	Prepare plans and supporting reports application Architectural plans, site analysis, statement of environmental effects, and whatever specialist reports the site triggers.	—	applicant	—	45 estimate	—
3	Lodge the development application application Lodgement is made through the NSW Planning Portal. after Prepare plans and supporting reports 94d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	applicant	—	1 estimate	Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
4	Pay the assessment fee fee Council issues an invoice after the adequacy review; the application is formally lodged once the fee is paid. after Lodgement and adequacy check 87d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	applicant	—	1 estimate	—
5	Lodgement and adequacy check assessment Council reviews the submitted application for adequacy before invoicing; the application is not formally lodged until this review and payment are complete. after Lodge the development application 88d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	queue	—	6 published	—
6	Neighbour notification period notification only if triggered Where exhibition is required, the application is exhibited and neighbours may make submissions during a minimum period. Triggered when: The dwelling exceeds two storeys, seeks a clause 4.6 variation to height or floor space ratio, or the application was lodged before 1 September 2026. after Pay the assessment fee 73d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	statutory	14	14 reported	Statewide Community Participation Plan, made under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
7	Referral to external agencies referral only if triggered Triggered by site-specific matters such as heritage, bushfire, flooding, or a classified road frontage. Triggered when: The site attracts a referral trigger under the applicable planning instruments. after Pay the assessment fee 59d slack	—	third party	—	28 estimate	—
8	Merit assessment by planning officer assessment The officer weighs the proposal against the relevant environmental planning instruments and any submissions received. after Pay the assessment fee, Neighbour notification period 43d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	assessment	—	30 estimate	—
9	Request for further information assessment only if triggered The clock commonly stops while the applicant answers questions. after Merit assessment by planning officer 13d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	applicant	—	30 estimate	—
10	Determination decision Consent granted or refused, by delegated officer or by a panel depending on the category of development. after Merit assessment by planning officer 29d slack	Consent authority (NSW council)	scheduling	—	14 estimate	Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
11	Construction certificate certification Certifies that the construction drawings are consistent with the consent and comply with the Building Code. after Determination 8d slack	Registered certifier (NSW)	assessment	—	21 estimate	—
12	Appoint principal certifier application after Construction certificate 5d slack	Registered certifier (NSW)	applicant	—	3 estimate	—
13	Mandatory critical stage inspections inspection Inspections at prescribed stages during construction. after Appoint principal certifier	Registered certifier (NSW)	scheduling	—	5 estimate	—
14	Occupation certificate certification Authorises the building to be occupied. after Mandatory critical stage inspections	Registered certifier (NSW)	assessment	—	14 estimate	—

on the critical path scheduling/queue = delay not caused by the assessment itself

Machine-flagged questions

These are produced automatically from the dependency graph. They are questions for a practitioner, not findings. Each one needs a person who has run this process to say whether the constraint is real.

The same body asked more than once

nsw-council-consent (assessment) appears at Lodgement and adequacy check, Merit assessment by planning officer, Request for further information. Could these be a single sign-off?
nsw-private-certifier (certification) appears at Construction certificate, Occupation certificate. Could these be a single sign-off?

Sources

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) — structure of the pathway
Statement of Expectations Order, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, https://planning.nsw.gov.au/the-planning-system/housing/faster-assessments-program/statement-of-expectations-order, accessed 2026-11-09
Council league table (September 2026 snapshot as of 9 October 2026), NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/the-planning-system/housing/faster-assessments-program/council-league-table, accessed 2026-11-09
Statewide Community Participation Plan, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, https://planning.nsw.gov.au/statewide-community-participation-plan, accessed 2026-11-09
Development application appeals, Land and Environment Court of NSW, https://lec.nsw.gov.au/types-of-cases/class-1---environmental-planning-and-protection-appeals/development-application-appeals.html, accessed 2026-11-09
Complying development, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/the-planning-system/development-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/complying-development, accessed 2026-11-09

Something wrong here?

This page is wrong in some way -- every page like it is. If you have run this process, the most useful thing you can do is tell us which step took longer than we say and why. Edit data/processes/nsw-dwelling-da.toml and open a pull request, or send us the correction.