Preliminary Planning Review Sydney
Before you commission architectural plans or approach your council, you need a clear picture of where your project stands. Our Preliminary Planning Review gives you a written assessment of your site, your planning controls, and the correct approval pathway, completed by our qualified town planner Lewis within 1 week of receiving your project details. Lewis brings more than 12 years of planning experience across Sydney’s southern and inner suburbs.
$990 + GST — credited in full toward your DA or CDC application with Dura Group.
What is a preliminary planning review?
A preliminary planning review is a formal written assessment of your site and proposed development against the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) that apply to your property. We identify your development potential, establish the planning controls that govern your project, flag site-specific constraints and risks, and provide a written recommendation on the most appropriate planning approval pathway before you commit to design costs or lodgement fees.
Our Preliminary Planning Review costs $990 + GST. This fee is credited in full toward your DA or CDC application with Dura Group.
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What does our preliminary planning assessment include?
Our preliminary planning assessment covers every planning control, site constraint, and supporting document requirement relevant to your proposed development. The report is tailored to your specific outcome, whether your project involves a renovation to an existing home or a new addition to the building’s footprint. Our town planner Lewis reviews your site against the following:
- Local Environmental Plan (LEP) review: zoning, land use permissibility, maximum building height, floor space ratio (FSR), and lot size requirements for your local government area
- Development Control Plan (DCP) review: setback distances, landscaping provisions, built form controls, and design standards specific to your council
- Planning Certificate (Section 10.7): identification of the planning instruments, zoning classifications, and restrictions that apply to your land under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
- State Environmental Planning Policies: applicable SEPP codes that affect your complying development eligibility or development application requirements
- Approval pathway assessment: a determination of whether your project qualifies as exempt development, complying development, or requires a formal development application lodged with your local council
- BASIX requirements: identification of whether your project triggers a BASIX Certificate to demonstrate compliance with NSW energy and water efficiency standards
- Heritage conservation area check: identification of any heritage items, heritage conservation overlays, or tree preservation orders affecting your site
- Site-specific constraints: slope, flood risk, easements, and any covenants that affect your development type or permissible scope
All findings are delivered in a detailed written report. The review includes a 15 to 30 minute phone consultation with our town planner to walk you through the results and confirm your next steps.
What planning approval pathway does your project need?
Our preliminary planning assessment determines whether your project proceeds via a Complying Development Certificate or a Development Application, a determination that directly affects your project timeline and the cost of reaching construction.
A CDC Approval for Complying Developments is issued by a private certifier within 2 to 4 weeks of submission, for projects that meet the applicable complying development codes under the relevant State Environmental Planning Policy. A Development Application (DA) is assessed by your local council and applies to projects that do not qualify as complying development or exempt development. Council assessment timelines range from 2 to 6 weeks or more, depending on the complexity of your proposed development.
Development applications require specific supporting documents under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, including a Statement of Environmental Effects, a BASIX Certificate for most residential projects, and in some cases a Heritage Impact Statement or geotechnical report. Owner’s consent from all registered owners of the land is also required at lodgement. We identify every document your application requires at the preliminary stage, so nothing is discovered after plans are drawn.
We assess your proposed development against both pathways. Where your project qualifies for a CDC, our review confirms eligibility and identifies any design adjustments required to maintain that qualification. Where a DA is the correct pathway, our preliminary planning advice establishes the full documentation and design requirements your application needs at lodgement.
What planning controls apply to your home extension or renovation in Sydney?
Planning controls for home extensions and renovations in Sydney are set by two primary instruments: the Local Environmental Plan and the Development Control Plan for your local government area. These instruments specify setback distances, maximum building heights, floor space ratio limits, landscaping requirements, and design standards your project must satisfy before the consent authority grants approval.
Navigating NSW planning regulations requires working across both state-level policies and council-specific controls simultaneously. We incorporate this as part of our preliminary review process.
Each council area we serve operates under its own LEP and DCP. A setback requirement or height limit that applies under Georges River Council does not automatically apply in the Inner West. Our preliminary planning assessment is specific to your site address and your council’s current planning controls, not a generic summary of NSW planning rules.
Sites within a heritage conservation area carry additional requirements. Projects affecting heritage items or located within a conservation area require a Heritage Impact Statement as part of any development application. We identify this requirement at the preliminary assessment stage, before plans are drawn.
- LEP review: zoning, land use permissibility, building height, FSR, and lot size requirements
- DCP review: setback distances, landscaping, built form controls, and design standards
- Heritage conservation area: Heritage Impact Statement requirements and tree preservation orders
- State Environmental Planning Policies: SEPP codes affecting your approval pathway
- Site-specific constraints: slope, flood risk, easements, and covenants
What is pre-lodgement advice and why does it matter for your renovation?
Pre-lodgement advice identifies concerns a consent authority will raise during assessment of a development application, addressed before the application is formally lodged. Identifying those concerns at the pre-lodgement stage removes requests for additional information during assessment, which add weeks to approval timelines and increase overall project costs.
Our Preliminary Planning Review incorporates this pre-lodgement perspective. Our town planner reviews your proposed development the way a council planner does, checking your development type against the relevant planning rules, identifying potential objections related to environmental effects, built form controls, or heritage considerations, and establishing which specialised reports your application requires.
We also identify at this stage which neighbouring properties are likely to be notified as part of council’s assessment process. Early consideration of privacy, solar access, and view impacts for adjoining owners reduces formal objections during assessment and keeps your DA on track. With more than 12 years of planning experience across our five council areas, our town planner knows what assessors examine and what triggers requests for additional information, before your application reaches them.
Why complete a preliminary planning review before you start designing?
Homeowners who proceed directly to design without a preliminary planning assessment discover mid-design, or after lodgement, that their proposed development does not comply with the planning controls for their site. The cost of that discovery is measured in amended plans, revised applications, delayed project timelines, and in some cases, applications refused by council.
A preliminary planning review establishes your project’s compliance position before a dollar is committed to detailed design. Key steps in any sound preliminary planning process include site analysis, establishing a clear project brief and budget, and determining the appropriate approval pathway before design fees are spent. Our review covers all three.
With more than 27 years of residential construction experience across Sydney’s southern and inner suburbs, we built the Preliminary Planning Review into our service offering because we know the cost of approaching the approval process without a clear picture of where your project sits. When you work with Dura Group, you deal directly with the decision-makers throughout the entire process, from the first planning assessment through to construction completion.
Our preliminary planning review process
Our Preliminary Planning Review follows a 3-step process, completed within 1 week of receiving your project address and overview.
Step 1: Site and proposal review
We review your site address, proposed development type, and project scope against the applicable LEP and DCP. This includes zoning verification, a Planning Certificate (Section 10.7) review, permissibility assessment, and identification of any site-specific overlays such as heritage conservation area, flood risk, or bushfire prone land classifications that affect your approval pathway.
Step 2: Planning controls and approval pathway assessment
We assess your proposed development against the complying development codes and consent authority requirements to determine the correct approval pathway. Where your project qualifies for a CDC, we confirm eligibility and note any design parameters required to maintain it. Where a DA applies, we identify the preliminary documentation list under the EP&A Act 1979.
Step 3: Written report and consultation
We deliver all findings in a written report covering your development potential, applicable planning controls, identified constraints, documentation requirements, and approval pathway recommendation. Our town planner then conducts a 15 to 30 minute phone consultation to walk you through the report and confirm next steps.
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How does preliminary planning advice identify your development potential?
Our preliminary planning assessment establishes the maximum permissible development on your site under the applicable LEP and DCP, including permitted building heights, floor space ratios, setback allowances, and any site-specific overlays that affect what the consent authority approves.
A thorough assessment at this stage identifies multiple development options available for your property, not only the first permissible option. For homeowners planning ground floor extensions, upper storey additions, or significant home renovations across Sydney’s southern and inner suburbs, establishing your development potential before design begins prevents two avoidable costs: over-designing beyond what your block permits, and under-designing when your site allows more than you planned for.
Our preliminary planning report sets the parameters that every stage of your project works within, from initial design brief through to lodgement. We also recommend building a 10 to 15 per cent contingency into your initial project budget at this stage, a standard allowance that accounts for unforeseen site conditions and design adjustments identified during the approval process.
Preliminary planning review across South Sydney councils
We complete preliminary planning assessments across all five local government areas we serve. Our town planner has direct experience assessing residential development proposals against the specific LEP and DCP controls for each council.
Sutherland Shire Council
Sutherland Shire's planning controls include specific provisions for larger residential lots, bushfire-prone area constraints, and heritage conservation zones across established suburbs such as Cronulla, Jannali, and Engadine. Our preliminary assessment identifies which controls apply to your specific site and confirms whether your project proceeds via CDC or DA.
Inner West Council
The Inner West holds one of Sydney's highest concentrations of heritage conservation areas, covering terrace homes, semi-detached dwellings, and inter-war bungalows across Newtown, Marrickville, Balmain, and Leichhardt. We identify Heritage Impact Statement requirements and neighbour notification obligations at the preliminary planning stage.
Georges River Council
Georges River's residential planning controls cover a range of development types across Hurstville, Kogarah, Oatley, and Beverly Hills. Our preliminary assessment addresses FSR and height controls, dual occupancy permissibility, and lot size requirements specific to Georges River Council's LEP and DCP.
Randwick City Council
Randwick City's planning framework includes coastal management controls, heritage considerations across Coogee and Randwick, and design standards specific to residential extensions and additions. We assess your site against Randwick's current DCP requirements and BASIX obligations at the preliminary stage.
Bayside Council
Bayside's planning controls address development across Rockdale, Bexley, Arncliffe, and Brighton-le-Sands, with specific provisions for flood risk, dual occupancy, and landscaping requirements. Our preliminary planning review identifies which Bayside controls apply to your proposed development.
Other Areas
If your property is outside these five council areas but within greater Sydney, contact us to discuss your project. We may be able to assist depending on the scope and location of your proposed development.
Frequently Asked Questions About Preliminary Planning Reviews
How much does a preliminary planning review cost?
Our Preliminary Planning Review costs $990 + GST. This fee is credited in full toward your DA or CDC application with Dura Group, making it a cost-neutral first step for homeowners who proceed with us. The review is completed within 1 week and includes a 15 to 30 minute phone consultation with our town planner Lewis.
How long does the preliminary planning review take?
Our preliminary planning assessment is completed within 1 week of receiving your site address and a clear overview of your proposed development. All findings are provided in a written report, followed by a phone consultation to discuss results and confirm your next steps toward lodgement.
What happens after the preliminary planning assessment is complete?
We provide a written report covering your site’s development potential, the applicable planning controls, any identified constraints, documentation requirements under the EP&A Act 1979, and a recommendation on the correct approval pathway. The $990 + GST review fee is credited toward your application with Dura Group. From that point, we manage the full approval process and construction.
Do I need a preliminary planning review for a kitchen or bathroom renovation?
Kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, and laundry renovations are internal works that qualify as exempt development under NSW planning rules and do not require a CDC or DA. Our Preliminary Planning Review applies to home extensions, upper storey additions, and structural renovations that alter the building’s footprint or external appearance. Contact us to confirm whether your specific project requires planning approval — we clarify that at no charge.
Is owner's consent required for a development application?
Owner’s consent is required from all registered owners of the land when lodging a development application. Where a property has multiple registered owners, all parties must provide consent before the application is formally submitted to council. We identify this requirement during the preliminary assessment and confirm the consent documentation needed for your specific application at lodgement.
What if my site is in a heritage conservation area?
Sites within a heritage conservation area, common across parts of the Inner West, Sutherland Shire, and Randwick, require a Heritage Impact Statement prepared by a qualified heritage consultant as part of any development application. Our preliminary planning review identifies this requirement at the outset, so it is factored into your project timeline and budget before design begins.
Can a preliminary planning review reduce the risk of a DA refusal?
A preliminary planning assessment identifies non-compliances, documentation gaps, and potential objections from the consent authority before your development application is lodged. We establish what council assessors examine and what triggers requests for additional information under the EP&A Act 1979. Addressing those issues at the pre-lodgement stage reduces the risk of refusal and keeps your application timeline on track from lodgement through to approval.
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Dura Group: family-owned Sydney builders specialising in renovations and home additions, with 27+ years of trusted experience.
