How to Sequence Council Approvals and Cost Estimations for Your Build
Transcript
Charles Christodoulou: Select your plan, take it to council, and then get a costing. Do that in that order, because you might do all the costing and think, ‘Yeah, this is good and fantastic,’ and then two months later, council says, ‘No, you can’t do that.’ That’s happened a number of times with me, where council – there’s an overlay, or it just doesn’t fit in the zoning – they won’t allow it due to zoning. I remember a few times where people wanted to build houses for farmhands and were trying to get around various regulations that the local council had, and it just didn’t work. They would lose money.
What is the correct order to approach council approvals and costings?
Before you spend time or money on cost estimates, first choose your preferred home design. Once you’ve selected a plan, take it to your local council to check if the build is allowed on your land.
This early step helps you avoid wasting effort. If you do the costings first, you risk having the council reject the project later due to zoning, overlays, or land restrictions.
Wait for a clear indication from the council before you move ahead with quotes or pay any deposits.
For full details on the approval process, read our guide: Building Approval Process and Timeframe