Home Owners, Building & Renovation

The Electronic Housing Code (EHC) system is available in participating local government areas across NSW.

If you are a resident of, or local industry member in, one of these Council areas, you are able to:
1) Investigate your development options for an individual site
2) Generate an exempt development report
3) Prepare your complying development application electronically
4) Lodge your complying development application electronically
5) Monitor the progress of your application

Owner-builder work is any work (including supervision and co-ordination) involved in the construction of, or alterations, repairs or additions to, a dwelling (which includes a house, terrace, town-house, garage, swimming pool and certain other structures and improvements):

1) where the reasonable market cost (including labour and materials) exceeds $5,000, and
2) which relates to a single dwelling or dual occupancy:
3) that requires development consent under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, or that is a complying development within the meaning of that Act

As an owner-builder, you are responsible for:

1) overseeing and supervising all tradespeople
2) ordering of materials and management of the building site
3) obtaining all necessary council and authority approvals
4) ensuring that the financial, taxation and insurance requirements of the building work are met and fully comply with all laws
5) being aware of your obligations under the Workers Compensation Act 1987 and Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and providing a safe work environment that complies with WorkCover requirements
6) ensuring any contractor engaged is appropriately licensed and insured to do the work contracted for
7) warranting that the work and materials will be fit for the purpose and that the work results in a dwelling fit for occupation.