Building certification services

Why choose Council Assessing your application What's next

Consider engaging the services of Tweed Shire Councils accredited certifiers to conduct the approval and inspection functions associated with your project. Council has a dedicated team of highly skilled and qualified building professionals, well qualified and with local knowledge invaluable in ensuring that your interests are protected and who can provide quality building and development related services including:

  • Construction Certificates
  • Complying Development Certificates
  • Occupation Certificates
  • Inspection of building works (Principal Certifying Authority services)
  • Act as the Principal Certifying Authority (PCA)
  • Development and building compliance advice
  • Building and construction advisory and consultancy services, including pre-lodgement advice, development consents and modifications to consents, fire safety compliance and upgrades, compliance with development consents, legislation and interpretation of the Building Code of Australia
  • Bushfire risk level assessments (BAL Certificate), this is a prerequisite for any proposal for Complying Development in a bushfire prone area
  • Project specific fee estimates are available upon request by contacting Council's Building and Environmental Health Unit on 02 6670 2400

Why choose Tweed Shire Council to certify your project?

You will have access to experienced and competent building professionals who:

  • provide high quality service that is efficient, cost effective, and competitive,
  • have the long term support and stability of Council - 'we will always be there for our customers and the community',
  • are flexible to customers' needs, with inspections scheduled for a mutually convenient time and within 24 hours of the initial booking
  • have access to Council's approvals history so that we can provide quick advice and assistance to our customers
  • have direct access to Council's records and approval history, and Council's planning officers, so we can provide timely advice and assistance on the certification process,
  • are able to issue Construction Certificates, Complying Development Certificates, Occupation Certificates, Building Certification, and provide inspection services for all classes of buildings,
  • provide a building advisory role,
  • will ensure building regulations, construction standards, and development consent requirements are satisfied.

As Tweed Shire Council is the regulatory authority for plumbing and drainage, the same officers are responsible for carrying out all plumbing and drainage inspections associated with your development.

This means that our experienced officers are available on site more frequently and therefore provide additional opportunities to ensure that both the building and plumbing trades are made aware of any issues as they arise during the construction process.

This minimises delays and ensures that all legislative requirements are met to provide a smooth transition of your development though to the completion stage.

Call Council's Building and Environmental Health Unit if you have questions about any of these processes on 02 6670 2400.

Contract for undertaking certification work application

How does Council assess your application?

Workmen on site Once lodged, your Construction Certificate application goes through an initial review and is assigned to a Building Surveyor.

Council then checks that your Construction Certificate application:

  • complies with the National Construction Code (NCC)
  • is consistent with the plans approved under the Development Consent
  • complies with the conditions of the Development Consent
  • complies with BASIX commitments and those commitments are shown on the submitted plans
  • complies with relevant bushfire provisions
  • complies with other Construction Certificate submission requirements
  • is consistent with the site conditions (site inspection to be carried out).

What happens next?

We'll be in touch if we need further information before a decision is made on your Construction Certificate. This may include:

For work over valued $20,000, the builder needs to supply a copy of Home Owner's Warranty Insurance. Certificates must show the correct property details to which the insurance relates and identify all work covered under the building contract.

You will be sent formal determination and a Construction Certificate in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (as amended) together with stamped approved plans and specifications.

A Notice of Commencement form will be enclosed and is to be submitted to Council at least two (2) days prior to commencement of any building work.

A separate letter will be enclosed identifying required inspections, including Critical Stage inspections. If these Critical Stage inspections are not undertaken, the law prevents Council from issuing an occupation certificate.

Note: If the Development Consent expires, the Construction Certificate will also expire unless building work has been significantly progressed.