Development Approval: the green light to build
Development Approval is the final approval you need before building work can start in South Australia. It’s issued once all the consents your project needs have been granted.
How Development Approval works
Think of Development Approval as the umbrella over your project. Underneath it sit the individual consents:
Some projects need all three. Some need only one. Once every required consent is granted, Development Approval is issued.
- Planning Consent, if your project has a planning impact
- Building Consent, if it involves building work
- Land Division Consent, if you’re changing property boundaries
Before building starts
Development Approval isn’t quite the last step. For eligible domestic building work in SA, building indemnity insurance must be in place before work begins. According to SA.GOV.AU, it’s needed for building work of $20,000 or more that needs council approval, it’s arranged by your building work contractor, and work can’t start until you and council have received the certificate. As your builder, we take care of this.
How we get you there
- We work out which consents your project needs
- We prepare all the drawings, engineering and reports
- We lodge and manage each consent through PlanSA
- We respond to assessors’ questions and requests
- We coordinate the final approval and get you ready to build
Frequently asked questions
How long does Development Approval take?+
It depends on your project and how many consents it needs. We’ll give you a realistic timeline.
How long does Development Approval last?+
Approvals have time limits for starting and completing work. We’ll let you know the conditions that apply to yours.
What does it cost?+
Application fees are set by the state and council and depend on your project. We’ll include these in your fee proposal. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether fees are included or passed through.]
