When preparing a plan set for approval, there are several items that need to be detailed on a plan to enable the fastest possible approval and clearly show all trades the information they require to complete the project.

Unfortunately a hand drawn site plan and the engineering from your shed supplier is not accepted by many councils within New South Wales. Even the online site plan applications open as many questions as their site plans answer. In both instances these become “red flags” for council.

In many council DA checklists, and Certifier checklists for CDC/CC packages request similar information in their plansets. The below list amalgamates these items;

Core Requirements for DA or CDC Plan Sets:

1. Site plan

A compliant site plan set must clearly show:

• Property boundaries (as per your Deposited plan)
• Distances to proposed structure, Make sure the boundary distances and bearings (cardinal degrees, minutes and seconds) are detailed.
• Existing building(s) on site and their uses (i.e dwellings, sheds, stables, granny flats etc).
• Natural ground heights (by registered survey or datum heights).
• Finished floor levels and excavation requirements.
• Retaining walls proposed or cut and fill batter locations
• Stormwater plan (schematic direction of stormwater disposal and discharge point),
• Sediment control plan (sediment fencing details).

2. Floor plan

The floor plan must include:

• Layout of structure including any internal walls.
• Location of wet areas (toilet/shower etc).
• Window, personal access doors and roller door locations.
• Wall thicknesses.
• Roof slope and downpipe locations.
• Schematic stormwater plan.

3. Elevations

Floor elevation drawings (North, South, East, West) must detail:

• Building Elevations from 4 cardinal directions.
• Building heights (Gutters/apex/openings etc).
• Natural ground levels and Finished floor levels.
• Rain water tank locations.
• Building envelopes detailing maximum heights in relation to roof edges.
• Excavation (cut/fill) depths.
• Colour schedules.

4. Sections

• Typical section through frame.
• Roof pitch.
• Frame materials.
• Footing type.
• Cut and fill depths.
• Building element heights (gutters, apex etc).
• Retaining Walls

5. General notes

• Details of Australian standards references and National construction codes references.
• Details of basic construction specifications.

Note: These are not the Engineering plans provided by your shed supplier. The engineering plans provided by your shed supplier are submitted with the Construction certificate application which is obtained after you achieve DA or CDC approval.

Additional Documents Required for Approval

Once your plan set is completed, you will need to obtain a few other documents to go together with your plan set for approval including:

1. Statement of Environmental effects report (SoEE)
   1. Detailing compliance with Councils LEP and any Variation requests for the council local environmental plan (LEP)
   2. Detailing compliance with Councils DCP and any Variation requests to the council development control plan (DCP)
2. Waste management plan (WMP)
   1. Detailing waste generated from the build or demolition
3. Signed application forms (Development application or Complying Development)
   1. Applications form (Signed by ALL property owners):
4. DA or CDC
   1. Principle certifier authority agreement (Certifier being used)
   2. Estimated Cost summary (use the above guide)
   3. Intended use statement (what you are using the shed for)

Ensuring that you have all of the correct information on plans will reduce assist to reduce the number of questions you get raised by the approving authorities.

Tip: Don’t use companies that use software programs that help to develop a ‘Site plan’. These software programs miss information and are a red flag to approving authorities that the applicant is a DIY and has not had the project assessed by someone qualified. Plan sets developed for approval and construction purposes can only be developed by a qualified draftsperson.