Are there extra costs to get my design approved?

The short answer is yes.

This is dependent on the type of approval method you need to obtain to build your design. When we are designing your beautiful spaces, it is always to the best of our ability to satisfy compliance regulations for Complying Development or Development Application.

There are two types of approval methods, and the costs differ between the two;

Complying Development

Upon completion of your landscape design, your plans will be ready to be submitted to the private certifier for review and approval. You will incur a fee from the certifier to approve your project for construction. It is important to note that there are additional documents required by the certifier to gain approval, these include structural engineering, Sydney Water tap in, home warranty insurance etc. The private certifier will provide a list of requirements upon application. If you engage someone like Cronulla Pools to build your design (if you’ve got a pool of course), the costs of these additional docs will be included in their pool price.

Development Application

Our designs will be completed to the best of our knowledge around local council controls. It is always our intent to be designing in a way that gives your project the best shot at gaining approval through council.

However, we recommend engaging a town planner (which we can manage for you) to assist with the design and lodgement process. Working alongside a town planner ensures our design picks up anything that might cause the council to reject or come back to us to amend. Having the specific knowledge of a town planner means saving in costs of design revisions later down the track. Once your project is approved in council you’ll then be required to engage a private certifier to get your construction certificate.

Having a thorough understanding of what things costs is really important and we are always here to help you understand the process and what to budget.

For us, it’s all about designing the most perfect Surrounds, for you.