Do you need council approval for a home extension in SA?

Almost always, yes. In South Australia a home extension is development under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, and it needs development approval before any work starts. For an extension that usually means two consents: planning consent, assessed against the Planning and Design Code, and building consent, assessed against the building rules. PlanSA lists "building or extending a house" as a typical example of development that needs planning consent (PlanSA, Types of consent).

The good news is the process is the same statewide, it runs through the online SA Planning Portal (PlanSA), and a builder who handles approvals as part of the job takes most of the paperwork off your hands. Here is how it works.

Planning consent and building consent, in plain English

Planning consent asks whether the extension suits its surroundings. PlanSA describes it as assessing development against the planning rules to minimise negative impacts on the area, such as overlooking, overshadowing, noise or poor access. It is usually granted by your local council or an independent accredited professional.

Building consent asks whether the extension will be built safely and to code: structure, fire safety, wet areas, energy efficiency and so on. It is usually granted by a council building officer or an independent accredited professional. Once both consents are in place, development approval is granted and building work can begin.

Which assessment pathway will your extension take?

PlanSA sorts development into pathways based on its likely impact (PlanSA, Assessment pathways):

• Exempt: minor work that needs no approval at all, such as a new fence or garden shed. The full lists are in Schedules 4, 4A, 5 and 13 of the PDI (General) Regulations 2017.
• Accepted: minor projects that only need building consent, such as a carport.
• Deemed-to-satisfy: straightforward development that meets every relevant criterion in the Planning and Design Code. These are fast-tracked, cannot be refused, and the decision must be granted after five business days of assessment.
• Performance assessed: development that is assessed on its merits against the Code. It can involve public notification or referrals to other agencies.

Most home extensions are code assessed, either deemed-to-satisfy or performance assessed. Which one yours falls into depends on whether the design meets every deemed-to-satisfy rule for your zone, such as setbacks, height and site coverage. Designing to those rules from the start is often the simplest way to keep an approval quick.

If an application is performance assessed and the Code requires notification, PlanSA says neighbours on adjacent land within 60 metres are notified and a notice is placed on the land, so they have a chance to comment (PlanSA, Public notification).

The steps, from lodgement to starting work

For an application that needs both planning and building consent, PlanSA sets out these stages (PlanSA, Stages and timeframes):

1. Development application lodged
2. The relevant authority may ask for more information
3. Referrals to agencies, if required
4. Public notification, if required
5. Planning assessment and planning decision (and appeals, if relevant)
6. Building consent application, assessment and decision
7. Full development approval granted
8. Building work commences

Every application has a five business day verification period at the start and two business days at the end for the decision to issue. For performance assessed applications, the clock stops while the authority waits for any extra information it has asked for, so a complete application up front saves real time.

What you need to lodge

The documents required are set out in Schedule 8 of the PDI (General) Regulations 2017, and the level of detail depends on the project. For an extension that typically means application forms and fees, a site plan, floor plans, elevation drawings and other drawings such as sections, plus engineering for the building consent stage. PlanSA publishes separate planning and building checklists (PlanSA, Development application checklist).

Who is your council in Adelaide's north?

For the areas we work in most: Angle Vale, Munno Para, Virginia, Elizabeth and Riverlea Park sit within the City of Playford, Gawler is the Town of Gawler, and Two Wells is in the Adelaide Plains Council. You can look up the zone, policies and overlays that apply to your address with PlanSA's Zoning for a property tool. In newer estates such as Riverlea Park, the developer's design guidelines also apply, and we build to them.

Before the first shovel goes in

• Building indemnity insurance: for domestic work that needs council approval and costs $20,000 or more, the builder must take it out, and work cannot start until you and the council have the certificate (SA.GOV.AU).
• A written contract you have read and understood. For contracts of $20,000 or more, the deposit should be no more than 5% (SA.GOV.AU, Choosing a builder).
• A licensed builder. ASP Build & Co holds SA Builder's Licence BLD 360698, issued by Consumer and Business Services.

How we handle approvals

Design, engineering and approvals are part of our design-and-construct service for home extensions and new homes, so you are not left coordinating drafters, engineers and the council yourself. As our terms set out, council and government approval fees are not included in our quotes unless we expressly say so, so you can see them separately. If you're still weighing up the budget, start with how much a home extension costs in Adelaide.

Common questions

Related pages

• Home Extensions Adelaide
• Builder in Two Wells
• Builder in Riverlea Park
• Contact ASP Build & Co for a free quote