You will need a building permit before any building work can be carried out. In most cases, a permit will be required for the construction, renovation, alteration, or improvement of a building or incidental structure (e.g. swimming pool, fence, retaining wall).
There are two types of building permit, 'certified' and 'uncertified'. Buildings are classified into a particular Class, which will help you to determine if you need a 'certified' or 'uncertified' permit application.
- certified building permits must be used for commercial buildings (Class 2 - 9) and are optional for residential dwellings and incidental structures (Class 1, 10a and 10b)
- uncertified building permits are for residential dwellings and incidental structures only.
Contact your council directly for details specific to your intended building work.