Northern NSW Residential Inspections

Local Projects. Local Certifiers.

Professional Certification Group provides residential building certification services in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. As private certifiers, we assess your plans, issue the necessary approvals, carry out critical stage inspections, and help you obtain an occupation certificate in NSW.

We work with homeowners, builders, and developers on a range of residential projects, including:

If you are unsure whether your project falls within our service area, contact us and we will point you in the right direction.

Please note: At this time, PCG is only accepting residential projects in the Northern Rivers area of NSW.

What Type of Approval Do You Need Before Building in NSW?

Before most residential building work begins in New South Wales, you will need to receive the required approvals. There are two types, depending on how your project is approved.

Construction Certificate (CC): Generally required after development consent has been granted through the Development Application process.
Complying Development Certificate (CDC): An alternative approval process for eligible projects that meet specific preset standards under the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP). A CDC combines planning and construction approvals into one certificate, without requiring a separate Development Application (DA).

Both types of approvals must be issued before work starts on site. Where a project requires approval, commencing work without the relevant certificate is not permitted under NSW legislation.

How To Apply for a Building Approval Through PCG

Applications are submitted through the NSW Planning Portal. When you apply, you will need to provide your architectural plans and any other documents already prepared, such as engineering plans, BASIX certificate (addressing applicable water, energy and thermal-performance requirements), and building specifications.

Once PCG receives and accepts your application, we assess the documents against:

After the assessment, we provide a list of requirements that must be satisfied before we can issue your CC or CDC. Once those matters are addressed, we issue your approval. Your approval document will list all critical-stage inspections NSW regulations require you to complete during construction.

At this point, if you have not already done so, you will need to formally appoint PCG as your Principal Certifier on the NSW Planning Portal. You will also need to complete PCG’s pre-commencement documentation confirming that the applicable requirements have been addressed. Once this documentation is completed, construction can begin.

Critical Stage Inspections NSW: What They Are and When They Occur

In NSW, critical stage inspections are mandatory checkpoints during construction. They are set out in your CC or CDC and must be carried out on behalf of, or under the authority of, your Principal Certifier at specified stages of the build. These inspections allow specified work to be assessed at important stages against the approved plans and applicable requirements before subsequent construction work, such as concrete, plasterboard, and cladding, or before further work proceeds.

For Class 1 (houses and granny flats) and Class 10 (sheds, garages, fences, pools) residential buildings, PCG conducts the following critical stage inspections where relevant:

Before the approval is issued
After excavation and prior to placement of any footings
Prior to covering any stormwater drainage connections
Prior to pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete building element
Prior to covering any framework for floors, walls, roofs, or other building elements
Prior to covering any waterproofing in wet areas
Once building work is complete and prior to issuing the Occupation Certificate

Missing a critical stage inspection may create problems later, including delays to the issuance of your occupation certificate. To avoid such delays, the person responsible under the project’s certification arrangements, commonly the builder or owner-builder, must ensure PCG receives the required notice before each inspection stage.

Occupation Certificate NSW: What It Is and Why You Need One

An occupation certificate (OC) is a legal document that certifies that a building is suitable to occupy. In NSW, a new building cannot be occupied or used until an occupation certificate has been issued. This requirement applies to:

PCG, as Principal Certifier, may issue an Occupation Certificate after completing its assessment and being satisfied that the applicable statutory requirements have been met. Any missed critical stage inspections may result in our requesting additional evidence and could delay or prevent the certificate’s issuance.

There are two types of occupation certificates in NSW:

Partial Occupation Certificate: Allows occupation of part of a building while other works continue. This may apply where an eligible completed part or stage of a building is proposed to be occupied before the remainder is completed.
Final Occupation Certificate: Issued once all building work is complete and all conditions have been met. This is the standard certificate required at the end of a residential build.

Occupation certificate applications are managed through the NSW Planning Portal. PCG will not issue an OC until all outstanding conditions, inspection requirements, and certification obligations have been satisfied. This is a compliance check required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW).

Get Your Occupation Certificate and Critical Stage Inspections Sorted In NSW

Building approvals, critical stage inspections, and the occupation certificate process can be complicated without guidance. Working with an experienced certifier can make the approval and inspection requirements easier to understand and manage.

PCG works with homeowners and builders across the Northern Rivers to keep projects compliant and on track, from the first application through to final certification.

If you have questions about your project or want to get started, contact the PCG team directly.