Concept design
Plans, elevations and the look. Up to two rounds.
We start from your brief, site and budget. Draft floor plans, elevations and massing, designed around our wall system. Two rounds of changes, then you sign off.
Respirabuilt design and council approval services
Design & Approvals
New homes, extensions and renovations. Plans, permits and approvals from one team that knows our walls back to front.
First call$200 + GST
Assessment$1,000 + GST, its own stage
Design & approvalsFrom $18,100 + GST
How design and approval works
Six stages
We take care of the whole process for you. No architects or convoluted processes, just honest design.
01
02
Planning drawings
Only if council needs a planning permit.
Only when a planning permit is needed. Site plan, floor plans, elevations, roof plan and sections, plus shadow or bushfire drawings if council asks.
03
Planning lodgement
We lodge, answer council's questions and handle any neighbour notice.
We lodge and keep it moving. Council may ask for more information, refer it on or notify neighbours. We answer each request and adjust the drawings until a decision.
04
Working drawings
Detailed drawings for your building permit.
The set your surveyor approves and your builder builds from: dimensioned plans, sections, construction details, window and door schedules and code notes.
05
Consultants
Engineer, energy rating and bushfire reports, coordinated by us.
Usually a land survey, soil test, structural engineer and energy rating. Your overlays add others: bushfire, flood, heritage or wastewater. We brief each one, check their reports and fold them into the drawings. All quoted first.Which consultants will I need? →
06
Building permit
We lodge with your building surveyor and answer their questions.
We submit the full package to your building surveyor, answer their questions and update the drawings until the permit is issued. Then you're ready to build.
A typical project, start to permitEvery project Only if needed Consultants (bushfire only in a BMO)
Rough order only, not to scale. How long each stage takes depends on your council and site.
Hempcrete buildings
Projects
Build a hemp home so good your friends won’t leave.
Hempcrete blocks · Hempcrete homes Architect and photographer credits to confirm before launch
Design and approval fees
Fixed fees
One fixed fee by floor area. Not hourly. Pick your size.
Your estimate
All + GST. Not included: consultants, council fees and site supervision. Consultants are quoted first.
Who you work with
One team
No handing you between consultants. We connect the dots.
- The whole project, start to handover. We run design, consultants, council and the building permit, then hand a permit-ready set to your builder.
- Designed around our walls. We make the hempcrete system, so your drawings are detailed for it from the first sketch.
- Fixed fees by floor area. You know the cost of design before you start.
- A clear process. Six stages, one team. See how it works.
Track record to add: projects, permits issued, years
Building designer
Federico Oslaender
Manages your project and is your main contact.
Chief designer
Leonard Meister
Joins the first meeting and reviews each design stage.
Technical lead
Will Brain
Detailing, wall systems and on-site questions.
Your first step
Two ways to start
Ready to plan
$1,000+ GST
A preliminary project assessment
- A review of your documents
- Planning and approval considerations
- Meetings with our team
- Major constraints and red flags
- A clear pathway forward
A separate stage with its own fee, before any design work starts.
Book an assessmentOur work
A recent project
See all our projects Project and photos to choose
Approval questions
Questions
What's the difference between a planning permit and a building permit?
A planning permit is council's approval of what you build and where: its use, siting, height and anything an overlay controls. Not every project needs one.
A building permit approves how it's built: structure, fire safety and energy, checked against the building code. Almost every new home and extension needs one.
In NSW the matching approvals are a development application (DA) and a construction certificate.
When is a building permit required?
For almost every new home, and most extensions and structural changes. Some minor work is exempt.
Your building surveyor or council confirms what applies to your project.
How do I get a building permit?
Your working drawings, engineering, energy rating and any consultant reports go to a registered building surveyor. They check it against the building code, ask any questions, then issue the permit.
If you need a planning permit, that comes first. We prepare and lodge it all for you.
What does a building surveyor do?
A building surveyor is independent. They check your drawings against the building code, issue the building permit and inspect the work at set stages.
They can be private or from council. In NSW the same role is called a certifier.
What is town planning?
Council deciding whether a project fits the planning rules for your site: its zone, overlays and local policy.
If your project needs a permit, our planning drawings and lodgement stages cover it. It comes before working drawings, because council can ask for changes.
What does a building designer do?
Designs and documents your home, then takes it through approval.
Ours draws your home and is your main contact. Our chief designer reviews each design stage, and our technical lead details the walls.
What are working drawings?
The detailed set the building surveyor approves and your builder builds from: dimensioned plans, sections, details and schedules.
Which consultants will I need?
It depends on your site. Your property's planning report lists its zone and overlays, and those set what council asks for.
Most homes: a land survey, a soil test, a structural engineer and an energy rating.
Bushfire overlay (BMO): a bushfire assessment and BAL rating, often with a bushfire management plan.
Flood overlay: flood levels from the water authority, sometimes a flood report.
Heritage overlay: heritage advice on the design.
No sewer connection: a land capability assessment and a wastewater system design.
Fire engineer: usually only when a design needs a performance solution.
Your assessment finds which apply. We quote every consultant before you commit.
What is a BAL rating?
BAL means Bushfire Attack Level. It's set by the vegetation around your site, the slope and the distance to it, on a scale from BAL-LOW to BAL-FZ.
The higher the BAL, the stricter the construction rules for walls, windows and roof. A bushfire consultant assesses it.
What if I already have plans?
We can help with one stage, or take you from concept to completion. Send us what you have.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. Council and certifiers decide. We prepare the documents, manage the process and flag red flags early.