Do I Need Building Approval to Renovate in the ACT?

Often, no. A lot of everyday renovation work in the ACT, like a new kitchen in the same spot, fresh paint, new flooring, replacing roof tiles or removing a non-load-bearing wall, is exempt from building approval. But the exemptions have firm limits. Once the work touches the structure, fire safety, exits, natural light or ventilation, or the outside of the house in certain ways, you will usually need building approval, and sometimes development approval as well. Getting this wrong rarely matters on the day the work is done. It tends to matter years later, when you sell.

This guide explains how the two approvals differ, what is commonly exempt, what usually isn't, and what unapproved work means for a sale. It's general information to help you ask the right questions. It isn't legal or certification advice, and the rules do change, so always confirm your specific project with a licensed building surveyor (certifier) or the ACT Government's planning website before you start.

Two different approvals: development approval and building approval

People often say "council approval", but the ACT has no council, and there are really two separate approvals to think about:

• Development approval (DA) is about planning: whether what you're building is allowed on your block at all. It covers things like setbacks, height, overshadowing, heritage and the lease.
• Building approval (BA) is about how the work is built: whether it meets the building code for structure, fire safety, health and energy efficiency. It's issued through a licensed building surveyor, usually called a certifier.

They're independent. A project can be exempt from one and still need the other. The ACT Government's own guidance makes this point: even if your project doesn't need building approval, you may still need development approval or other approvals. Where a DA is needed, you get it before you apply for building approval.

Renovations that are usually exempt from building approval

Under the ACT's Building (General) Regulation 2008, a range of work is exempt from building approval, but only if it doesn't affect the building's structural integrity, fire-rated elements, exits or stairways, natural light or ventilation, or fire safety systems. It also mustn't reduce the building below the minimum the building code requires. Within those limits, common exempt work includes:

• Internal alterations where the house already has a certificate of occupancy, its classification doesn't change, the outside isn't affected and no heating appliance is involved. In practice, that covers many cosmetic kitchen and laundry updates that keep the existing layout.
• Removing or moving a non-load-bearing internal wall, once a builder or engineer has confirmed it really isn't load-bearing. The wall also mustn't be fire-rated, its removal mustn't reduce a room's natural light or ventilation below code, and it mustn't involve asbestos (common in older Canberra homes, so test first). Any wiring or plumbing in the wall still needs a licensed electrician or plumber.
• Painting, flooring, new cabinetry and fixtures that don't touch structure or services in a way that triggers approval.
• Replacing roof tiles, rendering over brick (with weepholes kept clear), and adding security screens or external lights.
• Small unroofed decks and pergolas: no walls, no higher than 3m, floor no more than 1m off the ground, and no unsupported span over 4m.
• Small carports and shade structures within similar limits, with a roof area of no more than 25m².
• Skylights up to 4m², retaining walls up to 1.2m and water tanks up to 20kL.

One trap catches people out: the regulation says work isn't exempt if it lowers the home's energy performance below what it was before. A renovation that makes the house less efficient, such as swapping in poorer-performing windows, can lose the exemption. Exempt work also mustn't involve handling asbestos or disturbing friable asbestos. That's worth remembering in older Canberra homes.

A practical tip: even for exempt work, keep a simple record of what was done, when and by whom, along with any trade compliance certificates. It helps with insurance, and it makes the building and compliance inspection much smoother when you come to sell.

Renovations that usually need building approval

As a rule of thumb, building approval comes into play when you change how the house stands up, how it's protected, or its outside skin:

• Removing or altering load-bearing walls, or any other structural change. This includes "opening up" a floor plan.
• Extensions and additions, and enclosing a pergola or deck to make it a room.
• Replacing a roof (as opposed to individual tiles) or changing the type of cladding.
• Installing an internal fireplace or heating appliance.
• Larger decks, pergolas and carports outside the exempt sizes, and new windows or external doors with larger openings than the exemption allows.
• Substantial alterations. The exemptions don't apply where the building is being substantially altered.

Bathrooms are the area people ask about most, and the honest answer is "it depends". There are two separate questions: building approval and plumbing.

Building approval: a bathroom update that doesn't move walls or touch the structure generally falls within the internal-alterations exemption. Removing or moving walls, cutting into a slab or framing, or changing the room's ventilation can change that, so check with a certifier.

Plumbing: this is where people get caught out. In the ACT, only minor plumbing work, meaning replacements and repairs up to $1,000, sits outside the formal plumbing system. Even then, a licensed plumber must do it and issue a certificate of compliance. Anything bigger means the licensed plumber notifies Access Canberra before starting, when the work is ready for inspection and when it's finished, and the work is inspected. If the job changes the house's sanitary drainage, the drainage plan for the property is updated and certified plans are lodged before the final inspection. That's a likely outcome of:

• adding a new water or waste point, such as a second basin, a new shower or a toilet where there wasn't one
• creating a new bathroom or ensuite, as opposed to renovating an existing one
• moving a toilet, shower or basin to a new position

Replacing a vanity, tapware or toilet in the same spot is usually the simpler end of the scale. Exactly where the line falls depends on the job, so ask your plumber up front what notifications, inspections and plans your bathroom needs. A good plumber will tell you before you've committed to a layout. And keep the paperwork: plumbing certificates and updated drainage plans are exactly what a buyer's inspector and conveyancer look for, and missing ones are a common cause of delays at sale.

If you own a unit or townhouse, there's an extra layer. Changes may need the agreement of your owners corporation (body corporate), so check your scheme's rules early. Different rules also apply to homes affected by loose-fill asbestos.

When development approval comes into it

For a single house, many alterations are exempt from development approval. That's only true if the work meets the development controls in the Territory Plan, you've given your neighbours the required written information, and the house is the only dwelling on the block. The exemption doesn't apply if the work breaches the Heritage Act 2004, the Urban Forest Act 2023 or your lease, sits in an easement without permission, or results in a second dwelling. Planning rules also set their own size limits for decks, carports and sheds. If you live in a heritage-listed place or want to add a second dwelling, assume you'll need to check DA requirements carefully. This is where a planner or certifier earns their fee.

Who does what: certifiers, licensed builders and licensed trades

If your project needs building approval, you (the landowner) appoint a licensed building surveyor as your certifier. They assess the plans and issue the approval. A licensed builder, holding the right class of licence for the work, then applies for a commencement notice, and work can start once it's issued. Builder licences come in classes. Class D, for example, covers non-structural basic building work, so check that a builder's licence class matches your job.

Two other rules apply whether or not you need building approval:

• Electrical, plumbing, gasfitting and drainage work must always be done by licensed tradespeople, who provide the relevant compliance certificates.
• Carpentry, tiling, painting and similar trades don't currently need a licence in the ACT. The ACT Government has consulted on extending licensing to more trades, but says changes aren't expected before 2027.

For a deeper look at which licences matter for which kind of job, see our guide on how to choose a renovation company in Canberra.

Why approval matters when you sell

This is the part most people don't think about until it's too late. When you sell a home in the ACT, the Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 requires a building and compliance inspection report as part of the contract documents. The contract must also state that there are no unapproved structures, apart from any disclosed. An "unapproved structure" includes something built in breach of the Building Act, or something that needed development approval and didn't get it.

If an undisclosed unapproved structure turns up before settlement, the buyer can ask you to get it approved first. If that doesn't happen, they may be able to cancel the contract, or settle and claim damages. In practice, unapproved pergolas, enclosed verandahs and carports are a common source of last-minute negotiations, delayed settlements and price reductions.

Fixing it after the fact isn't always simple. Access Canberra issued a construction note in June 2026 about unauthorised building work. It makes clear that a certificate of occupancy issued after the event doesn't make unlawfully carried-out work lawful, and that unapproved work can lead to rectification orders or worse. A fee for these after-the-fact certificates also applies from 1 July 2026. If you know there's unapproved work at your property, talk to your conveyancer or solicitor and a certifier well before you list, not the week before.

There's an upside, too. Residential work that needs building approval and costs $12,000 or more carries statutory warranties, broadly six years for structural defects and two years for other defects, and the remainder passes to the next owner. Properly approved work is something you can point to when you sell.

When not to spend on approval-triggering work before a sale

If you're renovating to sell, structural changes are rarely where the best return sits. They add approval time and cost, and they push the job into licensed-builder territory. Most pre-sale gains come from work that's usually exempt: paint, flooring, lighting, a kitchen or bathroom refresh within the existing layout, and presentation. If the only way to fix a problem is a structural change, it's worth asking whether to fix it at all, or to price it into the sale and let the buyer decide. Our guides on renovations that add value before selling and how long a pre-sale renovation takes go into this in more detail.

The bottom line

Many Canberra renovations don't need building approval, but "many" isn't "all", and the line is set by what the work touches, not how big it feels. Before you start anything structural, external or involving fireplaces, decks, carports or extensions, a short conversation with a certifier is cheap insurance. If you're planning to sell, sort out any unapproved work early, because it's far easier to deal with before a buyer's inspector finds it.

At Your Property Profits we use licensed trades and arrange a licensed builder for any work that needs building approval, and we're fully insured. If you're weighing up a pre-sale renovation and want an honest view on what's worth doing, including what isn't, we're happy to talk it through.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Sources include the ACT Government's planning website (planning.act.gov.au), the Building (General) Regulation 2008, the Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 and Access Canberra Construction Note 2026/05. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own project with a licensed certifier, and seek legal advice on any contract or sale question.