The OC folder: what to collect,
trade by trade.

That sentence is the Occupation Certificate delay. Not the inspection. Not the certifier. The chasing.

Every certificate on the list below is easiest to get on the day the work is done — while the plumber is still in the driveway and the invoice hasn't been paid. Six weeks later it's a voicemail. So the rule is simple: build the OC folder while the trades are still on site.

What goes in the folder, trade by trade

For a new home, duplex or major alteration on the Northern Beaches, your Principal Certifier will typically want to see the following before issuing an OC. Not every project needs every line — your consent and CC set the exact list — but this is the shape of it.

Trade / consultant	What they hand you	Collect it when
Plumber / drainer	Certificate of Compliance (plumbing and drainage), plus the sewer service diagram	Day the drainage is finished and tested
Electrician	Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW); smoke alarm compliance — hardwired, interconnected, correctly located	Day of final fit-off
Waterproofer	Waterproofing certificate for every wet area, referencing the standard used	Before the tiler covers it — this is also a critical stage inspection
Termite / pest	Termite management certificate and the durable notice fixed in the meter box	At slab / frame, then final
Glazier / window supplier	Glazing and window compliance certificates (safety glass, wind loads)	On delivery — ask for it with the invoice
Structural engineer	Certification that the structure was built to the approved design, including any site changes	After frame and any inspections they attended
Frame and truss supplier	Manufacturer's design certificate	With delivery paperwork
Builder / insulation	Evidence of every BASIX commitment: insulation values, glazing, rainwater tank, fixture ratings, hot water system	Photograph as it goes in. It's invisible at the end.
Hydraulic / civil engineer	Stormwater and OSD works-as-executed certification	Before the pit lids go on
Surveyor	Final identification survey — height, setbacks, boundaries, finished floor levels	Once the roof is on; earlier if the site is tight
Bushfire consultant	BAL construction compliance certificate (bushfire-prone land)	Once external materials are complete
Pool builder	Pool barrier certificate of compliance and register entry	Before you fill it
Landscaper / arborist	Landscaping complete to the approved plan; retained trees intact	Last, but it's often a "prior to OC" condition
Council	Driveway crossing and footpath inspection; bond release paperwork	Book the inspection two weeks out

Then go back to the consent

Remember the three columns from reading your DA conditions? There's one called "prior to the issue of an Occupation Certificate." Landscaping, stormwater certification, the survey, sometimes a positive covenant on the OSD, sometimes a council contribution top-up. Same table, same discipline: condition, who, lead time, status.

Then the certifier

• Final critical stage inspection — the last mandatory inspection, after the building work is complete and before the OC. Your certifier books it once the folder is in.
• OC application through the NSW Planning Portal, with the folder attached.
• Whole or part. Since 2020, NSW no longer issues "interim" and "final" OCs. An OC is issued for the whole building or for part of it. A part OC lets you occupy a finished section while work continues elsewhere — useful, but it's not a shortcut, and the same evidence applies to the part you're occupying.

The rhythm that works

Start the folder six weeks before the last trade is due to leave. Chase it weekly. Tick it off in one place. One missing certificate is the difference between keys on Friday and another fortnight of rent — the calculator puts a number on that.

Already stalled?

If the trades have left and the certifier's list is growing, send us that list. Auditing what's outstanding, chasing the certificates and assembling the package your Principal Certifier needs is exactly what the OC package is for.

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General information only, current at the time of writing. The exact evidence required is set by your consent, your Construction Certificate and your Principal Certifier. Not planning or legal advice.