Kitchen renovation: what needs approval, and which trades must be licensed

Most people plan a kitchen renovation around what they will see: the benchtop, the cabinet doors, the splashback, the appliances. Those choices matter, but they are not what decides whether the job runs smoothly or ends up costly. That comes down to what sits behind them: whether the work needs approval, whether the plumbing, gas and electrical work is done by people licensed to do it, whether the range hood actually vents outside, and whether the order of works holds together.

This article goes through those questions for a typical Sydney kitchen renovation.

Does a kitchen renovation need council approval?

Often not, but it depends on what you are changing.

In NSW, the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, usually called the Codes SEPP, lists minor work that can be carried out as exempt development, without a development application or a certifier. Section 2.51 includes minor internal building alterations for the replacement or renovation of a kitchen. That covers a lot of straightforward kitchen work: new cabinets, benchtops and appliances in the same room.

The exemption comes with conditions, and these are where it gets missed:

• No change to the room's layout. The development standards rule out changing how a room is configured, including by removing an existing wall or partition. Opening a kitchen up to the living area is outside the exemption.
• No loss of structural capacity. The work must not reduce the structural adequacy of the building.
• No reduced light, ventilation or doorways. You cannot shrink the window arrangement the room relies on for light and air, or make a doorway smaller.
• Not a heritage item. The exemption does not apply to work on a heritage item or a draft heritage item.
• Still has to comply with the building code. Exempt work must meet the relevant Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of the National Construction Code (NCC) and fire safety requirements. Being exempt from approval does not exempt the work from the standard.

If the renovation falls outside those limits, for example because a wall is coming out or the property is heritage listed, it will usually need complying development (a fast-track approval issued by a certifier where the project meets set standards) or a development application to council. Your certifier or council can confirm which applies. Get this answer before the design is finalised, not after demolition.

In an apartment, there is a second layer: the owners corporation. Even where no council approval is needed, kitchen work in a strata lot often needs approval under the building's by-laws, especially where it touches plumbing, waterproofing or common property. We cover that in our post on renovating a strata apartment.

Opening up the kitchen: check the wall first

Removing a wall between the kitchen and living area is one of the most common kitchen requests, and the one most likely to change the approval pathway. If the wall is load-bearing, it carries roof, ceiling or floor loads, and taking it out needs an engineer-designed beam and support, and approval. Even a wall that is not load-bearing may carry plumbing, wiring or bracing. See our post on removing a wall for how to tell, and our article on carpentry and structural integrity for why it matters.

Which trades must be licensed

In NSW, some trade work is classed as specialist work. Plumbing, draining, gasfitting and electrical work all need a licence or certificate, regardless of the cost of the work and whether it is residential or commercial. There is no small-job exception.

In a kitchen, that covers:

• Plumbing and drainage: moving or adding a sink, connecting a dishwasher, relocating waste pipes.
• Gasfitting: connecting, moving or replacing a gas cooktop or oven, or capping a gas line when switching to induction.
• Electrical: new circuits for an induction cooktop or oven, power points, lighting, and the range hood connection.

Each of these trades has paperwork the owner should receive:

• An electrician must submit a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) no later than seven days after testing the work, and giving a copy to the customer is required by law.
• A gasfitter must test the installation and lodge a certificate of compliance within five business days of finishing the work.
• A plumber submits a certificate of compliance for plumbing and drainage work and must give a copy to the person the work was done for.

Keep these. They matter for warranties, insurance and when you sell, and missing certificates are a common finding in pre-purchase inspections. You can check any tradesperson's licence on the NSW Government licence check before they start.

The range hood has to go outside

This one surprises people. Under the NCC Housing Provisions, Part 10.8 Condensation management, exhaust from a kitchen or kitchen range hood must discharge to outdoor air, directly or through a shaft or duct. A kitchen exhaust system must achieve a minimum flow rate of 40 litres per second, and the room needs a source of replacement air so the exhaust can actually draw.

The reason is moisture. Cooking puts a lot of water vapour into the air. A recirculating hood filters grease and smells but returns the moisture to the room, where it ends up as condensation on cold surfaces and, over time, mould in cupboards, ceilings and wall linings. Ducting into the ceiling space without taking it outside just moves the problem somewhere you cannot see. Check where the duct will run before the cabinetry is designed, because a duct route through an apartment's structure or common property may need its own approval.

Gas or induction

If you are keeping gas, the cooktop has to be installed to the manufacturer's clearances and connected by a licensed gasfitter, with a compliance certificate. If you are switching to induction, the electrical side usually needs a dedicated circuit, and the switchboard may need checking for capacity. Either way, decide early. The appliance choice drives the electrical work, the gas work and the cutout in the benchtop.

Lead times and sequence

The other way kitchen jobs go wrong is order. A typical renovation runs roughly like this:

1. Design and selections finalised, appliances chosen, approvals confirmed.
2. Cabinetry, benchtops and appliances ordered, with lead times confirmed.
3. Demolition and strip-out.
4. Rough-in: plumbing, drainage, gas and electrical run in the walls and floor.
5. Wall and ceiling repairs, any waterproofing, and the range hood duct.
6. Site measure, then cabinet installation.
7. Benchtop template and install, then splashback.
8. Fit-off: tapware, appliances, power points and lighting connected, tested and certified.

The common mistake is demolishing before selections and lead times are locked in. Stone benchtops, custom cabinetry and some appliances can take weeks. If they are not ordered before the old kitchen comes out, you live without a kitchen while you wait. The second common mistake is ordering cabinetry from plan dimensions without measuring the room as built. Walls are rarely perfectly square, and ceilings are rarely level from corner to corner.

Questions worth asking before you start

1. Is this work exempt development, or does it need complying development or a DA? Who has confirmed that?
2. If I am in a strata building, what does the owners corporation need to approve?
3. Are any walls being removed or altered, and has an engineer looked at them?
4. Who is doing the plumbing, gas and electrical work, and will I receive the compliance certificates?
5. Where will the range hood duct discharge, and what is its flow rate?
6. Are all selections and appliances confirmed, and what are the lead times?
7. When is the site measure for cabinetry, and is it done after the walls are prepared?

How we approach it

• We confirm the approval pathway first. Exempt, complying development or DA, and strata approval where it applies, is settled before design is final.
• We use licensed trades and hand over the certificates. Electrical, plumbing and gas certificates come to you with the job, not on request.
• We lock in selections and lead times before demolition, so the kitchen is out of action for as short a time as possible.
• We design on a fixed module grid and verify on site before ordering. Bench and cabinet heights, appliance cutouts and cabinet widths come from a set system, and the room is measured as built before anything is ordered. The small differences every room has are taken up in fillers and bulkheads cut to suit on site, not in a cabinet that does not quite fit.
• We inspect at hold points. Rough-in services, any waterproofing, and the exhaust duct are checked before they are covered. See our post on what happens when a renovation uncovers a hidden defect for why we look before we close up.

If you are weighing up a bigger change, our post on whether to renovate or rebuild is a good place to start. If you would like to talk through a kitchen, get in touch.

Sources

• State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, NSW legislation (Part 2, Subdivision 26, Minor building alterations (internal))
• Plumbing, draining and gasfitting licences, NSW Fair Trading
• Electrical compliance requirements, NSW Government
• Gasfitter compliance and regulatory obligations, NSW Fair Trading
• Plumbers and drainers: compliance and regulation, NSW Fair Trading
• NCC 2022 Housing Provisions, Part 10.8 Condensation management, Australian Building Codes Board
• Check a builder or tradesperson licence, Service NSW

This article is general information, not advice for your project. Whether your work is exempt, needs approval, or needs strata consent depends on the property, its zoning and heritage status, and the work proposed, so confirm with your council, a certifier and your owners corporation. Full website disclaimer