Building Site Code of Practice

A dog taken onto a building site must be controlled, registered and not create a noise nuisance.

Building materials must be contained on site and should not be placed on the nature strip, footpath or road.

The builder is responsible for protecting Council assets from damage until building works are completed and the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Builders are no longer required to have the wooden crossover protection during construction works, effective 1 February 2023.

Builders and contractors must not drive vehicles over footpaths to gain access to properties.

Within seven days of receiving the building permit, builders must notify us of any existing damage to footpaths, kerbs, vehicle crossovers and nature strips. 

Learn more about asset protection.

Builders must ensure trees, both on the site and on the nature strip, are protected from damage.

Before digging onsite, builders must find out the location of any underground lines, cables and substations, including gas, electricity, water and telecommunications to ensure safety.

If builders have not tried to identify the location of the services, and they cause damage to these resources, they may have to cover the costs.

Dial Before You Dig provides free information on the location of underground assets.

Before starting work, builders must use sandbags or hay bales to surround drains and the perimeter of sloping land. This will prevent sand and soil from being washed offsite, entering stormwater drains and polluting local creeks and rivers.

Builders must ensure all litter and building waste is secured in a skip or a cage with a lid to prevent it from blowing away. Builders must empty skips and cages during, and at the end of, construction.

Learn more about noise restrictions.

Builders must ensure allocated property numbers are clearly displayed no further than half a metre inside the front boundary line. Property numbers must be on a contrasting background and able to be easily read at all times from the road. This will help delivery drivers and emergency vehicles to quickly identify the property. 

From 2005, building sites must display the details of the building permit onsite.

Required details include:

• builder’s registration number
• builder’s contact details
• building surveyor’s name and registration number
• building surveyor’s contact details
• building permit number
• building permit issue date.

A working toilet and running water must be available on all building sites.

When transporting waste from the building site, builders must ensure loads on utilities, trailers and trucks are secured and covered to prevent soil and litter blowing from vehicles.

Builders should use temporary perimeter fencing to enclose a building site. This will:

• restrict access
• prevent litter and building materials from being blown off site
• act as a deterrent to theft.

We highly recommend using temporary fencing around building sites, however it is not compulsory.