Approvals

Do I need council approval to fit out a shop?

Short answer: only if you change the use, the structure, the fire systems or the exits. If you're repainting, re-flooring and refitting joinery, you almost certainly don't.

Quick answer: cosmetic and joinery-only fit-outs are usually exempt. Anything touching fire services, structure, egress or the classification of the tenancy needs a certifier — either a fast-track complying approval or a full development application.

The four triggers

Approval is triggered by change, not by cost. A $400,000 joinery package in the same footprint may need nothing; a $40,000 wall removal may need a DA.

Change of use — retail to café, office to clinic. The NCC classification changes, and with it the requirements.
Structure — removing or adding load-bearing elements, cutting slabs, new openings.
Fire systems — sprinkler relocation, new detection, changes to exits signs or hydrants.
Egress — door widths, travel distances, paths of travel to exits.

The three pathways

1 · Exempt

No approval. Landlord consent still applies, and your lease may impose its own conditions. Keep evidence of what you did — you'll want it at make-good time.

2 · Complying development

Assessed by a private certifier against a published standard. No public notification. This is where most shop fit-outs belong, and it is routinely overlooked because nobody asked.

3 · Development application

Council-assessed, publicly notified, and the slowest. Required for most changes of use and anything outside the complying standard.

Watch out: "like for like" is the most misused phrase in shopfitting. If the tenancy was a nail salon and you're opening a café, nothing about it is like for like — regardless of what the previous tenant did.

State differences that actually matter

The pathway names differ, the exempt thresholds differ, and the certifier system differs. New South Wales and Victoria both use private certifiers heavily; Queensland separates building approval from planning approval; Western Australia runs a separate sign and health approval; and the smaller jurisdictions have fewer certifiers, so lead times stretch.

Use your state hub for the local pathway, the local fees and the local gotchas — the principles are national, the process is not.

How long it takes

Complying approval: 10–20 working days from a complete application. Development application: 6–16 weeks, longer if neighbours object or the council requests further information. Both assume the drawings are right first time, which is the exception rather than the rule.

What approval costs

Complying approval typically lands $3,000–$12,000 including consultant drawings for a tenancy under 200 m². A DA commonly runs $8,000–$40,000+ once planning consultants, traffic, acoustic and fire reports are included. Certification during construction and the final occupation certificate are separate again.

FAQ

Can my shopfitter handle the approval?

Some can, and design-and-build firms usually do. If your contract splits design and construction, be explicit about who lodges and who pays.

Does the landlord's approval replace council approval?

No. They are separate systems with separate requirements. You usually need both.

What if I just don't get approval?

You can be ordered to stop work, and you may be unable to obtain an occupation certificate — which means you cannot legally trade. It also surfaces at sale or lease assignment.

Next: see the NSW pathway · estimate your fit-out cost · find a contractor who handles approvals