Council demolition requirements
Demolishing a house in the City of Sydney Council area
What City of Sydney Council publishes about demolition approvals, heritage, trees and site conditions, read from its own pages on 21 September 2026 (updated 5 October 2026). The council or certifier confirms the pathway for your address.
Covers 33 suburbs we service across Sydney City, the Inner West and the Eastern Suburbs.
How the council handles demolition approvals
The City of Sydney lists demolition among development that may need consent. New and change-of-use developments that generate construction, demolition or operational waste need a waste and recycling management plan.
Heritage items and conservation areas
The City of Sydney says consent is generally required for development on heritage items or within heritage conservation areas. Some maintenance and repair work on heritage properties can be carried out without development consent, but approval is still required.
Trees on the block
The City of Sydney requires permission before you prune or remove a tree on a residential or business property. Heritage-listed trees typically need development consent, trees protected under the development control plan need a permit, and some trees are exempt.
Fees, bonds and public land
The City’s approval is needed before hoardings, scaffolding, works compounds, site sheds or other temporary structures for a worksite are installed on or above roads and footways.
Council pages change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm requirements with City of Sydney Council or your certifier before setting a demolition date. City of Sydney Council website
The same across NSW
What applies in every council area
Council requirements sit on top of state rules that do not change from one area to the next.
Approval pathway
Most house demolition needs either a development application to the council or a complying development certificate from the council or a registered certifier under the state Demolition Code. Heritage items and conservation areas are generally excluded from the complying pathway.
Read the approvals guideLicensed demolition
Demolition work is licensed by SafeWork NSW. Gabrael holds restricted demolition licence AD202697 (DE2) and lodges the required notifications for the work it carries out.
How to check a contractorAsbestos
Suspected asbestos must be assessed before the building is disturbed. Our Class B licence AD211249 covers bonded, non-friable material; friable asbestos is removed by our Class A licensed partner.
Asbestos before demolitionUtilities
Water, sewer, electricity, gas and telecommunications are disconnected or abolished through the providers before demolition, and Before You Dig Australia is checked for services.
Utility disconnections guideNeighbours
Approval conditions commonly set working hours and neighbour notice, and a dilapidation report protects both sides where buildings sit close to the boundary.
Neighbours and noticeWaste
Concrete, timber and metals are sorted for licensed recycling and asbestos goes to an approved disposal facility with documentation. Some councils ask for a waste plan with the application.
Where the waste goes
Suburbs we service in this council area
Suburbs that sit across a council boundary appear under each council. We confirm the council for the exact address before preparing an application.
- Alexandria
- Annandale
- Barangaroo
- Beaconsfield
- Camperdown
- Centennial Park
- Chippendale
- Darlinghurst
- Darlington
- Dawes Point
- Elizabeth Bay
- Erskineville
- Eveleigh
- Forest Lodge
- Glebe
- Haymarket
- Kings Cross
- Millers Point
- Moore Park
- Newtown
- Paddington
- Potts Point
- Pyrmont
- Redfern
- Rosebery
- Rushcutters Bay
- St Peters
- Surry Hills
- The Rocks
- Ultimo
- Waterloo
- Woolloomooloo
- Zetland
Start with your property
Planning a demolition in the City of Sydney Council area?
Send the property address and what needs to go. We check the council, planning controls and heritage status for the address, then arrange a free site assessment.
7am to 7pm, seven days.