DA cost summary reports
DA cost summary reports for Sydney councils
A worked estimate of your drawings that fills the council’s cost summary form and doubles as your build budget.
What it is
A DA cost summary report is the cost report councils ask for with a development application, prepared from your drawings.
What is included
The council form, completed
Your council's cost summary report format (Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Parramatta, Northern Beaches and others), with subtotals, GST shown separately and the total estimated development cost.
An elemental cost breakdown
An elemental breakdown by trade so every line on the form can be traced back to a measured quantity.
A signed cover page
The report is issued with a signed cover page.
Marked-up drawings
The takeoff marked on your plans so your architect or certifier can check it.
What the report is built from
Every line on the form traces back to a measured quantity.
A drawing marked up as it is measured: each element is coloured on the plan and totalled in the legend.
The summary sheet of a sample estimate workbook, amounts left blank. Every line on the form traces back to a measured quantity.
How it works
01. Send your drawings
Send the DA drawing set and the council name. Upload PDFs or share a link. Any format works.
02. Free scope review and a fixed fee the same day
We review the drawings and come back with a price and a delivery date, the same business day.
03. The report lands in your inbox
Report, estimate and marked-up drawings, in 3 to 5 business days from a complete drawing set.
04. One round of questions included
Ask about any line and we will walk you through it.
Who needs one
Owners, designers, architects and builders lodging a DA or CDC in NSW. Thresholds differ by council. Send your drawings and we confirm what yours requires.
- Owners and owner-builders lodging a DA for a new home, duplex, granny flat or alterations
- Developers and architects who want the DA figure and the construction budget to be the same number
- Builders asked by a client to supply the cost summary with the application
Where a council or lender asks for a report certified by a registered quantity surveyor, we arrange it through our CPQS partner, working from the same measured quantities so the numbers stay consistent.
Recent work, measured from the drawings.
1170–1176 Botany Road, Botany
Residential with Basement. Full FRP BOQ.
5–9 Alexander Street, Fairy Meadow
Residential Apartments. Full FRP BOQ.
81 Ocean View Drive, Wamberal
Custom Residence with Basement. Formwork & Concrete Takeoff.
Common questions
Which councils' formats do you complete?
Any NSW council. Most use a cost summary form based on the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation, with subtotals for demolition, site works, construction, external works and fees. Tell us the council and we'll use its current form.
Is this the same as a Class 3 budget estimate?
The report is built from a Class 3 style elemental estimate of your drawings. If you want the full workbook as a budget for the build, ask for it with the report.
Who signs the form?
For most residential DAs the form is completed by a suitably qualified estimator. Where the council or your lender requires a registered quantity surveyor's certification, we arrange it through our CPQS partner from the same quantities.
Call 0421 125 249 Send the DA drawings