Do you need approval to replace a roof?

In New South Wales a straight re-cladding job can often go ahead without an application. Queensland's answer is harder to pin down, and we say so.

Figures checked

Rules 2 min read Published

In New South Wales, repairing or replacing non-structural roof cladding can be exempt development under the Codes SEPP, so no approval is needed when the development standards are met. It does not apply to not heritage items or conservation areas, and there is no combustible cladding. In Queensland, ask your council or a certifier first.

Decision flow for roof cladding as exempt development in New South Wales Three questions in sequence. Is the work replacing or repairing non-structural roof cladding? Is the building a heritage item or in a heritage conservation area? Does the work involve combustible cladding, or a house over two storeys? Answering no to the last two leads to exempt development, if the Codes SEPP development standards are met. Any other answer leads to asking the council or a certifier. Replacing or repairing non-structural roof cladding? yes no Heritage item, or in a heritage conservation area? no yes Combustible cladding, or a house over two storeys? yes no Exempt development if the Codes SEPP development standards are met. Ask your council or a building certifier which approval the work needs, and keep the answer in writing.
Simplified from the NSW rules for minor external non-structural building alterations. The development standards in the Codes SEPP still have to be met, and this flow does not cover Queensland.

When is a new roof exempt development in NSW?

The NSW planning department lists repair or replacement of non-structural wall or roof cladding among the minor external non-structural building alterations that can be carried out as exempt development. Three conditions decide whether your job qualifies.

  1. The work is non-structural. The exemption is written for cladding. Changing the roof structure, the pitch or the framing sits outside it.
  2. The building is not heritage. The exemption excludes not heritage items or conservation areas.
  3. No combustible cladding. There is no combustible cladding, and dwelling houses of more than two storeys cannot have cladding or recladding done as exempt development at all.

The Codes SEPP also carries a set of development standards for this kind of work. Meeting all of them is what makes the job exempt, so read them, or have your roofer confirm in writing which ones the job is built to.

What about Queensland?

Queensland's Building Regulation 2021 treats some building work as accepted development, which needs no building approval but must still comply with the relevant codes and standards, and may still need approval under the local planning scheme. On top of that, for houses in a character areas, a planning approval is likely to be required.

We could not find a Queensland government page that states plainly whether re-roofing a house is accepted development. The detail sits in Schedule 1 of the Building Regulation itself. Rather than guess, ask your local council or a private building certifier before work starts, and keep the answer in writing. If your roofer says no approval is needed, ask them to name the provision they are relying on.

Separately, Queensland building work valued over $3,300 must be done by an appropriately licensed person, with a contract. That rule applies whether or not an approval does. Our Queensland guide covers it.

What usually pushes a re-roof into needing approval?

  • A heritage listing, a draft listing, or a heritage conservation area.
  • Work that changes structure rather than cladding.
  • Anything involving combustible external cladding.
  • Character areas and locally listed places in Queensland.

What about Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia?

Not covered here yet. We publish a rule only after checking it on the responsible government page, and we have not done that work for those states. Until then, your council's planning counter is the right first call.

A plain summary of official pages, linked below, not legal or planning advice. Planning rules change, and the local scheme can add requirements the state rules do not mention.