Pre-DA Consultation · Wollongong & the Illawarra

Know What's Possible on Your Block Before You Spend on Plans

Before you commission architectural drawings, lodge a Development Application, or sign anything with a builder, a Pre-DA consultation gives you a clear, site-specific picture of what is genuinely achievable on your block, within your budget, and under your council's planning controls.

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A Pre-DA consultation is a structured, on-site planning session where we assess what your block can genuinely accommodate under current Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, or Shoalhaven planning controls, and give you a practical read on whether your design direction is realistic before you spend money on full architectural documentation or a Development Application.

At CKS Projects, every Pre-DA consultation is led by Keiron Moore, a licensed builder with over 25 years of residential experience across the Illawarra and South Coast. We approach site assessment from a builder's perspective, not just a designer's. That means every consultation includes a constructability review, an early cost-range discussion, and a frank conversation about which approval pathway, DA or CDC, suits your specific project and site.

Whether you have a sloping block in Thirroul, a coastal property in Kiama, a knockdown rebuild in Shellharbour, or a dual-occupancy site anywhere across the Illawarra, a Pre-DA consultation gives you the facts you need before you commit to anything that costs real money.

What is a Pre-DA consultation?

A Clear Site Assessment Before You Commit to Anything Expensive

Why early planning saves you money

What Happens When You Skip the Pre-DA Stage

Many Illawarra property owners invest in full architectural documentation before they have a clear picture of what their site and council will actually allow. Here is what that typically leads to:

Significant architectural fees spent on detailed drawings, only to discover the design exceeds council setbacks, height limits, or site coverage requirements and needs to be substantially redesigned before a DA can be lodged
Development Applications rejected by Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council, Kiama Municipal Council, or Shoalhaven City Council because the design did not account for BASIX, bushfire attack level, heritage overlays, or coastal planning controls that were identifiable before the DA was prepared
Build cost surprises at tender stage because no one with construction knowledge reviewed the design for buildability, or checked whether the structural and material decisions were realistic for the site conditions and current Illawarra construction costs
Months of redesign cycles and resubmission delays that push your build timeline back by six months or more, compressing your window to be in your home
A mismatched budget and design, where the project you have spent money documenting is not the project you can realistically afford to build, and the redesign process begins all over again

A Pre-DA consultation with CKS Projects addresses every one of these risks in two to four weeks, before any significant documentation costs are committed.

Our Pre-DA consultation is a structured, site-specific process that gives you practical clarity on every key factor before your project moves to documentation.

Site feasibility and zoning analysis, reviewing your block against Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, or Shoalhaven planning controls, including setbacks, height limits, site coverage, floor space ratio, and any applicable heritage, coastal, or bushfire overlays
Concept design direction, giving you a practical early read on how your block could accommodate your intended project, whether a custom home, duplex, knockdown rebuild, or major renovation, and what spatial and layout options the site supports
DA versus CDC pathway assessment, clarifying which approval pathway suits your project and site, with an honest read on the timeline, cost, and compliance requirements for each option under your council's current interpretation
Builder's constructability review, assessing slope, orientation, site access, soil conditions, coastal exposure, and structural requirements that affect both the design direction and the realistic cost of building on your specific Illawarra block
Budget-to-design alignment, giving you a realistic cost range for your intended project based on current Illawarra construction costs, site complexity, and the material and structural decisions your design direction will involve
Written Pre-DA feasibility report, documenting your site constraints, recommended design direction, approval pathway, cost indicators, and a clear checklist of next steps so you leave the process with something actionable, not just a conversation

What a Pre-DA consultation covers

What CKS Projects Assesses During Your Consultation

How it works

The Pre-DA Consultation Process

We keep the process direct and practical so you leave each stage with clear, specific information about your project and what comes next.

Step 01

Free Discovery Call

We start with a free 60-minute discovery call, by phone, video, or in person at our Wollongong office. We listen to what you are planning, ask the right questions about your site and budget, and give you an honest early read on what a Pre-DA consultation for your specific project involves, with no obligation to proceed.

Step 02

On-Site Assessment

We visit your site and carry out a detailed assessment of slope, orientation, soil conditions, site access, neighbouring constraints, and any visible planning or construction challenges. We review your block against current planning controls for your council and confirm what is achievable within the rules that apply to your site.

Step 03

Pre-DA Strategy Session

We bring the site findings together in a structured strategy session where we walk through your design options, the DA or CDC pathway recommendation, a realistic budget bracket for your intended project, and any compliance requirements, BASIX, BAL, heritage, or structural considerations, that will shape the documentation stage.

Step 04

Written Feasibility Report

Within two to four weeks of your site visit, we deliver a written Pre-DA feasibility report that documents your site constraints, design direction, approval pathway recommendation, cost indicators, and a clear checklist of what needs to happen next. This report becomes the foundation for your architectural brief, your DA documentation, and your builder engagement.

Is This Right For You?

Who This Service Is For?

A Pre-DA consultation is the right starting point for any of the following projects across Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven, and the broader Illawarra.

Sloping Block Owners

Your site has a significant slope and you need to understand what the block can accommodate, what structural and access requirements apply, and how to get the most out of your terrain before committing to plans or a builder.

Knockdown Rebuild Families

You are planning to demolish an existing home and build new, and want a clear read on your council's planning requirements and a realistic cost range before you commit to an architect, designer, or builder.

Owner-Builders

You are planning to act as your own builder and need early guidance on your approval pathway, site constructability, and budget reality before you engage a draftsperson or lodge any documents with council.

Coastal Property Owners

You are building or redeveloping a coastal Illawarra or South Coast property and need to navigate coastal planning controls, BAL compliance, corrosion requirements, and setbacks from waterways or erosion-prone zones.

Duplex and Dual-Occ Developers

You are assessing whether your block qualifies for a duplex or dual-occupancy development and need a practical feasibility review against local planning controls and current council interpretation before spending on documentation.

Homeowners With Early Ideas

You have a clear sense of what you want but no formal brief, design, or plan. You need an expert to review your site, reality-check your vision, and give you a grounded direction before you spend money on documentation.

Most Pre-DA consultations are led by town planners or designers whose expertise is in regulation interpretation and spatial layout. That knowledge is valuable, but it does not include the construction perspective that determines whether a design direction is realistic to build on your site, at your budget, given the terrain and conditions that apply to Illawarra blocks.

Keiron Moore brings over 25 years of residential construction experience to every Pre-DA consultation. When he assesses a sloping block in Bulli or Corrimal, he is thinking through footing options, retaining wall requirements, and slab approaches. When he reviews a coastal site in Kiama, he is factoring in corrosion ratings, wind loads, and the coastal planning provisions that Kiama Municipal Council applies. When he discusses a duplex feasibility in Shellharbour, he is drawing on direct knowledge of how Shellharbour City Council interprets dual-occupancy provisions and what they expect in a DA submission.

Why builder-led Pre-DA advice makes a difference

25 Years of Construction Knowledge Behind Every Site Assessment

“CKS Projects has been building custom homes, duplexes, renovations, and additions across the Illawarra for over 25 years. We have completed more than 200 residential projects and navigated over 50 council approvals across Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, and Shoalhaven. When we develop your concept design, that experience shapes every decision we make.”

“Keiron worked with us and the architect with positivity and practical solutions throughout the design process.”

— Geoff McIntosh, CKS Projects client

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Concept Designs

A Pre-DA consultation is a structured site assessment and planning session that takes place before you commit to architectural documentation or lodge a Development Application. It covers your site's planning constraints, design feasibility, approval pathway options, and a realistic cost range for your intended project. The goal is to give you clear, site-specific information so that when you do spend money on documentation, you are spending it on a project that is genuinely achievable on your block and within your budget.
Yes. The initial 60-minute discovery call with the CKS Projects team is free and carries no obligation to proceed. We use that session to understand your project, ask the right questions about your site and goals, and give you an honest early read on whether a Pre-DA consultation is the right next step. If it is not, we will tell you that directly.
A Development Application (DA) is a planning approval lodged with your local council, Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, or Shoalhaven, and assessed against that council's local planning controls. A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a faster alternative approval pathway available for projects that comply with the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) SEPP. CDC approval is handled by a private certifier rather than council and is generally quicker, but not all projects or sites qualify. One of the key outcomes of a Pre-DA consultation is a clear recommendation on which pathway is right for your project.
From site visit to written feasibility report, the Pre-DA process with CKS Projects typically takes two to four weeks. The timeline depends on the complexity of your site, the scope of your intended project, and the number of planning and compliance factors that need to be reviewed. We confirm the timeline before any work begins so you can plan your project accordingly.
Yes, in most cases. An architect or designer brings valuable expertise in spatial design and documentation, but they are typically not the person who will price your project, coordinate your trades, or review your design against the practical constraints of building on a specific Illawarra site. A builder-led Pre-DA consultation complements their work by adding the construction cost and constructability review that ensures the design direction they develop is realistic to build, not just to draw.
Yes. CKS Projects provides Pre-DA consultations across the Illawarra and South Coast, including Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven, Thirroul, Corrimal, Bulli, Huskisson, and surrounding areas. We have detailed on-the-ground knowledge of Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council, Kiama Municipal Council, and Shoalhaven City Council planning controls and processes, which directly shapes the site assessments and feasibility reports we produce for each project.

Ready to find out what's possible?

Start With a Free Discovery Call

Whether you have a detailed project brief, a block you have just purchased, or just an early idea, contact Keiron Moore and the CKS Projects team. The first conversation costs nothing and gives you an honest read on whether your project is ready for a Pre-DA consultation and what it would involve.

BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL

Call 02 4271 5132