If you are planning a deck, patio or complete outdoor living area, the construction itself is only one part of the timeline.
Before we can start building, there may be design work, site investigations, engineering, approvals, bushfire requirements, material ordering and construction scheduling to work through. The exact pathway depends on your property and what you want to build.
That’s why I recommend looking at the whole project from the start, not just the number of weeks the build itself might take.
What Happens Before Construction Starts?
The first stage is working out what you actually want from the space and whether it will work on your property.
At Emanate & Co., we start with an in-home design consultation. We look at how you want to use the area, how it connects with the house, the available space, levels and access, the style of the home and any obvious planning or construction constraints.
This is also where we start discussing things such as:
- The size and layout of the deck or outdoor room
- Indoor-outdoor flow
- Privacy, views and orientation
- Flooring and material preferences
- Outdoor kitchens, lighting, heating and other inclusions
- Your investment range
- Likely engineering and approval requirements
The aim at this stage is to understand the project properly before we start drawing or preparing a proposal.
An alfresco area that looks fairly simple at first can become more involved once we look at levels, existing structures, boundary setbacks, bushfire zoning or how a new roof will connect with the house.
It’s much easier to deal with those things early than to find them after the design has already been developed.
That’s why our process moves from consultation into research and feasibility before the project progresses into final plans and approvals.
How Long Do Design, Engineering and Approvals Take?
For a custom deck, patio or outdoor living project, plans and reports typically take around 30 days, while approvals can range from about 10 working days to 12 weeks depending on the pathway.
There’s no standard timeframe because every property and project is different. The pre-construction process can include:
- Site assessment and measurements
- Concept development
- 3D visualisation and design refinement
- Drafting and documentation
- Structural engineering
- Bushfire or other specialist reports where required
- Preparation of the approval application
- Responses to requests for further information
- Final approval and construction documentation
On a more complex outdoor room, especially one involving a roof structure, significant level changes or a bushfire-prone property, several consultants may need to be involved before the job is ready to build.
This is one reason we manage the design, engineering, consultants and approvals as part of the overall process rather than leaving the homeowner to coordinate each party separately.
If you have a particular completion date in mind, allow for this work before you start thinking about the construction start date.
For example, if you want the area ready for summer, you may need to begin the design and approval process months earlier.
How Do Council, CDC and BAL Requirements Affect the Timeline?
Not every deck or patio in Sydney requires the same type of approval.
Depending on the property and proposed work, a project may be exempt development, qualify for complying development, or require a Development Application (DA).
For Emanate & Co. projects that need approval, a DA is the most common pathway. As a general guide, approvals can take from around 10 working days to 12 weeks, depending on the pathway, site and any additional requirements.
The overall project timeline typically looks like this:
| Step | Typical Time | What Happens |
| 1. Starting Point | Varies | Clarify how you want to use the space, what you want to include, your preferred style and your investment range |
2. Design Consultation & Proposal | Varies | Assess the site, develop the design direction, discuss material selections and prepare the project proposal |
3. Plans & Reports | Around 30 days | Prepare plans, specifications, engineering and any required specialist reports |
4. Approvals, if required | Around 10 working days-12 weeks | Timing varies depending on whether the project follows a CDC, DA or other approval pathway |
5. Materials & Pre-Construction Planning | Around 30 days | Finalise selections, order materials, coordinate suppliers and schedule construction |
6. Demolition, if required | Around 1-2 days | Remove existing structures and prepare the site for construction |
7. Construction | Around 4-12 weeks* | Timing varies depending on the design, site conditions, access and scope of work |
8. Final Completion | Around 1 day | Final clean-up, inspection, testing and handover |
*Construction time is a general Emanate & Co. range and should be confirmed against the final project scope.
Exempt Development and CDC Can Shorten the Approval Stage
Some deck and patio projects can be carried out as exempt development if they meet all relevant development standards. If the project qualifies, planning or construction approval isn’t required.
Where complying development is available, Emanate & Co.’s experience is that a Complying Development Certificate can take around 10 working days once the required documentation is ready.
Planning a project that may qualify as exempt development? Download our Exempt Development Checklist to see the key requirements to check before you start.
Bushfire-Prone Land Can Change the Approval Pathway
If the property is on bushfire-prone land, the Bush Fire Attack Level, or BAL, can affect the design, materials, construction requirements and approval pathway.
Where a site is assessed at BAL-40 or Flame Zone, most complying development is not permitted and the project will usually need to proceed through a DA instead.
We assess bushfire requirements early so they can be accounted for in the design and project timeline from the start. The NSW Rural Fire Service identifies six BAL levels, ranging from BAL-Low through to BAL-FZ.
A DA Is the Most Common Approval Pathway for Emanate & Co.
For Emanate & Co. projects that require approval, a DA is the most common pathway. Around seven in ten of our approved projects go through a DA rather than a private certifier.
Across Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai, our average DA assessment time is around 28 days, although individual applications can take longer depending on the site, design and council requirements.
How Long Do Materials and Pre-Construction Scheduling Take?
Receiving approval does not always mean construction starts straight away. Material ordering and pre-construction planning can add around 30 days before the build begins.
This can include:
- Finalising selections and colours
- Ordering decking, structural steel and roofing materials
- Ordering custom components
- Confirming supplier lead times
- Programming trades
- Coordinating deliveries
- Confirming site access
- Final construction planning
Custom outdoor rooms usually involve more suppliers, trades and sequencing than a standalone deck.
A complete outdoor room can involve structural work, decking, roofing, electrical work, lighting, outdoor kitchens, ceilings and finishing trades. Those elements need to happen in the right order.
Starting before everything is ready can leave trades waiting on materials, decisions or other work to be completed.
Seasonality also affects scheduling. Spring and the lead-up to Christmas are naturally popular times for homeowners to want their outdoor areas completed.
We generally close our books in late August or early September for projects that need to be completed before Christmas.
By then, the challenge is usually whether there is enough time left for design, approvals, ordering and scheduling before construction even starts.
If you have a particular event, season or deadline in mind, work backwards from that date and start the conversation early.
How Long Does the Actual Construction Take?
The construction period depends heavily on what you are building. A standalone deck, a deck and patio and a fully integrated outdoor room are very different projects.
A relatively simple deck may involve footings, framing, decking, stairs and balustrades.
A complete outdoor living area might involve:
- Demolition of an existing structure
- Excavation or changes to levels
- Structural steel
- New decking
- A patio or roof structure
- Lined ceilings
- Electrical and lighting
- Heating
- Outdoor kitchen services
- Privacy screens
- Drainage
- Painting and finishing work
Site access matters too. Building on a flat, open block where materials can be brought straight to the work area is very different from working on a steep Sydney property with narrow side access.
Weather can affect the build too, especially excavation, concrete work, roofing and exterior finishes. That’s why I would be cautious of anyone giving you a precise construction timeframe before they have properly looked at the project.
Once approvals are finalised, Emanate & Co. projects typically allow around four to twelve weeks for construction, depending on the scope and site.
Project Type | What generally affects the build time |
Standalone deck | Size, height, access, framing, stairs and balustrades |
Deck and patio | All deck factors plus roofing, drainage, structural connections and additional trades |
Complete outdoor room | Multiple structures, services, finishes and trades that need to be carefully sequenced |
The final construction timeframe depends on the design, site conditions, access and scope of work.
Once the design, approvals and scope are finalised, your builder should be able to give you a much clearer construction timeframe.
When we get to site, we manage the trades and construction sequence through to final testing and completion.
What Usually Delays a Deck or Outdoor Living Project?
Delays usually come from late changes, issues that weren’t picked up early, or one part of the project holding up the next.
Some of the most common causes are:
Approval Requirements Are Discovered Late
Assuming a project will be exempt or qualify for a CDC before checking the site can create major delays if a different approval pathway is ultimately required.
The Design Keeps Changing
Design changes are much easier to make before engineering, approvals and material orders have been completed.
A major change later can mean revising drawings, engineering and documentation that have already been prepared.
Bushfire Requirements Affect the Original Design
On bushfire-prone land, the BAL rating can affect both the construction method and the materials available. Knowing the BAL rating early means we can account for those requirements in the design from the start.
Engineering Identifies Something That Needs To Change
Decks, roofs and outdoor structures need to work structurally with the site and existing home.
Engineering can identify footing, framing, connection or structural requirements that were not obvious during the initial conversation.
Materials Have Longer Lead Times Than Expected
Special-order materials, custom components and particular finishes may not be available immediately. Making selections early gives the project team more time to work around supplier lead times.
Trades Are Not Properly Sequenced
An outdoor room may involve several different trades. One unfinished element can prevent the next trade from progressing.
Good project management is about making sure the right people, materials and information are there when they are needed.
The Homeowner Is Working Towards an Unrealistic Deadline
If you want the project ready for Christmas, a birthday, a family event or the start of summer, don’t use the expected construction duration as your starting date.
Allow for design, engineering, approvals, material ordering and scheduling as well. That gives the project some breathing room if something changes along the way.
The Fastest Projects Usually Start With Better Planning
When homeowners ask me how quickly we can start building, the first thing I look at is what needs to happen before we get to site.
Rushing into construction rarely saves much time if the design, engineering, approvals or material selections are still unresolved.
We often say “go slower to go faster”.
Sort out the important decisions while changes are still relatively easy to make. Once construction starts, those same changes usually cost more and take longer.
If you’re planning a deck, patio or complete outdoor room in Sydney and want to understand what the timeline could look like for your property, start with Emanate & Co.’s paid In-Home Design Consultation.
We can assess the site, discuss what you want to create and map out the steps required to move from idea to completed outdoor room.
