Most first-time food operators lose time not on the build but on the sequence — doing things in the wrong order, then re-doing them. This is the order that works.
| Stage | What must happen | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Site secured (subject to due diligence) | Services inspection, council use enquiry, lease review | Signing unconditionally before checking the exhaust route |
| 2. Use established | Confirm current consent in writing, or lodge change of use / DA | Assuming the previous use covers you |
| 3. Design documented | Layout, services coordination, finishes, equipment schedule | Designing before the approval route is known |
| 4. Approval / certification | CDC through a principal certifier, or DA through council, then CC | Starting construction before consent is issued |
| 5. Construction | Fitout, services installation, equipment install | Ordering equipment before the layout is fixed |
| 6. Statutory inspections | Fire, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, trade waste | Discovering a non-compliance at final inspection |
| 7. Food authority notification | NSW Food Authority notification, council food premises inspection | Leaving it until the week before opening |
| 8. Insurances | Public liability, workers compensation, contents and business interruption | Opening underinsured |
| 9. Testing and handover | Commissioning, staff training, soft opening | No dry run before a full launch |
| 10. Open | Trading | — |
The four approvals people confuse
| Approval | Who issues it | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| DA — Development Application | Council (or a planning panel) | Change of use, heritage, certain works, some signage |
| CC — Construction Certificate | Principal certifier (private or council) | Before construction starts on approved works |
| CDC — Complying Development Certificate | Principal certifier (private or council) | Where the works meet the complying development criteria — faster than a DA |
| Occupation / final certificate | Principal certifier | Before you open |
Note the two-step: a DA alone does not let you build. You need the CC as well. The full approvals guide covers this.
Fire safety is the item that delays openings
Fire protection is not optional and it is not a finishing trade — it must be coordinated into the design from the start. Relocating sprinklers for a new ceiling, adding detection for a kitchen, providing exit signage and emergency lighting: each needs design, approval and inspection. Where fire is treated as a last-minute item, the venue is finished and cannot open.
The exhaustion test most operators fail
The opening date is set, the staff are hired, the stock is ordered — and the final inspection finds the grease trap was never connected or the exhaust discharge point was never approved. Both are pre-build decisions, not closing items. Get them signed off before the first wall goes up.
Sequence discipline is worth more than a discount. A project done in the right order with a 10% contingency beats a cheaper project done out of order every time.
We run this sequence for clients end to end. Talk to Liteco Projects before you lodge anything.
