What people actually build
Every one of 423,148 development applications lodged in NSW since 2019, broken down by type of work — 274 distinct kinds, from a new dwelling to a farm shed. Each row is what that work typically costs and how many homes it delivers. Sort any column.
| Type of work | Applications ▾ | Median cost | New dwellings | Busiest councils |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure most recent 21 Aug 2026 |
62,078 | $195,000 57,887 costed |
90,734 | Council of the City of Sydney 3,620 · Inner West Council 3,467 · Northern Beaches Council 3,397 |
Cost of works is the applicant's own estimate as lodged, so this reports the median rather than a total: the feed contains keying errors large enough to make sums meaningless — the biggest is $1,111,111,111,111 against alterations to a house, and 22 applications state a cost above $1,000,000,000 and are excluded here. Types with fewer than 20 applications are left out, because a median of a handful is noise. Source: NSW Planning Portal — Online DA open API, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.