Selling, leasing or fixing a failed inspection? Send an enquiry for a pool inspection, a compliance certificate or a fence or gate repair anywhere in Greater Sydney.
Most people arrive here with a date to meet. Start with yours.
The contract needs a certificate before it goes to market. A non-compliance certificate is allowed for a sale.
What a sale needs
The tenant gets a copy of a certificate of compliance. Non-compliance isn't enough for a lease.
What a lease needs
Get the listed defects fixed, then book the re-inspection. Most come down to the gate, gaps or climbable objects.
Fixing a failed fence
In NSW, only a council or a registered certifier can inspect a pool barrier and issue a certificate. Fence and gate work is done by a fencing contractor, and anything over $5,000 including GST needs a contractor licence.
NSW Pool Safety isn't either of those. It's a private website, not a government agency or council, that explains the rules, lists published prices and takes enquiries for pool inspections, certificates and repairs.
From a certificate for next month's settlement to a gate that won't latch, here's what each job involves.
Selling or leasing a home with a pool or spa in NSW? The contract or lease needs a certificate of compliance, an occupation certificate from the last three years or, for a sale only, a certificate of non-compliance.
A registered certifier inspects the barrier against the standard that applies to your pool and issues the certificate if it passes. Tell us your suburb, the settlement or lease date, and the type of pool and fence.
A pool barrier inspection checks the fence height, gaps, gates, latches, the non-climbable zone, windows and doors that open into the pool area, and the CPR sign.
Book one for a sale or lease, after a council notice, before buying, or to know where you stand. Mention any earlier inspection report so the certifier can re-check the listed items.
Gaps under the fence, a panel that's too low, loose glass, rusted posts, or a boundary fence that's become climbable. Most failed inspections come down to a few fixable items.
Send the certifier's list of defects if you have one, the fence type (glass, aluminium, timber or masonry) and a rough length of the problem section.
A pool gate has to shut and latch by itself from any open position. Worn self-closing hinges, a dropped gate or a latch that's out of line are the most common reasons a gate fails.
Tell us what the gate does now: won't swing shut, closes but won't latch, or the latch is too low. Say whether it's glass or metal and the brand of hinge or latch if you know it.
The certificate has to be ready before the contract goes to market or the lease is signed, so leave time for an inspection, any repairs and a re-inspection.
If you're selling and the barrier fails, a certificate of non-compliance can go with the contract and the buyer then has 90 days after settlement to fix it. That option isn't available for a lease.
Replacing an old fence, fencing a new pool or spa, or swapping a timber fence for frameless glass or aluminium.
Give the approximate length, the material you'd like and whether the old fence needs removing. New fencing has to meet the current Australian Standard, and some work needs council approval.
Council fees are set by regulation. Private certifiers set their own prices. These are the figures each one publishes.
| Inspection | Published price | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| First inspection | $150 | Waverley Council, form updated 30 June 2026 |
| Re-inspection | $100 each | Waverley Council, form updated 30 June 2026 |
| First inspection | $150, no GST | Woollahra Council, July 2026 to June 2027 |
| Second inspection | $100; no fee for a third or later | Woollahra Council web page |
As published by each council, checked 16 October 2026.
| Inspection | Published price | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Pool inspection | $295 incl. GST | The Pool Certifier Guy, Sydney metro |
| Same-day pool inspection | $299 plus GST | Pool Safe Sydney |
| Inspection and certificate, private pool | $450 plus GST | Pool Certification Sydney |
As published by each certifier, checked 16 October 2026. GST is shown the way each one states it.
Pool inspection and re-inspection costs Fence and gate repair costs
Three steps to a certificate, and you stay in charge of who you book.
The suburb, what you need, the pool and fence type, and any settlement, lease or council date.
Move anything climbable away from the fence, test the gate and check the CPR sign. The pool barrier checker lists what else to look at.
Ask what the inspection includes, what a re-inspection costs, and when the certificate will be issued.
Each area page lists the councils, the suburbs covered and what the council charges for its own inspections.
Whoever you use, these take a couple of minutes and save a second inspection fee.
Look them up on the Building Certifiers Public Register. Only a registered certifier or the council can issue the certificate.
Fence or gate work over $5,000 including GST needs a contractor licence. Check it on Service NSW.
The inspection, the certificate, the re-inspection fee, travel, and whether GST is included.
A lease needs a certificate of compliance. A sale can go ahead with a certificate of non-compliance.
A certificate of compliance lasts 3 years. If yours runs out before a sale or the next lease, book early.
Only your local council or a certifier registered with the NSW Building Commission to inspect swimming pools. A fencing contractor, pool builder or real estate agent can't issue one. You can check a certifier on the Building Certifiers Public Register.
Three years from the date it's issued, unless the council issues a direction about the pool in that time. If you're selling or leasing near the end of those three years, check the date before the contract or lease is signed.
The certifier gives you a written list of what needs fixing. Once the work is done, they come back for a re-inspection and issue the certificate if everything passes. If you're selling, a certificate of non-compliance can go with the contract instead, and the buyer then has 90 days from settlement to fix the listed items. That option isn't available for a lease.
Usually. Waverley and Woollahra councils publish $150 for the first inspection and $100 for each re-inspection, while The Pool Certifier Guy publishes $295 including GST (page modified 14 August 2026) and Pool Certification Sydney publishes $450 plus GST. See the pool inspection cost guide for every published figure.
You choose who does the repairs. Any licensed fencing contractor or handyman can fix the listed items, and fence work over $5,000 including GST needs a contractor licence. Then the certifier or council re-inspects.
Yes, if the pool can be filled to 30 cm or deeper. The same barrier rules apply, including the CPR sign. Spas can sometimes use a lockable, child-resistant lid instead, depending on their size and use. See spa and inflatable pool rules.
Requests are taken from across Greater Sydney, from the Northern Beaches and the Hills to Sutherland Shire and Western Sydney. Include the suburb in your enquiry. The rules on this site apply across NSW.
Tell us what you need, the suburb, and any sale, lease or council date you are working to.