Custom new homes
Knock down rebuilds and new homes on harbourside lots, from feasibility and approvals through to handover, with one team accountable.
New buildsWoollahra harbourside
Builders in Double Bay and Vaucluse
Shafbuild designs, renovates and builds homes in Double Bay, Vaucluse and the harbourside suburbs between them: Point Piper, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay. We work across metro Sydney from our office in Kensington.
These are some of Sydney’s most valuable and most constrained sites. Views, steep sandstone, the harbour foreshore and neighbours close by all shape the design, so we start with what the controls allow.
- Based in Kensington
- Licensed builder 469244C
- NSW Class 2 Building Practitioner
- 5.0 on Google
Building on the harbour
Most of this area sits in the Woollahra Council area, under the Woollahra local environmental plan and development control plan. On waterfront lots the LEP’s foreshore building line limits how close you can build to the water, and the DCP’s precinct controls for Double Bay, Point Piper, Rose Bay and Vaucluse set the character, setbacks and landscaping council expects.
Views matter to every neighbour here, so height, roof form and where the bulk of the house sits are tested early. Watsons Bay is one of Woollahra’s three main heritage conservation areas, with its own DCP chapter, and smaller conservation areas sit in Vaucluse, Rose Bay and Darling Point. A house in one of those usually needs a development application with a heritage impact statement, which we plan for at the start of design and approvals.
Steep sites and low ground
Vaucluse and Point Piper lots are often steep, with sandstone close to the surface. Excavation for garages, pools or lower floors needs an engineer’s design, rock removal planned around neighbours, and a record of neighbouring properties before work starts.
Double Bay is the opposite: low ground near the harbour, where council’s stormwater and flood controls can set floor levels and drainage. We bring in the right consultants at concept stage so none of this surprises you after lodgement.
What we build in Double Bay and Vaucluse
Renovations and additions
Whole home renovations and additions that work with the views, the slope and the foreshore controls rather than against them.
ExtensionsApartments and strata
Apartment renovations in Double Bay and Rose Bay blocks under strata by-laws, and remedial works for owners corporations by a registered Class 2 builder.
Remedial and strataDesign and approvals
Architecture, engineering and the development application led in-house, so the design is priced and buildable before you commit.
Design and approvalsHarbourside suburbs we work in
- Double Bay
- Vaucluse
- Point Piper
- Rose Bay
- Watsons Bay
The rest of the council area is on builders in Woollahra. Elsewhere in the east: the Eastern Suburbs or Bondi and Waverley.
Double Bay and Vaucluse building questions
What drives the cost of building on the harbour in Double Bay or Vaucluse?
Mostly the site. Steep lots and sandstone mean engineering and rock excavation; views, the foreshore building line and neighbours mean more design and approval work; low ground in Double Bay can need stormwater and flood design; and the finish level is usually high. Rather than quote a headline figure, we visit, read the controls for your lot and give you a fixed, itemised scope with any provisional sums flagged upfront.
What is a foreshore building line?
It is a line on Woollahra’s local environmental plan maps that limits how close buildings can sit to the harbour. Many waterfront lots in Point Piper, Rose Bay and Vaucluse have one, and it can decide where a new home or extension goes. We check it before design starts.
Is Vaucluse in Woollahra or Waverley Council?
Both. Most of Vaucluse is in Woollahra, and part is in Waverley, as is part of Rose Bay. Each council has its own controls, so we confirm yours first. See builders in Bondi and Waverley for the Waverley side.
Can I knock down and rebuild in Double Bay or Vaucluse?
Often, yes, unless the house is a heritage item or sits in a conservation area. Council looks at height, floor space, setbacks, views, landscaping and trees, and harbourside lots add the foreshore controls. We test the envelope at feasibility so you know what fits before you pay for full drawings.
Do you cover the rest of Woollahra?
Yes, including Paddington, Woollahra, Edgecliff, Darling Point and Bellevue Hill. See builders in Woollahra.
Start with what your site allows
Tell us about your Double Bay, Vaucluse or harbourside property and what you want to achieve. We will tell you what the controls allow and the smartest way to get it approved.