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Extensions and renovations · Shoalhaven
Home Extension and Renovation Builders in Nowra
Second-storey additions, rear living extensions and whole-house renovations that work with the house you have, with what can be known about it priced before the contract.
Book a free discovery call
Takes 30 seconds. Keiron Moore, the builder, does the site assessment himself.
- Built in Huskisson: the CKS Projects duplex on Jervis Bay
- NSW Contractor Licence 258735C (CKS Projects)
- 2026 MBA NSW award winner (Wombarra Clifftops)
Pictured: a rear living extension at Elanora Four, Coledale NSW, by CKS Projects.
Adding to the house you have
Extensions and Renovations, in Brief
An extension adds space, up or out. A renovation reworks what is there: the layout, kitchen and bathrooms, joinery and finishes. On older houses the risk is behind the walls, so the scope is investigated before the price is fixed.
When the work would cost most of a new house, we say so and compare it with a knockdown rebuild.
| Builder | CKS Projects, trading as Nowra Builders. NSW Contractor Licence 258735C |
|---|---|
| Extensions | Second-storey additions and rear living extensions |
| Renovations | Whole-house renovations and interior refurbishments |
| Design | Your architect or designer, or a CKS Projects design partner |
| Approvals | Exempt, CDC under the Housing Code, or a DA to council |
| Contract | A detailed fixed-price tender, with home building compensation cover over $20,000 |
Up or out?
Second Storey or Rear Extension?
Both add space. They ask different things of the house and the block.
| Second storey | Rear extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Garden | Kept | Reduced |
| Existing structure | Footings and frame checked, often strengthened | New footings for the new part |
| Suits | Small or steep blocks, views | Flatter blocks with room behind the house |
| Living there during works | Harder, depends on staging | Often easier, depends on staging |
How it runs
How an Extension or Renovation Runs
The existing house is assessed first, because its structure decides what can be added and how.
Keiron walks the block
Slope, access, soil, aspect, existing services, and the overlays on the lot, from bushfire and flood mapping to coastal controls, all of which shape the approval pathway with Shoalhaven City Council.
Design
A design for your land and the way you live, with 3D renderings and a virtual walk-through so the layout is checked before anything is built.
Documents and fixed price
Working drawings, engineering, BASIX and any bushfire report prepared together, then a detailed fixed-price tender before a contract is signed.
Approval
A complying development certificate from a certifier or council where the site qualifies, or a development application to Shoalhaven City Council, managed through to determination.
Build and handover
Built by the CKS Projects team and its trades, with regular site meetings and an online client portal showing the schedule and the latest site photos.
Work by our team
Extensions and Renovations by CKS Projects
Four published projects on the Illawarra coast.
Wombarra second-storey addition
A second storey added to a cottage on a steep, narrow block: five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a stair lift for a multi-generational family.
See Wombarra second-storey addition on cksprojects.com.auElanora Four, Coledale
A full interior refurbishment with a reworked layout and new joinery, plus a rear living extension, balcony and timber-clad garage.
See Elanora Four, Coledale on cksprojects.com.au
Ocean Windang
A renovation and rear extension with a raised living and kitchen area, a recycled brick wall and high ceilings.
See Ocean Windang on cksprojects.com.au
Warilla Beach House
A refurbishment and first-floor addition, with a pool and pergola at the rear.
See Warilla Beach House on cksprojects.com.auWhere these homes are. The Huskisson Duplex is on Jervis Bay, in the Shoalhaven. The other homes shown here were built by CKS Projects in the Illawarra, and every photo keeps its real location. We only show work CKS Projects has published.
Approvals and contracts
Approvals for Extensions and Renovations
NSW requirements · confirm for your house
- Exempt development: minor, low-impact work may need no approval.
- Complying development: the Housing Code covers many alterations and additions, with a CDC in as little as 20 days.
- Development application: otherwise a DA to Shoalhaven City Council, then a construction certificate and a principal certifier.
- Contracts: a written contract over $5,000; a large-job contract and home building compensation cover over $20,000; a deposit of no more than 10%.
- Engineered stone: banned in Australia from 1 July 2024.
Sources: NSW Planning, complying development · NSW Planning Portal, BASIX · Safe Work Australia, engineered stone ban.
Who builds your extension
The Builder Behind Nowra Builders
Nowra Builders is the business name CKS Projects uses for its work in the Shoalhaven. CKS Projects is a boutique residential builder from Unanderra, Wollongong, and it built the Huskisson Duplex on Jervis Bay. It doesn't sell catalogue plans: each home is designed for its block.
Managing Director Keiron Moore has more than 25 years in residential building and does the site assessments himself, so the person who looks at your block is the person accountable for the build. Design, approval and construction sit under one fixed-price contract.
Read more about Nowra Builders and Keiron Moore, or check the licence on the NSW licence register.
| Business | Nowra Builders, a registered business name of CKS Projects Aust Pty Ltd |
|---|---|
| Builder | CKS Projects. Managing Director Keiron Moore, 25+ years in residential building. NSW Qualified Supervisor Certificate 69005S |
| NSW Contractor Licence | 258735C (Builder) |
| Award | Winner, Contract Homes $1.9M–$2M, 2026 MBA NSW Southern Regions Excellence in Building Awards (Wombarra Clifftops) |
| Memberships | Master Builders Association of NSW · Association of Professional Builders |
| Office | Unit 45/7 Waynote Place, Unanderra NSW 2526 Mon–Fri 8:00am–4:30pm, by appointment |
| Service area | Nowra-Bomaderry and the northern Shoalhaven, from Berry to Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin |
| Phone | 02 4271 5132 |
Where we build
Extensions and Renovations Across the Shoalhaven
Nowra Builders takes on work across the northern Shoalhaven, from Berry and Shoalhaven Heads through Nowra-Bomaderry to Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin. Our office is CKS Projects' office in Unanderra, and Keiron Moore comes to your block for the site assessment. See how the councils and conditions change from suburb to suburb on the service areas page.
Shoalhaven City Council
- Nowra
- North Nowra
- South Nowra
- West Nowra
- Worrigee
- Bomaderry
- Cambewarra
- Berry
- Shoalhaven Heads
- Culburra Beach
- Greenwell Point
- Callala Bay
- Callala Beach
- Huskisson
- Vincentia
- Woollamia
- Sanctuary Point
- St Georges Basin
- Basin View
- Erowal Bay
Common questions
Extension and Renovation FAQs
Do I need approval to extend or renovate?
Minor, low-impact work can be exempt development. The Housing Code allows many alterations and additions to be approved as complying development, in as little as 20 days. Otherwise a development application goes to Shoalhaven City Council, followed by a construction certificate and a principal certifier before work starts.
Up or out?
A second storey keeps the garden but needs the existing structure and footings checked and often strengthened. A rear extension suits flatter blocks with room behind the house. We look at both at the site visit.
Do I need an architect?
Either way works. CKS Projects builds from a client's architect or designer, or introduces its design partners, and gets involved early so the design can be built for the budget. CKS Projects is a builder, not an architectural practice.
What hidden problems turn up in older houses?
Asbestos, old wiring, termite damage, tired plumbing and footings not designed for more load. We price what can be known before the contract. If the work would cost most of a new house, we say so and compare it with a knockdown rebuild.
What contract and insurance apply?
In NSW, residential work over $5,000 needs a written contract, and work over $20,000 needs a large-job contract and home building compensation cover arranged by the builder. The deposit is capped at 10%.
Is engineered stone still allowed for benchtops?
No. Engineered stone has been banned in Australia since 1 July 2024 for manufacture, supply, processing and installation. We talk through alternatives at selections.
Need more space, or a better layout?
Start With a Free Discovery Call
Tell us about the house and what you want to change. We'll talk through up or out, what needs investigating, and how the quote is prepared.
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