Local trades in Narellan

Narellan at a glance

From village to growth centre

Narellan stayed small for most of its history. Even in the 1960s it had only a handful of shops, though a brickworks opened in 1949. Growth came with the Sydney Region Outline Plan of 1968 and the Macarthur Development Board, which with Camden Council released estates such as Somerset Park in 1985. Narellan Vale followed from the late 1980s, and Harrington Park, Oran Park and Gregory Hills came later.

So most Narellan houses are brick-veneer project homes on a concrete slab. Common jobs are about wear and upgrades rather than age: builder-grade bathrooms and kitchens, weathered timber decks, cracked paths and driveways, and backyards that were never finished.

Narellan Town Centre and the roads feeding it, including Camden Valley Way and The Northern Road, can be busy at peak times, so trades may plan deliveries around them.

Building on new-estate blocks

• Covenants and estate design guidelines can control fences, front landscaping, roof colour and outdoor structures. Read your contract of sale and title before you plan a carport or front fence. See carport costs and approval.
• New lots are often built on cut-and-fill pads over reactive clay. Minor cracking in the first few years can be normal, but keep your builder's documents. NSW statutory warranties run 6 years for major defects and 2 years for other defects.
• Compact blocks and narrow side setbacks can make access awkward for excavators, concrete pumps and skip bins, which affects how a job is quoted.
• Narellan Creek runs through the area. Camden Council treats the Narellan Creek catchment separately in its flood information and has been updating its flood study, so check before building near the creek or at low points.

Outdoor jobs that suit Narellan's climate

Narellan is well inland and gets hot summers, so shade is often the first job on a newer home. Pergola builders and deck builders are steady requests, along with carports, driveways and fences. Insulated roof panels on a pergola keep heat off better than thin sheeting, and lighter roof colours generally absorb less heat. Many pergolas and decks are exempt development if they meet NSW limits, but estate covenants can still apply. See pergola council approval and composite vs timber decking.

• Shade sail and pergola posts need footings designed for reactive clay. Posts set too shallow can lean after a few wet and dry seasons.
• Paving every square metre of a small yard sends more runoff toward the house and neighbours, so plan falls and drainage first.

Popular jobs in Narellan

Common questions