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Renovation and extension builders · Upper North Shore

Best renovation and extension builders on the Upper North Shore (2026): thirteen compared

Twelve builders whose own websites state renovations or extensions in Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville, compared on what each one publishes and which suburbs it names, with the approval rules that shape an alteration, addition or second storey. AUD Build publishes this page and is one of the 13; its row is marked “This is us”.

By XLGUpdated: 2026-10-28Facts from each business’s own websitePublished by AUD Build

Short answer

On the Upper North Shore, owners planning a renovation or extension often compare builders based in the area, such as Smith & Sons and Northshore Builders in Turramurra and Spannenberg & Son, whose North Shore office is in Killara; builders with suburb pages across the area, such as AGATHĒ Builders, Elite Additions, Brands Built and Emerald Projects; and builders that show named local projects, such as Beecraft (Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville), Capital Construction & Refurbishing (Killara) and JF Taylor Constructions (Pymble). SBS Building covers Wahroonga and Turramurra, and The Perfect Space covers Lindfield and Roseville. AUD Build (this is us) has completed 12 homes in these suburbs through its group’s building companies since September 2024; its published alterations and additions evidence is a Clontarf DA on the Northern Beaches. Before choosing, check the lot: all six suburbs contain heritage conservation areas (North and South Turramurra have none), the Housing Code cannot be used for additions inside them, and Ku-ring-gai Council averaged 84 days to assess a DA in September 2026.

Local rules and figures

Item	Figure	Source
Councils	Ku-ring-gai Council for Turramurra (including North and South Turramurra), Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville; Wahroonga is split between Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby Shire Council	[1] [2]
Average DA assessment time	Ku-ring-gai 84 days (86 in August, 80 in July); Hornsby 96 days (97 in August, 91 in July), September 2026	[3]
Median weekly house rent, new bonds	A$1,400 across Ku-ring-gai and A$975 across Hornsby, April–June 2026; postcode figures are in the suburb rows below	[4]
CDC for alterations and additions	The Housing Code allows alterations and additions to a home as complying development, up to 8.5 m high, and a CDC can be issued within 20 days; NSW exhibited proposed changes to complying development from 14 May to 24 June 2026 and plans to finalise them later in 2026	[5] [6]
In a heritage conservation area	The Housing Code cannot be used, except for a detached outbuilding, detached development other than a studio, or a swimming pool; the Housing Alterations Code still applies, but external alterations must not be to a wall facing the main road and must not raise the height of the house, and internal alterations cannot add a floor	[7] [8]
Exempt development	Some minor alterations need no planning approval if they meet the exempt standards, but not on a State Heritage Register item, and in heritage conservation areas some exempt works are limited to the rear yard	[9] [7]
BASIX	Alterations and additions valued at A$50,000 and over need a BASIX certificate	[10]
Bushfire	The state bush fire prone land map covers parts of every suburb here, including North and South Turramurra; on BAL-40 or Flame Zone land, complying development other than the Housing Alterations Code is not allowed	[11] [7]
Wahroonga (2076)	Six heritage conservation areas from the Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai LEPs intersect or touch the suburb: Wahroonga and Wahroonga North (Hornsby), and Wahroonga, Heydon Avenue and Woodville Avenue, Warrawee and Mahratta (Ku-ring-gai); median house rent A$1,075 a week	[2] [4]
Turramurra (2074)	Three heritage conservation areas lie inside Turramurra (Ku-ring-gai Avenue, Laurel Avenue/King Street and Hillview); North and South Turramurra have none; median house rent A$1,280 a week (50 new bonds)	[2] [4]
Pymble (2073)	Ku-ring-gai Council lists eight heritage conservation areas under Pymble: Athol, Fernwalk, Mona Vale Road, Orinoco Street, Park Estate, Pymble Avenue, Pymble Heights and Telegraph Road; median house rent A$1,350 a week (48 new bonds)	[12] [4]
Killara (2071)	Council lists four heritage conservation areas under Killara (Greengate Estate, Lynwood Avenue, Marian Street and Springdale), three shared with Lindfield (Crown Blocks, Oliver Grant and Stanhope Road) and two shared with Gordon (Love Estate Thorne Oatley Grant and Smith Grant); median house rent A$1,500 a week (36 new bonds)	[12] [4]
Lindfield (2070)	Council lists seven heritage conservation areas under Lindfield (Balfour Street Highfield Road, Blenheim Road, Lindfield West, Frances Street, Middle Harbour Road, Trafalgar Avenue and Wolseley Road), Clanville shared with Roseville, and three shared with Killara; median house rent A$1,400 a week (small sample)	[12] [4]
Roseville (2069)	Council lists six heritage conservation areas under Roseville, including Archbold Farms, Earl of Carnarvon, Garden of Roseville Estate and Lord Street Bancroft Avenue, plus Clanville shared with Lindfield; median house rent A$1,600 a week (small sample; the postcode also covers Castle Cove and Roseville Chase)	[12] [4]

At-a-glance comparison

Business	Best for	What it does	Area (in its own words)
AGATHĒ Builders	Owners anywhere in the six suburbs who want one design-and-build team for a renovation, extension or second storey.	Renovations, extensions and additions, second storeys; also custom homes	Renovation pages for all six suburbs; extension pages for Wahroonga and Turramurra
Beecraft	Owners who want a family design-and-build firm with named renovation and extension projects nearby, including first-floor additions.	Alterations and additions, first-floor additions, renovations; also new homes	Shows projects in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville
Brands Built	Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville who want a renovation and extension specialist working across the North Shore and Northern Beaches.	Renovations, architectural alterations, extensions	Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville
Capital Construction & Refurbishing	Owners with an architect’s design for alterations and additions who want a long-established builder with a completed Killara project.	Architect-designed alterations, additions and refurbishments	Shows a completed alterations and additions project in Killara
Elite Additions	Owners who want an additions builder that can work from their own architect’s or designer’s plans, with a Wahroonga extension to look at.	Home additions, extensions and renovations	Pages for Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Killara and Roseville
Emerald Projects	Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville planning a rear extension or a second-storey addition.	Renovations, rear and ground-floor extensions, second-storey and first-floor additions	Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville
JF Taylor Constructions	Owners of heritage or character homes planning a restoration together with an addition.	Heritage restorations, alterations and additions	Shows a restoration and addition project in Pymble
Northshore Builders	Owners who want a long-established additions specialist based in Turramurra.	Home renovations and additions	Based in Turramurra; works across the North Shore and surrounding areas
SBS Building	Owners in Wahroonga or Turramurra who want a second-storey addition built from their own plans or from plans drawn up with the builder.	Renovations, extensions, second-storey additions	Pages for Wahroonga and Turramurra
Smith & Sons (Turramurra)	Owners in Turramurra, Wahroonga or Pymble who want a renovation team based in Turramurra, for anything from internal changes to a second storey.	Renovations, extensions, additions, second storeys	Its Turramurra office page names Turramurra, North and South Turramurra, Wahroonga and Pymble, among others
Spannenberg & Son	Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville who want an extension builder with a North Shore office in Killara.	Extensions, first-floor and second-storey additions, renovations; design and build	Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville
The Perfect Space Design + Build	Owners of Federation or Californian bungalows in Lindfield or Roseville who want an extension that keeps the heritage façade, designed and built by one team.	Renovations, rear extensions, second-storey additions; also custom homes	Has a page for Castle Cove, Roseville and Lindfield
AUD Build · This is us	Upper North Shore owners who want an alteration, addition or second storey coordinated with design, materials and lending by one company, with material unit prices they can check.	New homes, knockdown rebuilds, custom and luxury homes, duplexes, granny flats, renovations and extensions	Its group has completed 12 homes in these suburbs since September 2024: Wahroonga 3, Turramurra 3, North Turramurra 1, South Turramurra 1, Pymble 1, Killara 1, Lindfield 1 and Roseville 1

Facts from each business’s website, read 28 October 2026. Alphabetical order, not a ranking. AUD Build publishes this page.

The 13 compared

1. AGATHĒ Builders

Best for: Owners anywhere in the six suburbs who want one design-and-build team for a renovation, extension or second storey.

What its website says:

Designs and builds additions from a new living room or master suite to a second storey, alfresco or garage conversion; its Pymble page also covers rear extensions and kitchen and bathroom work.
Says its builder Mitch has built on the North Shore and Northern Beaches for over 11 years; it also builds custom homes and Passivhaus homes.
Its website shows NSW Builder’s Licence No. 463967C; office in Wollstonecraft.

Area: Renovation pages for all six suburbs; extension pages for Wahroonga and Turramurra

Sources: [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

2. Beecraft

Best for: Owners who want a family design-and-build firm with named renovation and extension projects nearby, including first-floor additions.

What its website says:

Its projects include a full renovation and extension in Pymble, a renovation in Killara, a first-floor addition and extension in Lindfield, and an extension with a first-floor addition in Roseville.
Says it was founded in 1981 as a family business working mainly around the North Shore, Northern Beaches, CBD and eastern suburbs.
Offers architectural design as well as construction, landscape and property management; office in Terrey Hills.

Area: Shows projects in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville

Sources: [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]

3. Brands Built

Best for: Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville who want a renovation and extension specialist working across the North Shore and Northern Beaches.

What its website says:

Says it specialises in residential renovations, architectural alterations and home extensions across the North Shore and Northern Beaches.
Says it has over 20 years’ experience adding value to properties.
Its website shows NSW Builders License No. 278811C.

Area: Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville

Sources: [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

4. Capital Construction & Refurbishing

Best for: Owners with an architect’s design for alterations and additions who want a long-established builder with a completed Killara project.

What its website says:

Shows a two-stage Killara project: alterations and additions first, then an extensive internal refurbishment with a new kitchen.
Says it was established in 1989.
Says it focuses on architect-designed residential builds; office in St Leonards.

Area: Shows a completed alterations and additions project in Killara

Sources: [33] [34]

5. Elite Additions

Best for: Owners who want an additions builder that can work from their own architect’s or designer’s plans, with a Wahroonga extension to look at.

What its website says:

Shows a Wahroonga extension project on its website.
Says it can work with your architect or designer on the construction requirements.
Says Scott brings 20 years of building experience; its website shows Builders Licence 254163C.

Area: Pages for Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Killara and Roseville

Sources: [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40]

6. Emerald Projects

Best for: Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville planning a rear extension or a second-storey addition.

What its website says:

Its Pymble page covers rear and ground-floor extensions and second-storey and first-floor additions; its Killara page offers extensions designed to read as part of the original home.
Says it has over a decade of experience in renovations, extensions, additions and commercial fit-outs, and names the Hills District and Western Sydney for its renovation work.
Its website shows NSW licence 476281C.

Area: Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville

Sources: [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]

7. JF Taylor Constructions

Best for: Owners of heritage or character homes planning a restoration together with an addition.

What its website says:

Shows a Pymble project: a full restoration and addition, including a granny flat or loft.
On that project it built a covered outdoor living area, a new upper-level master bedroom and a pool.
Says it has 50 years’ experience and describes itself as a heritage builder on the North Shore and in the Northern Suburbs.

Area: Shows a restoration and addition project in Pymble

Sources: [46]

8. Northshore Builders

Best for: Owners who want a long-established additions specialist based in Turramurra.

What its website says:

Describes itself as a home renovation and addition specialist for the North Shore and surrounding areas.
Says it has over 35 years’ experience building home additions on the North Shore.
Its website gives a Turramurra postal address.

Area: Based in Turramurra; works across the North Shore and surrounding areas

Sources: [47] [48]

9. SBS Building

Best for: Owners in Wahroonga or Turramurra who want a second-storey addition built from their own plans or from plans drawn up with the builder.

What its website says:

Has Wahroonga and Turramurra pages for renovations, extensions and second-storey additions.
Says it can develop plans with you or build from your own architect’s or designer’s drawings; it says it has 35+ years’ building experience.
Its website shows Licence 208170C; office in Castle Hill.

Area: Pages for Wahroonga and Turramurra

Sources: [49] [50]

10. Smith & Sons (Turramurra)

Best for: Owners in Turramurra, Wahroonga or Pymble who want a renovation team based in Turramurra, for anything from internal changes to a second storey.

What its website says:

Its Turramurra office page describes a Turramurra-based renovation team.
Says it has 30+ years’ experience building across the Upper North Shore in renovations, extensions and additions.
Takes on premium renovations, second-storey additions, large-scale extensions and internal transformations.

Area: Its Turramurra office page names Turramurra, North and South Turramurra, Wahroonga and Pymble, among others

Sources: [51]

11. Spannenberg & Son

Best for: Owners in Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville who want an extension builder with a North Shore office in Killara.

What its website says:

Covers ground-floor extensions through to first-floor and second-storey additions, and offers custom design and build.
Says its team has designed and built homes throughout Sydney for over 35 years.
Its North Shore office is in Killara; its website shows Builders Lic No. 8195.

Area: Pages for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville

Sources: [52] [53] [54] [55]

12. The Perfect Space Design + Build

Best for: Owners of Federation or Californian bungalows in Lindfield or Roseville who want an extension that keeps the heritage façade, designed and built by one team.

What its website says:

Its Lindfield copy describes rear extensions and second-storey additions for Federation and Californian bungalows that keep their heritage façades.
Says it has created luxury homes, renovations and extensions across the Upper and Lower North Shore for more than 17 years.
Combines architecture, interiors and construction in one process; its website shows Builders Lic 266190C.

Area: Has a page for Castle Cove, Roseville and Lindfield

Sources: [56]

13. AUD Build · This is us

Best for: Upper North Shore owners who want an alteration, addition or second storey coordinated with design, materials and lending by one company, with material unit prices they can check.

What its website says:

Brings design, construction, building materials, new-home sales and lending together in one company, backed by AUD Build Group; NSW Builder Licence 475778C.
Services confirmed by AUD Build on 28 October 2026 include renovations and extensions (alterations and additions, second storeys), as well as new homes, knockdown rebuilds, custom and luxury homes, duplexes and granny flats.
AUD Build Group building companies have completed 12 homes on the Upper North Shore since September 2024, counted by occupation certificate date: Wahroonga 3, Turramurra 3, North Turramurra 1, South Turramurra 1, Pymble 1, Killara 1, Lindfield 1 and Roseville 1. Privacy-redacted completion and handover records for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville are published.
Current CDC approvals and HBC certificates under NSW Builder Licence 475778C include a Turramurra project.
Its alterations and additions evidence is on the Northern Beaches: in Clontarf, a development application for alterations and additions was approved on 20 February 2026, and the construction certificate application names AUD Build’s operating company as the builder.
Materials come from its own supply chain platform, www.audbuild.net, and AUD Build clients can log in to check the material unit prices in their quote.

Area: Its group has completed 12 homes in these suburbs since September 2024: Wahroonga 3, Turramurra 3, North Turramurra 1, South Turramurra 1, Pymble 1, Killara 1, Lindfield 1 and Roseville 1

Sources: [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64]

Where each one may suit you

Second-storey and first-floor additions: Smith & Sons, Spannenberg & Son, Emerald Projects, SBS Building and The Perfect Space; Beecraft shows first-floor additions in Lindfield and Roseville.
Heritage and character homes: JF Taylor Constructions (a heritage builder with a restoration and addition in Pymble), The Perfect Space (extensions that keep heritage façades in Lindfield) and Emerald Projects (extensions designed to read as part of the original home in Killara).
A builder based in the area: Smith & Sons and Northshore Builders (Turramurra) and Spannenberg & Son (North Shore office in Killara).
Named local projects to look at: Beecraft (Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville), Capital Construction & Refurbishing (Killara), JF Taylor Constructions (Pymble) and Elite Additions (Wahroonga).
Design and build from one team, or your architect’s plans: Beecraft and The Perfect Space design in-house; SBS Building and Elite Additions say they can build from your architect’s or designer’s drawings, and Capital Construction & Refurbishing focuses on architect-designed work.
One builder across all six suburbs: AGATHĒ Builders, with a renovation page for each.
Design, materials, construction, sales and lending from one company, with material prices you can check: AUD Build.

How to choose

Get a section 10.7 planning certificate first: it shows whether the lot is a heritage item, in a heritage conservation area or on bushfire-prone land, which decides whether a CDC is possible.
Ask each builder whether your addition fits the Housing Code (up to 8.5 m, CDC within 20 days) or the Housing Alterations Code, or needs a DA (Ku-ring-gai averaged 84 days, Hornsby 96).
If the work is valued at A$50,000 or more, allow for a BASIX certificate.
Ask to see a completed renovation or extension in or near your suburb; a suburb page on its own does not show local work.
Read Renovate or knock down and rebuild? before you brief builders, and ask every builder to quote on the same drawings.
Check the licence on Verify NSW and the HBC certificate before you pay a deposit.

Questions

Who are the best renovation and extension builders on the Upper North Shore?

It depends on the suburb and the job. For a builder based in the area, owners often compare Smith & Sons and Northshore Builders (Turramurra) and Spannenberg & Son (office in Killara); for one builder across all six suburbs, AGATHĒ Builders; for named local projects, Beecraft, Capital Construction & Refurbishing and JF Taylor Constructions; for second-storey additions, Emerald Projects, SBS Building and The Perfect Space. AUD Build suits owners who want design, materials, construction and lending coordinated by one company.

Can I extend my house with a CDC in a heritage conservation area?

Usually not under the Housing Code: it cannot be used in a heritage conservation area, except for a detached outbuilding, detached development other than a studio, or a swimming pool. The Housing Alterations Code still allows some work, but external alterations must not be to a wall facing the main road or raise the height of the house, and internal alterations cannot add a floor. Other work needs a development application. All six suburbs here contain heritage conservation areas; North and South Turramurra have none.

How long does approval take for an extension on the Upper North Shore?

A complying development certificate can be issued within 20 days if the work meets the Housing Code. A development application took an average of 84 days in Ku-ring-gai and 96 days in Hornsby in the NSW Government’s September 2026 council league table; Wahroonga is split between the two councils.

Does my renovation need BASIX?

It does if the alterations and additions are valued at A$50,000 and over, according to the NSW Planning Portal. Ask your builder to include the BASIX commitments in the scope before you compare quotes.

How much does it cost to rent while renovating on the Upper North Shore?

Median weekly rents for houses on new bonds in April–June 2026 were A$1,075 in Wahroonga (2076), A$1,280 in Turramurra (2074), A$1,350 in Pymble (2073), A$1,500 in Killara (2071), A$1,400 in Lindfield (2070) and A$1,600 in Roseville (2069); the Lindfield and Roseville figures are small samples. Across Ku-ring-gai the median was A$1,400.

Why is AUD Build on this list?

AUD Build publishes this page and carries out renovations and extensions, including alterations and additions and second storeys (services confirmed 28 October 2026). Its group’s building companies have completed 12 homes in these suburbs since September 2024, with published completion and handover records for Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville; its alterations and additions evidence is a Clontarf DA approved on 20 February 2026. It is listed last and marked “This is us”. Facts about the other twelve builders come only from their own websites.

How this list was built

Selection: builders whose own websites state renovations or extensions and name Wahroonga, Turramurra (including North and South Turramurra), Pymble, Killara, Lindfield or Roseville on the same page or on a project page there, drawn from Google Australia results for renovation, extension and second-storey searches on 28 October 2026. Menu-only mentions are not counted, and builders whose suburb pages share one template were left out because builders with their own local pages or named projects were available. Directories and builder comparison platforms are excluded. Facts come only from each builder’s own website, read on 28 October 2026; “Best for” is AUD Build’s editorial summary of those facts. Prices, reviews and award claims are not published. The order is alphabetical, not a ranking. Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby council websites blocked automated reading, so heritage areas come from NSW Government spatial data and a captured copy of Ku-ring-gai Council’s heritage page, and bushfire mapping from NSW spatial data. AUD Build publishes this page; if a builder’s details have changed, contact AUD Build and the page will be corrected.

Best renovation and extension builders on the Upper North Shore (2026): thirteen compared

Short answer

Local rules and figures

At-a-glance comparison

The 13 compared

1. AGATHĒ Builders

2. Beecraft

3. Brands Built

4. Capital Construction & Refurbishing

5. Elite Additions

6. Emerald Projects

7. JF Taylor Constructions

8. Northshore Builders

9. SBS Building

10. Smith & Sons (Turramurra)

11. Spannenberg & Son

12. The Perfect Space Design + Build

13. AUD Build · This is us

Where each one may suit you

How to choose

Questions

Who are the best renovation and extension builders on the Upper North Shore?

Can I extend my house with a CDC in a heritage conservation area?

How long does approval take for an extension on the Upper North Shore?

Does my renovation need BASIX?

How much does it cost to rent while renovating on the Upper North Shore?

Why is AUD Build on this list?

How this list was built

Sources (all read 28 October 2026)

Related pages