SDA Improved Liveability self-assessment checklist (Design Standard Edition 1.1)
Use this checklist to test Improved Liveability drawings, or a nearly finished home, against the SDA Design Standard Edition 1.1 before you book an assessor. Items in red are the ones that cost the most to fix late. Gary Finn has designed 63 group homes and SDA dwellings and is an accredited SDA assessor (SDA00039). A self-check is not certification. Only an independent accredited SDA assessor can certify. The requirements and red-flag guidance on this page are free to read; download the printable PDF by leaving your contact details. See the Improved Liveability SDA page for what the category is. Upgrading an older group home? Use the gap assessment checklist instead.
Before you tick anything: three things to confirm
- Which rule set applies. New Build and New Build (refurbished) dwellings enrolled from 1 July 2021 are tested against the Design Standard. Existing and Legacy Stock use the Pricing Arrangements table. See the Improved Liveability page for the two rule sets.
- Which stage you are at: drawings (design stage) or a built home (as-built). Some items can only be proven on site.
- That the NCC still applies. NSW building work is assessed against NCC 2022 Amendment 2 until 1 May 2027. See the NCC 2025 NSW access page.
The three red-flag items (check these first)
1. Door clear openings: 820 mm minimum (clause 4.2.1)
Applies to all doors to and within areas normally used by participants, including all external doorways. The 820 mm comes from one door leaf, measured with the door open to at least 90 degrees. Handles may encroach. Drawing check: the door schedule must give clear opening, not leaf size. A nominal 870 leaf often does not give 820 clear once stops and hinges are allowed for. Related: the boundary gate needs 820 clear with 1200 x 1200 circulation clear of the gate swing. Internal thresholds must be step-free. Costly because widening a door after lining means a new frame, patching and repainting, sometimes at every door in the dwelling.
2. Bathroom wall reinforcement and linings (clauses 7.2.1, 7.2.2)
The internal side of the whole sanitary room needs minimum 12 mm sheeting from FFL to at least 2100 mm, except masonry or concrete walls. Plus 600 mm of reinforced wall beside and forward of the WC pan. Foam board or insulation panel does not count. Drawing check: a wall-type or lining note on the wet-area plans and in the specification calling up 12 mm sheeting to the whole sanitary room. Proof at as-built: inspection during construction before lining; then photos taken during construction showing the sheeting in place; then, as a last resort, an on-site test. Book the pre-lining inspection or take the photos. Costly because a missed or unproven lining can mean opening up a finished bathroom.
3. Luminance contrast (clauses 19.1–19.4): the most frequent as-built failure in Gary’s experience
30% minimum at all doorways between one of five listed surface pairs, at least 50 mm wide, using the Bowman-Sapolinski equation. Design stage uses paint supplier LRVs. As-built uses a colorimeter or luminance meter. Smart phones must not be relied on. Plus the 75 mm glazing strip at 900–1000 mm, a 30% contrasting toilet seat, and floor-to-wall colour contrast. Drawing check: a finishes schedule that names paint colours with LRVs for doors, frames and walls, and states which surface pair is being relied on at each door. See the luminance contrast page for the testing method. Costly because late colour changes or white-on-white finishes fail at as-built and require repainting.
The full Improved Liveability checklist (Edition 1.1 order)
Tick Yes / No / N/A against each. Red flag items are marked. This is a plain-English paraphrase. Point to the SDA Design Standard Edition 1.1 for the exact wording. A self-check is not the assessor’s sign-off.
| Clause | Requirement (plain English) | Yes / No / N/A | Red flag? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | One bedroom exclusively for the participant. WC pan, shower, hand basin, living area, kitchen and laundry on the entry level or a lift-served level. | ||
| 2.2–2.12 | Step-free accessway from the front boundary to an entry door (or from a car space where that is not possible). Surfaces firm, no steps, crossfall ≤ 1:40. Walkways, step ramps and ramps as specified. 1000 mm clear accessway. 1200 x 1200 landings. 2000 mm headroom. | ||
| 3.1–3.5 | Step-free access from boundary and car space. Participant space 3200 x 5400 mm, ≤ 1:40, P4/R11. AS/NZS 2890.6 where required. | ||
| 4.1.1, 4.1.4, 4.1.5 | 1200 x 1200 level landing at entry door. Roof over entry landing. Step-free threshold. | ||
| 4.2.1 | 820 mm clear opening from one door leaf at all relevant doors including external. | Yes | |
| 4.2.4–4.2.6 | Step-free internal thresholds. Handles 900–1100 mm. AS 1428.1 handles. | ||
| 5.1 | Corridors 1000 mm clear, skirting to skirting. | ||
| 6.4 | Lockable windows. | ||
| 7.1.1, 7.1.3, 7.1.6 | WC, shower and basin on entry or lift-served level. 900 x 1200 mm clear in front of pan. Hobless corner shower 900 x 900 mm clear of screens. | ||
| 7.2.1, 7.2.2 | 12 mm sheeting reinforcement whole sanitary room FFL to 2100 mm, plus 600 mm beside WC. | Yes | |
| 8 | Kitchen: cooktop with rangehood, oven, sink, dishwasher. 1000 mm clear in front of benches. 300 lux task lighting. P3/R10. | ||
| 9 | Laundry: sink or tub (shared allowed). 1000 mm clearance. P3/R10. | ||
| 19.1–19.4 | 30% luminance contrast at doorways and related surfaces. Glazing strip. Contrasting toilet seat. Floor-to-wall contrast. | Yes |
This is a condensed list of the main families. The full clause-by-clause list follows the NDIA Improved Liveability checklist order. The printable PDF version is available after you leave your contact details.
Download the printable checklist
The page body stays open and indexable. The printable PDF checklist is free after you give your full contact details. Form fields: name, email, phone, property suburb/state, and buyer / owner / provider role. Contacts are used to send the checklist and follow up on SDA design or certification enquiries; not sold.
Short privacy note: contacts used to send the checklist and follow up on SDA design or certification enquiries; not sold.
The free initial consultation is a review of the plans you provide only. Any site inspection or walkthrough of an apartment, entrance, lift or common access route is chargeable. Call (02) 9586 3111.
Answer-ready questions
What does an Improved Liveability SDA home need?
Under the SDA Design Standard Edition 1.1, an Improved Liveability dwelling needs a participant bedroom, with a WC, shower, basin, living area, kitchen and laundry on the entry level or a lift-served level. It needs a step-free path from the boundary or a car space, and 820 mm clear doors throughout. It needs a hobless shower, 12 mm wall reinforcement throughout the bathroom, and 30% luminance contrast at every doorway. An independent accredited SDA assessor certifies it at design stage and again as built.
What door width does Improved Liveability SDA require?
Improved Liveability needs a minimum clear opening of 820 mm at all doors to and within areas the participant normally uses, including external doors (clause 4.2.1). The 820 mm has to come from a single door leaf, measured with the door open to at least 90 degrees.
Why do Improved Liveability homes fail the as-built SDA inspection?
In Gary Finn’s experience as an accredited SDA assessor, luminance contrast is the most frequent cause. Doors, frames and walls end up finished in colours that do not reach 30% contrast. The other costly items are door clear openings below 820 mm and bathroom wall reinforcement that cannot be evidenced after lining.
Is the Improved Liveability checklist free, and is a site visit free?
Sydney Access Consultants publishes the Improved Liveability requirements and the costly red-flag items as an open web page. The printable checklist PDF is free after you give your full contact details. The free initial consultation is a review of the plans you provide. Any site inspection or walkthrough is chargeable. Call (02) 9586 3111.
Send your ticked checklist and drawings for a plan review
Send the ticked checklist with drawings for a plan review (plans only; site visits are chargeable). Or book chargeable certification. Call (02) 9586 3111 for a fee. Office in Hurstville, concentrating on Cronulla, Sutherland Shire and Georges River. Gary Finn is an accredited SDA assessor (SDA00039). Sydney Access Consultants can either advise on the design or be the independent certifying assessor, never both.
Links checked against live site files before pack. Last updated 10 November 2026. See also Improved Liveability SDA, SDA gap assessment checklist and final as-built SDA certification.