Free tool · Builders, certifiers, event and film crews

Notice period calculator

Pick your state and the type of notice. It works out the last day of the notice period, skipping weekends, public holidays and the Christmas break where the rules say to, or how late you can deliver for a set start date.

A calendar with the notice period days marked, a letterbox with a notice in it and a worker holding a letter

Quick answer: Count the notice period from the day after the notice reaches the letterbox. Business-day periods skip weekends and public holidays. NSW exhibition periods skip 20 December to 10 January and Queensland public notification skips 20 December to 5 January.

Work out the dates

How the days are counted

  • The delivery day does not count. If notices go in letterboxes on Monday, day one is Tuesday.
  • Calendar days include weekends and public holidays.
  • Business days (or working days) leave out Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in your state. The calculator uses state-wide holidays. Local show days and regional holidays are not included, so allow for them if they apply.
  • Posted notices take longer to arrive. Some rules treat a posted letter as received a few business days after posting, so the calculator adds 4 business days when you choose post.
  • Clear days. Some permits say “clear days”, which means neither the delivery day nor the start day counts. The calculator already works this way.

Notice periods by state

StateTypical periods
NSWCDC work: 7 days before work starts in Sydney and metro areas, 2 days in regional areas. DA exhibition: usually 14 days, 28 for designated development, with 20 December to 10 January not counted.
VICPlanning permit advertising: 14 days. Protection work notice: the neighbour has 14 days to reply.
QLDPublic notification for impact assessment: 15 business days, with 20 December to 5 January not counted.
SAPublic notification: 15 business days. Building work affecting adjoining land: 20 business days.
WADA advertising: 14 days standard, 28 days complex. BA20 notice for building work affecting other land: 28 days.
TASDA advertising: 14 days. Protection work notice: 21 days.
ACTDA notification: 15 working days, 20 for significant development.
NTDA exhibition: 14 days, 28 for prescribed development, 7 for limited notification. Protection works notice: 14 days.

These are the common statutory minimums. Councils, certifiers and permits often ask for longer, and the number on your own paperwork is the one that counts.

Common questions

Can I start on the last day of the notice period?

No. Start the day after it ends. That is the date the calculator shows.

Does a public holiday make a 14 day notice longer?

Not if the period is in calendar days. Only business-day and working-day periods skip holidays.

What if a neighbour says they never got the notice?

Keep a record of when and where you delivered. A walk list with the date of each street, or a signed notification report, answers the question quickly.

Who sets the period?

The law sets a minimum. Your council, certifier or permit can set a longer one. If they differ, use the longer period.

Get the notices out on time

Once you know the date, you need the addresses. Build a list of every letterbox inside your notification distance, grab a free notice template, and check the notification rules for your state.

Every letterbox inside your circle

Pin the site, set the distance and get the walk list in about ten seconds. The count is free.

Build a list