Renovation and extension is now the largest trade category in the DA Leads database. As of 7 April 2026, we track 4,582 renovation-related applications out of 23,973 total DAs, or 19.1% of the national pipeline.

The pattern matters because renovation demand is not clustering in just one type of market. The biggest single hotspot in the current snapshot is Logan City, but the broader pattern still spans inner Sydney, Brisbane, Bayside Melbourne, and other councils with active homeowner-led projects.

Renovation hotspots across Australian suburbs

Renovation hotspots across Australian suburbs: a conceptual editorial image for homeowner-led renovation activity and planning-visible project concentration. Source: DA Leads editorial illustration based on the current internal renovation DA snapshot, queried 2026-04-07.

Renovation in the Current DA Mix

Category	DAs	Share of all tracked DAs
Renovation / Extension	4,582	19.1%
New Dwelling	3,008	12.5%
Subdivision	2,400	10.0%
Commercial / Industrial	1,704	7.1%
Swimming Pool / Spa	1,429	6.0%
Demolition	1,053	4.4%

This is the part of the renovation market that enters council approval systems. It does not capture every cosmetic refresh, bathroom swap, or like-for-like kitchen refit. It does capture the heavier end of the pipeline: extensions, structural rework, large alterations, and projects that trigger planning review.

Where the Biggest Hotspots Are

The top end of the ranking is concentrated, but not dominated by a single state. The top eight councils account for 1,266 renovation DAs, or 27.6% of the national renovation pipeline in the current database snapshot.

Council	State	Renovation DAs
Logan City Council	QLD	344
Council of the City of Sydney	NSW	204
Brisbane City Council	QLD	164
Inner West Council	NSW	127
Northern Beaches Council	NSW	120
Central Coast Council	NSW	112
Woollahra Municipal Council	NSW	101
Bayside City Council	VIC	94

Two things stand out.

First, NSW still owns the deepest renovation pipeline by volume. It contributes 2,570 renovation DAs, which is 56.1% of all renovation records in the current national snapshot. If you are a builder, architect, or supplier with Sydney or coastal NSW coverage, that depth matters more than any single prestige suburb narrative.

Second, Queensland is carried by a few very large councils rather than a long tail. Logan and Brisbane alone account for 508 renovation DAs, more than Victoria's top eight councils combined. If you work south of Brisbane, this is not background noise. It is a live approval pipeline.

What This Data Actually Signals

Renovation DA data is not a measure of all household spending. It is a measure of planning-visible projects. That makes it more useful for tradies than a generic renovation spending survey, because these are jobs that have already crossed into paperwork, consultants, and council process.

The signal tends to mean one of three things:

The project is large enough to change the building envelope.
The property sits in a heritage or other permit-sensitive context.
The owner has already committed enough time and money to enter a formal approval process.

For lead generation, this is the point. You are not looking for every homeowner who might renovate one day. You are looking for the subset already moving.

How to Use the Hotspot Pattern

Play	Best fit councils	What the pipeline usually implies
High-volume metro follow-up	Logan, Brisbane, City of Sydney	Steady flow, faster qualification matters more than perfect personalisation
Premium established-suburb work	Woollahra, Northern Beaches, Bayside	Higher-spec renovation jobs, more design-sensitive quoting
Broad homeowner pipeline	Inner West, Central Coast, Newcastle-adjacent markets	Consistent extension and alteration work across mixed housing stock

The practical move is simple. Pick two or three councils that match your travel radius and project size, then monitor them every week. If your work is premium and design-heavy, watch the established metro councils. Our top Victorian councils for renovation work drills into the VIC side of this ranking. If your business runs on volume and fast response, the large suburban councils will usually reward speed more than polish.

Find Renovation Leads Near You

If renovation work is part of your core trade, this category is already the biggest pool in the DA Leads database. The edge is not discovering that renovation demand exists. The edge is knowing which councils are active right now, and filtering that list down to the areas you can actually service. For a broader view of the national DA pipeline, see our analysis of 23,973 DAs.

Key takeaway: NSW contributes 2,570 renovation DAs, or 56.1% of all renovation records in the current national snapshot. Logan and Brisbane alone account for 508, more than Victoria's top eight councils combined.

Browse renovation and extension leads or set up your trade preferences to get alerts when new renovation DAs land in your area.