Ideal if you're:
Upload your plans, site information or project documentation and we'll review your project before providing a fixed-fee proposal.
Architect-led
Visual assessment advice
National
Project experience
12+ years
Industry experience
35+ people
Coordinated national team
You don't need a complete planning package before getting started. Send us your available plans, site information and approval requirements, and we'll review what is needed for your project.
After reviewing your project, you'll receive:
Why project teams choose Certified Energy
1. Upload your plans, site photos or project information
2. We review the site, proposal and approval requirements
3. We contact you to confirm the assessment scope and required viewpoints
4. You receive a clear fixed-fee quotation and recommended next steps
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Is this service right for you?
This service is designed for project teams that need to understand, document or respond to the potential visual effects of a proposed development.
Planning applications
Prepare clear visual assessment documentation where council, a consent authority or a planning consultant has identified visual impact as a project consideration.
Design development
Assess likely visibility and sensitive viewpoints while there is still time to refine siting, scale, form, materials or landscape responses.
Authority response
Respond to visual impact concerns, nominated viewpoints or additional reporting requirements with a clearly defined and proportionate assessment scope.
Where do you start?
Visual concerns often emerge during planning review, when project teams are asked to demonstrate where a development may be visible and how it responds to its setting.
A Visual Impact Assessment establishes a clear evidence base for design decisions, planning submissions and responses to authority concerns.
Topography, surrounding development, vegetation and viewing distance all influence which locations may require closer assessment.
Public roads, neighbouring properties, scenic locations and other sensitive viewpoints may carry different levels of planning significance.
Early findings can help inform siting, height, form, materials, screening and landscape measures before changes become difficult or costly.
Planning your Visual Impact Assessment
Every site is different. The appropriate assessment depends on the surrounding landscape, the proposed development, planning requirements and the locations from which the project may be seen.
Send us your plans, planning information or project documentation and we'll explain the most appropriate assessment pathway.
SEND WHAT YOU HAVEWe review the proposed development, site context and available planning information to understand the project's visual considerations.
We establish the locations, viewing audiences and landscape context that should be considered as part of the assessment.
You'll receive a clearly defined scope, recommended methodology and a fixed quotation tailored to your project's planning requirements.
What you'll receive
Rather than navigating planning requirements alone, you'll receive an assessment tailored to your project, its surroundings and the relevant approval pathway.
The final scope and deliverables are matched to your site's characteristics, planning context and authority requirements.
Item 01
A professionally prepared assessment describing the project's visual effects within its surrounding landscape and built environment.
Item 02
Assessment criteria, viewpoints and reporting scope are selected to suit the planning context rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Item 03
Reporting prepared to support development applications, environmental assessments or responses to requests for further information.
Item 04
Where relevant, we identify opportunities to reduce visual impacts through siting, design refinement, materials or landscape responses.
Industry expertise
Visual impact is rarely about a single viewpoint. It requires an understanding of landscape, planning, design and how people experience places. Our assessments combine these disciplines to produce practical, evidence-based reporting for development projects.
Whether supporting a planning application or responding to authority feedback, we provide independent advice that helps project teams make informed decisions with confidence.
Our team understands how planning outcomes are influenced by design decisions, landscape context and the built environment—not just technical reporting.
Through our collaboration with Urbanfinity, we can integrate advanced GIS, terrain modelling and viewshed analysis where projects require a higher level of visual assessment.
We support residential, commercial, infrastructure and renewable energy projects across Australia, adapting each assessment to the planning framework and project context.
Our recommendations are based on planning context, site conditions and objective analysis, helping project teams respond confidently to approval requirements.
How it works
Start with the information already available. We review the proposal, confirm the assessment scope and guide the project through to clear planning documentation.
Step 01
Share any available plans, site information, planning correspondence, photos or supporting project documentation.
Step 02
Our team reviews the proposal, site context and approval requirements before confirming the appropriate methodology and deliverables.
Step 03
We examine visibility, key viewpoints, landscape character and the relationship between the proposal and its surrounding context.
Step 04
You receive clear, project-specific documentation prepared to support planning review, design decisions or authority responses.
Start with what you have
Send your available plans, site information, planning correspondence or project details. We'll review what you've provided, confirm the most appropriate assessment pathway and let you know if anything else is required.
SEND YOUR PROJECT INFORMATIONFrequently Asked Questions
A Visual Impact Assessment evaluates how a proposed development may be seen from surrounding locations and assesses its visual relationship with the existing landscape or built environment. The assessment supports planning decisions with clear, evidence-based reporting.
Requirements vary between councils, planning authorities and project types. Visual Impact Assessments are commonly requested for developments that may affect surrounding landscapes, scenic values, neighbouring properties or important public viewpoints.
We typically require available architectural drawings, site plans, survey information, planning correspondence and any relevant authority requirements. If you don't have everything yet, send what you have and we'll advise what else may be needed.
Where appropriate, yes. The need for a site inspection depends on the project, available information and planning requirements. We'll recommend the most suitable approach during our initial project review.
Yes. Where appropriate, assessments can incorporate advanced spatial analysis, including viewshed modelling and GIS-based assessment techniques, depending on the project's complexity and planning requirements.
Yes. Completing an assessment early can identify opportunities to refine siting, building form, materials, landscaping or screening before planning submissions are finalised.
If you'd like to understand the assessment process in more detail, read our Visual Impact Assessment guide. It explains how visual effects are evaluated, the evidence that may be used and the planning considerations that can influence an assessment.
Simply send us your available plans, site information or planning documentation. We'll review your project, confirm the appropriate assessment scope, provide a fixed quotation and explain the next steps.
