Can cleaning water go down the stormwater drain?

No. In NSW it is an offence to pollute waters, which includes putting cleaning run-off into drains and gutters that carry rainwater. We bund drains, recover wash water and take it away.

Is pressure cleaning allowed under Sydney's water rules?

Building exteriors such as walls can be washed with high-pressure equipment. Hard surfaces like paving shouldn't be hosed except for safety, health, emergency, construction or surface-contamination reasons, so we limit wet work to treating contamination and slip hazards, using as little water as possible.

Do I need council approval to clean heritage sandstone?

It depends on your council and the work. Many councils treat minor works and maintenance under clause 5.10 of their LEP, often with written confirmation needed before work starts. Restoration, repointing or coating removal is more likely to need confirmation, so check with your council first.

Does a stone cleaning contractor need a licence in NSW?

Building Commission NSW licenses a minor maintenance and cleaning category, which covers pressure washing and protective coatings. A contractor licence is required for this work when the job is worth more than $5,000 including GST.

What hours can you work at my house?

Power equipment on residential premises shouldn't be heard in a neighbour's home outside 7am to 8pm on weekdays, or 8am to 8pm on weekends and public holidays. We work within those hours.

Can my strata building's sandstone be cleaned if I own one apartment?

Usually the owners corporation is responsible for common property such as external walls, entries and shared paving, and individual owners can't do work on it without approval. We work with strata managers and committees.

Stone Cleaning Regulations NSW

Last reviewed 5 November 2026. This is a plain-language summary for homeowners, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the linked sources or your council for your situation.

Cleaning and sealing stone looks simple, but in NSW it touches environmental law, water rules, contractor licensing, heritage controls, strata law, noise limits and workplace safety. This page summarises the rules we plan every job around, so you know what to expect from us and what to check with any contractor.

Wash water and the stormwater drain

Stormwater drains in Sydney carry water straight to creeks, the harbour and the ocean without treatment. Under section 120 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 it is an offence to pollute any waters, and that includes putting anything other than rain into a drain, channel or gutter built to carry rainwater. Councils and the NSW EPA can issue on-the-spot penalty notices. Hunters Hill Council, for example, lists council penalty notices of $4,000 for individuals and $8,000 for corporations, and courts can impose far higher fines.

What it means on your job: cleaning run-off carries biocides, detergents, loosened grime and sometimes old sealer. We bund drains and gutters before starting, recover wash water with wet vacuums and containment mats, and take it away for appropriate disposal. If a contractor plans to hose cleaning water down the driveway into the street, that's a red flag.

Sydney Water's Water Wise Guidelines

The Water Wise Guidelines apply to every home and business in Greater Sydney. Two points matter for stone work:

Hosing hard surfaces such as paths, driveways and paved areas isn't permitted unless it's needed for safety, health or emergency reasons, construction activity or surface contamination.
Building exteriors, including walls, can be washed using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure water cleaning equipment.

What it means on your job: we don't hose paving for routine tidying. Our wet work is targeted treatment of contamination such as mould, algae, lichen and staining, and slip hazards. We use low-volume equipment, trigger shut-offs and as little water as the method allows. If you're unsure how the guidelines apply to your property, Sydney Water can advise.

Contractor licensing and written contracts

In NSW, contractor licensing for residential building and trade work is administered by Building Commission NSW. There is a specific licence category for minor maintenance and cleaning, which covers non-structural maintenance and cleaning of existing structures. Its qualification areas include pressure washing, graffiti removal and brick cleaning, and applying protective coatings to surfaces. A contractor licence is needed to contract for or advertise work in this category when a job is worth more than $5,000 (including GST) in labour and materials.

Residential building work over $5,000 also needs a written contract. Jobs between $5,000 and $20,000 can use a small jobs contract, and jobs over $20,000 need a full home building contract. The contractor must give you the Consumer Building Guide before signing.

What it means for you: for larger jobs, ask any contractor for their licence number and check it on the NSW public register, and expect a written contract.

Heritage items and heritage conservation areas

Much of the Eastern Suburbs sandstone is heritage-listed or sits in a heritage conservation area. Paddington, Woollahra and Watsons Bay are examples, along with smaller areas in Vaucluse, Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay, Darling Point, Double Bay, Bronte, Coogee, Randwick and Manly. Under clause 5.10 of each council's Local Environmental Plan, work to a heritage item or in a conservation area generally needs development consent. Councils can, however, confirm in writing that minor works or maintenance don't need consent, as long as the work won't harm the heritage significance.

Woollahra Council, for example, asks owners to notify it and receive written confirmation before work starts. Its examples of possible minor works include repointing sandstone in the traditional manner with traditional materials, and it excludes painting stonework. Woollahra defines maintenance as ongoing protective care that doesn't remove or disturb existing fabric or introduce new materials. Items on the State Heritage Register can need separate approval under the Heritage Act.

What it means on your job: gentle cleaning is the least invasive work there is, but councils differ in how they treat it. For heritage-listed homes and conservation areas, especially where restoration, repointing, coating removal or a new sealer is involved, check with your council first. We supply a written scope of work and method for that conversation.

Apartments and strata common property

Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, the owners corporation must maintain and repair common property (section 106). An individual lot owner must not carry out work on common property without authorisation (section 111), and alterations to common property need a special resolution (section 108). External sandstone walls, shared paths, entry steps and pool surrounds in a strata scheme are usually common property.

What it means on your job: in apartments and strata terraces, the owners corporation or strata manager engages us for common-property stone, or approves the work in writing first. We can provide a scope and method statement for committee meetings.

Noise hours for power equipment

The Protection of the Environment Operations (Noise Control) Regulation 2017 limits when power tools and equipment on residential premises may be heard in a neighbour's home. As summarised by Woollahra Council, the allowed hours are 7am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The NSW EPA has consulted on a replacement noise regulation, so these hours could change.

What it means on your job: pressure-cleaning units, compressors and rotary machines only run within those hours, and normally well inside them.

Silica dust and worker safety

Natural sandstone is mostly quartz, a form of crystalline silica. Since 1 September 2024, NSW work health and safety rules for crystalline silica substances require controls when power tools are used to cut, grind, sand, abrasively polish or drill materials with at least 1% crystalline silica. Those controls include water suppression or on-tool dust extraction, respiratory protection and a risk assessment. Engineered stone has been banned since 1 July 2024. That doesn't affect natural sandstone or travertine.

What it means on your job: cleaning and sealing don't create silica dust. Any honing, grinding or repair on sandstone is done wet or with extraction, with the right respiratory protection. Travertine is calcium carbonate rather than quartz, but we control dust and slurry on every job anyway.

Slip resistance around pools and steps

Australian Standard AS 4586 classifies the slip resistance of new pedestrian surfaces, and Standards Australia's handbook SA HB 198:2014 recommends minimum classifications for different locations. Summaries of HB 198, such as ACO's, list P4 (or Class B barefoot) for swimming pool surrounds and P5 (Class C) for pool ramps and stairs leading into water. Existing surfaces are measured under a separate standard, AS 4663. HB 198 is guidance. Whether a particular rating is required for your project is a question for your designer, builder or certifier.

What it means on your job: glossy film-forming coatings can make stone slippery when wet, which is one reason we don't use them outdoors. Penetrating sealers sit inside the stone and generally keep its texture. Around pools and on steps we test the finish on a patch before sealing the whole area, and we'll tell you if a surface needs a slip-resistance specialist.

Your consumer guarantees

Under the Australian Consumer Law, services come with automatic guarantees. They must be provided with due care and skill, be fit for any purpose you made known, and be delivered within a reasonable time if no date was agreed. Nothing in our quotes or terms limits those rights.

Regulations & compliance