Photographic archival recording · NSW
Your archival recording, report 24 hours after the site visit
Prices from $2,500 + GST. Done to the Heritage NSW guidelines. Prepared by qualified heritage consultants.
A dedicated archival recording service from Trace Heritage.
A known price and a known date
Published prices
Standard from $2,500 + GST, express from $3,000 + GST. A fixed quote once we've seen your conditions. No hourly rates.
24 hours express
Report within 24 hours of the site visit.
Site visit within 3 business days
Anywhere in Greater Sydney. Regional NSW by quote.
Compliance guarantee
If council or your certifier says the report doesn't meet the guidelines, we fix it free.
Qualified author, named
Every report is prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant.
Prices
Starting prices for one dwelling or small building, exterior, interior and setting. Your quote fixes the price.
What's includedStandard PAR
From$2,500+ GST
- Report within 5 business days of the site visit
- Site visit within 3 business days, Greater Sydney
Express PAR
FastestFrom$3,000+ GST
- Report within 24 hours of the site visit
- Site visit within 3 business days, Greater Sydney
How it works
- 1
Send your conditions
Enter the address, press Request a quote, attach the consent conditions and any plans.
- 2
We visit the site
Site visit within 3 business days. We photograph the exterior, interior and setting.
- 3
You get the report
In 24 hours (express) or 5 business days (standard) after the visit.
- 4
You lodge it
Send it to council or your certifier to satisfy the condition.
What you get
The six parts the guidelines ask for, in their order, plus the photos renamed to match and an image log spreadsheet.
See what's in the reportCover
Item name and listing, address, Lot and DP, council, author, photographer and dates, with a key image.
- 1
Introduction
Purpose, site and heritage listings, description, technical details and limitations.
- 2
Base plans
Each photo numbered on the drawings, with camera position, direction of view, north point and legend.
- 3
Key images
The photos that matter most, one per page, with a full caption.
- 4
Thumbnail sheets
Every photo, six to a page, numbered in order.
- 5
Image log
Number, file, view direction, date and description for every photo.
Why recordings get sent back
An archival recording is a technical document, not a folder of photos. When it's wrong, the construction certificate or demolition waits, and the building may already have changed.
What the guidelines requirePhotos not located on the plans
Every photograph has to be shown on a base plan with its position, direction of view and number.
Numbers that don’t match
One reference number per photo, used identically on the plans, the thumbnails, the image log and the file names.
Missing views
The setting, every elevation, the interiors and the significant details all need to be covered.
Wrong structure
The report has to follow the parts and order the guidelines set out, with the technical details stated.
Wrong file format
Heritage NSW asks for a specific archival PDF format, at a set resolution, with searchable text.
Unqualified author
The recording should be prepared by someone with heritage expertise, named on the report.
Compliance guarantee. If the council, your certifier or Heritage NSW asks for changes because the report does not meet the archival recording guidelines or the recording condition you sent us, we make them at no cost, including a return site visit if one is needed.
Who orders from us
Builders
Tick the condition off before demolition or the construction certificate holds the job up.
Developers and project managers
A fixed price and date you can put in the programme.
Owners
Knockdown-rebuild or renovation with a heritage condition on the consent.
Architects
Hand the recording condition to us and keep the DA moving.
Heritage firms
Subcontract PARs to us.
Who we are
PAR is a specialist photographic archival recording service operated by Trace Heritage Pty Ltd, a Sydney heritage consultancy. We do one thing: archival recordings for NSW conditions of consent, at a published price and turnaround. Every report is prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant from Trace Heritage.
Need a statement of heritage impact, heritage advice or a conservation plan? That's Trace Heritage's wider practice. Visit Trace Heritage
More about usQuestions
All questionsWill council or my certifier accept it?
The report is prepared to the Heritage NSW guidelines for archival recordings (2025) by qualified heritage consultants, with the author named on it. That is what councils and certifiers look for. If the council, your certifier or Heritage NSW asks for changes because the report does not meet the archival recording guidelines or the recording condition you sent us, we make them at no cost, including a return site visit if one is needed. We can't control how long council takes to sign off.
What do you need from me?
The consent conditions (or just the condition number and DA number), any approved or existing plans you have, access to the site and a contact person on the day.
When do I need a PAR?
Usually it is a condition of consent. It is normally required before demolition, before works start, or before the construction certificate is issued. Your conditions say which. If you're unsure, send them with your quote request and we'll tell you.
How fast is it?
Site visit within 3 business days in Greater Sydney. Then the report: 5 business days for standard par (from $2,500 + GST), or 24 hours for express par (from $3,000 + GST).
Get a quote for your property
From $2,500 + GST. Enter the address and we'll write the quote request for you.