Frequently Asked Questions

Here's the full path from sign-up to report:

1. Create your account.Enter your email on the Sign Up page. We'll email you a 6-digit code — enter it to sign in. No password needed.
2. Start a new check. From your dashboard, click New Check and choose Quick Check ($39) or Full Check ($59). Not sure which? See “Quick Check vs Full Check — which should I choose?” below.
3. Enter your project address. Use the address-lookup field. This sets the orientation reference for the rest of the assessment.
4. Upload your plans. Drag in your site plan, floor plans, elevations, and (for a Full Check) shadow diagrams. PDF, JPG, or PNG — up to 10 files, 30 MB total. CAD-exported PDFs give the best results.
5. Fill in the supplementary data form.A short form covering the values that aren't always on the plans (e.g. lot type, project type, neighbouring context).
6. Preview before paying.Once your plans have been analysed, you'll see a summary of what DesignSure found — counts of items extracted and items that need your attention. Confirm the acknowledgements and continue to payment.
7. Pay via Stripe. GST-inclusive. Apply your WELCOME25 code at checkout if you have one (25% off, valid until 31 August 2026).
8. Review and confirm the extracted values. After payment, you'll see each value DesignSure pulled from your plans alongside what you entered on the form. Correct anything that looks wrong — this is the step that makes sure your report is accurate.
9. Your report is generated.As soon as you submit your review, the report runs. Your branded PDF appears on your dashboard within a few minutes, and you'll get an email when it's ready.

Got stuck partway through? Your in-progress submission is saved — just return to the dashboard and click Continue.

Both reports assess your project against the Victorian Building Regulations 2018. The difference is scope.

Choose a Quick Check ($39) if:

• Your project is an extension, addition, outbuilding, fence, or small alteration.
• You want a fast sanity check before lodging a building permit application.
• You don't need an assessment of overlooking, daylight, or solar access on neighbouring properties.

A Quick Check covers up to 20 provisions (Regs 73–80, 85–87, 89–93) — the siting rules that don't require neighbour context.

Choose a Full Check ($59) if:

• You're building a new dwelling.
• You need a comprehensive pre-permit assessment.
• You want overlooking, daylight, and solar access to neighbouring properties assessed (Regs 81–84, 94–96).

A Full Check covers all 27 Part 5 provisions (Regs 73–96).

Not sure?Pick a Quick Check if you don't need neighbour-impact provisions; pick a Full Check if you do. You can also email hello@designsure.com.au and we'll point you at the right one.

A few common reasons:

• File type. We accept PDF, JPG, and PNG only. CAD files (DWG, DXF) and Word documents need to be exported to PDF first.
• File size. The 30 MB limit is across allfiles in a single submission. If you're over, try one of:
  • Re-export your PDFs at a lower DPI (300 DPI is plenty for plans).
  • Split a large multi-sheet PDF into separate files (site plan, floor plans, elevations) and remove anything not required for siting.
  • Compress with a tool like Smallpdf or Adobe's free compressor.
• File count. Up to 10 files per submission. If you have more, combine related sheets into a single PDF.
• Corrupted or password-protected PDFs. Open the file in a viewer first to confirm it loads. Remove any password protection before uploading.

Still stuck? Submit a ticket from your dashboard or email hello@designsure.com.au with the file attached and we'll take a look.

First, give it a few minutes — processing usually finishes within about 10 minutes but can take a little longer on busy days.

If it's been more than 10 minutes:

1. Refresh your dashboard.The status should show “Generating”, “Complete”, or “Failed”.
2. Check your spam/junk folderfor the “Your DesignSure report is ready” email.
3. If the status is “Failed”: click Retry Extraction on the submission card. This restarts the process without re-charging your card.
4. If the status is “Complete” but you can't see a download button: sign out and back in, then refresh.
5. If none of the above work: submit a ticket from your dashboard with your submission ID (visible in the URL when you open the submission), or email hello@designsure.com.au. We monitor payments and reports closely — if your payment landed and your report didn't, we'll either generate it manually or refund the charge in full.

If you're signed in, head to your dashboard and click Submit a Support Ticket. You'll be able to describe your issue, optionally link it to a specific submission, and track the status until it's resolved.

If you're not signed in, use our Contact page or email hello@designsure.com.au directly.

We aim to respond to all support requests within 1–2 business days.

We aim to respond within 1–2 business days.

Your ticket moves through four statuses on your dashboard:

• Open— We've received your ticket and it's in the queue.
• In Progress— We're actively working on it.
• Awaiting Reply— We've responded and we're waiting on something from you (extra info, a screenshot, confirmation).
• Resolved— The issue is sorted. You'll see the “Resolved on …” date on the ticket card.

You'll always hear from us by email when there's an update. Replies to those emails come straight to our support inbox.