Granny Flat Plans, Australia-Wide

We prepare concept layouts, site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections and the supporting drawings your approval needs, plus the details your builder will price from. Every state calls a granny flat something different, and the size limits and approval paths differ too, so we start with your address.

• NSW. A secondary dwelling under the Housing SEPP, generally up to 60 m² in residential zones, with a CDC path on lots of at least 450 m². See NSW and granny flats in Sydney.
• Victoria. A small second dwelling of up to 60 m² needs no planning permit on most residential lots of 300 m² or more outside flood and bushfire areas. A building permit is still needed. See Victoria.
• Queensland. A secondary dwelling can be rented to anyone since 2022. Size and siting are set by your council's planning scheme. See Queensland.
• Western Australia. An ancillary dwelling of up to 70 m² generally needs no development approval if it meets the R-Codes deemed-to-comply standards. See WA.
• South Australia. Ancillary accommodation of up to 70 m², with no more than two bedrooms, needs development approval. See SA.
• Tasmania. A secondary residence of up to 60 m² under the current scheme, with a draft amendment to 90 m² under assessment. See Tasmania.
• ACT. A secondary residence generally needs development approval, and the rules for second homes are changing under the missing middle reforms. See ACT.
• Northern Territory. An independent unit can often be built without planning approval if it meets the NT Planning Scheme. See NT.

In every state you still need building approval, and in most the granny flat cannot be subdivided off and sold separately. Councils can add their own rules, so we check yours.

A good granny flat feels like a small home, not a shed. We look at light, privacy from the main house, a sensible entry, storage, and outdoor space for both homes. We also check sewer and stormwater connections, easements and access early, because they often decide where the granny flat can go.

• Send your address. Tell us what you'd like to do. We reply the same business day.
• Site and planning check. We look at the zone, the lot, overlays and your council's controls, and tell you the likely approval path.
• Concept design. Layout options, sized to the rules and your brief, that you can comment on before any detail is drawn.
• Drawings. The full set for planning and building approval, ready for your council, certifier or building surveyor.
• Lodgement support and coordination. We line up the surveyor, engineers and energy assessor, and help answer any questions that come back.

Send us your address and what you'd like to do. We'll check the zone, the lot and your council's controls, and come back with the likely approval path and a fee proposal. Every project is quoted on its own. We reply the same business day.

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