Do granny flats need council approval?

Yes, in some form. A granny flat is a self contained home, so it needs building approval or a building permit in every state and territory, whatever its size. What changes from state to state is the planning step: some states let a granny flat that meets their standards skip a council assessment, while others always send it through one. The post on building without a council application covers the fast paths in more depth.

Why does a granny flat always need building approval?

Because people live in it. A shed or patio is a non habitable structure, but a granny flat has a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom, so it is held to the standard of a house: fire safety, energy efficiency, wet areas, plumbing, drainage and, near the bush, bushfire construction. No small structure exemption reaches it.

What is a granny flat called in your state?

Each state writes its rules under its own words, so search for those when you read the council’s pages. Queensland and New South Wales say secondary dwelling, Victoria says small second dwelling, and Western Australia says ancillary dwelling. South Australia says ancillary accommodation, Tasmania and the ACT say secondary residence, and the Northern Territory says dwelling independent.

How does the approval work in each state?

In Queensland the council’s planning rules decide whether one is allowed in the zone and where it can sit, and a private certifier gives the building approval. In New South Wales one that meets every state standard can take a complying development certificate, and anything else goes to a development application. Victoria always asks for a building permit and asks for a planning permit only sometimes, with most house lots in the main residential zones spared it.

South Australia always asks for development approval, which is planning consent and building consent together, through the state’s planning portal. In Western Australia one that meets the state’s standards can skip development approval, and the building permit applies either way. Tasmania can spare one that meets its definition a planning permit in the general residential zone, though the building work still needs a permit. The ACT asks for a development application and building approval, and the Northern Territory asks for planning consent and a building permit.

What decides if your lot can have one?

the zone, and whether it allows a second home at all
the size and frontage of the lot, which several states’ standards depend on
how much site coverage and open space the house leaves
bushfire, flood and heritage mapping over the block
where the sewer runs, and whether the granny flat can connect to it

The post on whether you can build one goes through these.

What does the application have to show?

Everything the planning and building checks measure, over the real lot. The post on the granny flat site plan goes through the sheet.

Reading it for your own lot

RapidSiteplan reads the council and building rules for your lot from its address, checks the design against them as you place it, lets you edit it as often as you like, and prints the site plan. Site plans and assessments in minutes. Place the granny flat and the sheet gives its distance from the house and each boundary, with the coverage of both homes together.

Search your address, see what the plan shows for a granny flat, or read what we hold for Central Coast. Site plans by council covers the rest of Australia.

Common questions

Do granny flats need council approval? Yes, in some form, everywhere in Australia. A granny flat is a home, so it needs building approval or a building permit at any size. Whether it also needs a planning decision from the council depends on the state, the zone and whether it meets the state’s standards.

How do I get granny flat approval? Check that the zone allows a second home, draw the granny flat on a site plan, then lodge with the certifier, building surveyor or council your state uses.