If you have been asked for a plot plan, a plot map or a site map, relax: the drawing council wants is a site plan. That is your property from above, to scale, with the boundaries, what is already built, and what you want to build. Two other names you may come across, block plan and lot plan, usually mean something else in Australia.
To check a particular block, type its address into RapidSiteplan: it reads the lot and the rules that apply there and checks the structure you place against them, in minutes.
What does each name mean in Australia?
- Site plan is what councils and certifiers say most of the time
- Plot plan is mostly the American name for a site plan. Some Australian builders use it for the drawing that places a new house on its lot
- Block plan is rarely used for a drawing here, and a search for it mostly finds the block plane, a woodworking tool. The odd council form still asks for one, such as a driveway crossing checklist, and then it means the site plan
- Lot plan usually means the lot and plan number that identifies your land, or the registered survey plan that number points to. That plan is where the boundary lengths come from, but it is not the drawing council wants with an application
- Site map and plot map are informal names for the site plan
- Site layout / development plan is the same drawing inside a bigger DA set
Is a site plan the same as a floor plan?
No, though people mix them up all the time. A floor plan is the inside of the building: rooms, walls, doors. A site plan is the whole property from above, with boundary lengths, the house and sheds that are already there, and the new structure drawn in with its size and its distance to each boundary. When you apply for a patio, carport, shed, pool or fence, the site plan is the sheet council reads first.
What only your address can answer
The name is the easy part. What the drawing has to show for your block depends on the lot itself: where its boundaries run and how long they are, any easement across it, the buildings already there, and the setbacks and site cover the rules set for a lot of its size and zone.
RapidSiteplan reads your own block from its address: the boundaries, the buildings already on it, the rules that apply there and any overlay or easement, and checks what you plan to build against them on a scaled site plan.
The post on finding your lot and plan number covers where to look it up.
Search your address to start. Site plans and assessments in minutes.
Sources: the siting rules a site plan is read against, by state, all read in September 2026: Queensland Housing Code (Qld); State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (NSW); Building Regulations 2018 (Vic); Planning and Design Code (SA); Residential Design Codes Volume 1 (WA); Tasmanian Planning Scheme, State Planning Provisions (Tas); Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT); NT Planning Scheme 2020 (NT).
Common questions
Is a plot plan the same as a site plan? Usually, yes. Plot plan is mostly the American name for a site plan, and some Australian builders use it for the drawing that places a new house on its lot. Either way, the drawing council wants is a scaled top-down plan of the property showing the boundaries, the existing buildings, and the proposed structure with its distances to each boundary. Block plan and lot plan usually mean something else here.
What is the difference between a site plan and a floor plan? A floor plan shows the inside of a building: rooms, walls, doors. A site plan shows the whole property from above, including where the new structure sits and how far it is from each boundary. For patios, sheds, pools and carports, council wants the site plan.
Is a plot plan the same as a survey? No. A plot plan is the drawing of the property and what you want to build on it, and whoever draws it to scale can prepare it. A survey is a separate document, prepared and signed by a licensed surveyor, that fixes where the boundaries are on the ground.
Do I need a site plan or a survey? For most residential applications, a clear to-scale site plan is what gets asked for. A survey is a different document, prepared and signed by a licensed surveyor, and you usually need one only when the exact legal boundary position is critical. If you are building close to a boundary, check with your certifier.
Read next
Site plan or survey plan: which do you need?When a site plan is enough and when you need a survey How much does a site plan cost?What decides the cost, and when a surveyor is worth paying How do I find my property boundaries?The survey plan, the pegs, the state’s map and the fence each say something different about where a boundary runsGeneral information only, not building or legal advice, requirements vary by council and change over time; always confirm with your council or certifier.