Site plan vs survey plan — which one do you actually need?
Updated 2026-07-20 · RapidSiteplan
These two get confused constantly, and the price difference is a thousand dollars — so it pays to know which one your project needs.
Site plan
A scaled drawing of the lot with existing buildings and the proposed structure, dimensioned with boundary setbacks. It is a design and assessment document: council and certifiers use it to check setbacks and coverage. Boundaries are drawn from the state cadastre — accurate enough for assessment, marked “indicative” as convention.
Survey plan (identification survey)
A licensed surveyor physically locates your boundary pegs and certifies their exact position. It is a legal document. You need one when the exact boundary position carries risk: building right on the boundary line, a boundary dispute, or when your certifier explicitly requires certainty.
The rule of thumb
Setback of a metre or more, ordinary backyard structure → a good site plan is what the application asks for. Building on or within centimetres of the boundary → budget for the surveyor. When in doubt, ask your certifier before spending either way — and always confirm key measurements with a tape on site.
Generate my site plan →General information only, not building or legal advice — requirements vary by council and change over time; always confirm with your council or certifier.