Do I need a permit for a verandah?

Usually, yes. A verandah has a roof and is usually fixed to the house, so in most states it needs building approval or a building permit from a certifier, a building surveyor or the council. Heritage, character and street setback rules can add a planning decision on top. Only a very small or open structure may fit a state’s exemption, and closing a verandah in is new building work in its own right.

Is a verandah the same as a patio?

For the rules, mostly. South Australia says verandah where Queensland says patio, and both mean a roofed structure beside the house with open sides. A pergola is the open frame with no roof, and that difference matters more than the name, because most exemptions give an open frame more room. The post on council approval shows how small structures are sorted, and the post on attached and freestanding patios explains why fixing it to the house counts.

Who gives verandah approval in your state?

In Queensland a private certifier gives the building approval, with the council for overlays and siting variations. In New South Wales it may be exempt development within the state’s standards, and otherwise takes a complying development certificate or a development application. In Victoria a building surveyor issues the building permit. In South Australia a roofed verandah is development that needs development approval, made up of planning consent and building consent, through the state’s planning portal. Only an open pergola with no roof stays outside that there, within limits the state sets. Elsewhere, ask the certifier or the local government.

Can a verandah go on the front of the house?

Often, but the street is the tight side. A front verandah meets the street setback, and some rules give it a little more room than the wall of the house, which varies by state and council. In heritage and character areas the street view is assessed, and the shape, the roof and the materials can all be read. The post on heritage overlays explains why an old front verandah can bring a planning decision, and the post on replacing a structure covers rebuilding one.

Can I enclose a verandah?

Often, with approval. Closing one in with walls and windows turns it into a room, so it has to meet the rules for a room: light, air, insulation, ceiling height and the fire rules near a boundary. It can also change the site coverage and the setback that applies. The post on enclosing a patio goes through what certifiers look for.

What does the application show?

the verandah on a site plan, dimensioned to the edge of its roof
its distance to each boundary and to the street
its height above the ground in the elevations
where the roof water goes
the engineering for the wind class of the lot

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 verandah and the sheet measures from its roof edge to every boundary and the street.

Search your address, see what the plan shows for a patio or verandah, or read what we hold for Adelaide. Site plans by council covers the rest of Australia.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a verandah? Usually, yes. A verandah has a roof and is usually fixed to the house, so in most states it needs building approval or a building permit, and some rules add a planning decision. Only a very small or open structure may fit an exemption, within limits the state sets.

Can I enclose a verandah? Often, with approval. Closing in a verandah turns it into a room, so it is treated as new building work and has to meet the rules for a room as well as the siting rules. Ask the certifier or the council before you start.