Site plans and approval in Western Australia
Site plans and assessments in minutes, anywhere in Western Australia, drawn over the real lot.
How approval works in Western Australia
In Western Australia the local government is the permit authority and issues the building permit, and an application can arrive with the design already checked by a private registered building surveyor, who issues a certificate of design compliance. Some small structures need no building permit, but every structure still has to meet the planning side: on a house lot, the Residential Design Codes and the local planning policies. Work that meets their deemed-to-comply standards, on a place that is not heritage protected, needs no planning approval; work that does not goes to the local government as a development application, judged against the design principles. The site plan shows the structure's distance to each boundary, its wall height and the open space left on the lot. The lot's density coding decides how close a structure can go, as per the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes) and the Building Act 2011.
Drawing the plan
Type the property address, the lot’s real boundaries load from official land records in Western Australia, and you place the structure over the aerial view. The plan prints to scale with boundary lengths, setback distances, a north arrow, a legend, a site coverage table and a title block, as the site plan for a building permit or a development application.
What a certifier in Western Australia will ask you
Is the patio, shed or carport attached to the house?
Whether it fixes to the house changes how it is classified, and so what the certifier checks near the boundary. The sheet says which it is.
How close to the boundary can it go?
The distance to each boundary decides whether the work can stand where it is drawn or needs an application for a closer position, and close to a side or rear boundary the fire rules apply too. The sheet dimensions the distance from the structure to every boundary.
Is the lot in an overlay, and what is the zoning?
A flood, bushfire, heritage or character overlay can bring a planning approval on top of the building approval, and the zone decides which of the council’s rules apply. The mapped overlays are read at the lot as the structure goes on the plan.
Are there easements, sewer mains or other services?
Work near a sewer or water main goes to the asset owner before the certifier can sign it off, on a timeline of its own. Mapped easements and mains show on the lot as it loads.
Who gives the approval, and who draws the plan?
The certifier or the council gives the approval, and the site plan can come from the builder, the supplier, a drafter or the owner, as long as it is clear and to scale. A surveyor comes in where the position of a boundary on the ground has to be fixed.
How big is it, and how big is the lot?
The size and the height decide whether the structure needs building approval at all, and the council can add limits that step with the lot’s size. The sheet prints the lot’s area and the running total of site cover.
Is the patio a pergola, a louvred roof or a solid roof?
An open pergola and a roofed patio are treated differently near the boundary, and louvres that shut to shed water count as a roof. Roofed, it also adds to the site cover total on the sheet.
Is the carport open, or closed in?
How open the carport is changes whether it needs a fire rated wall near the boundary, and a roller door or a later enclosure reopens the question. A shed never takes the open carport exemption.
How big can a granny flat be, and how far from the house?
The council caps a granny flat’s floor area, and some councils also limit how far from the house it may stand. The sheet prints the floor area and dimensions the distance to the house.
How deep is the pool?
The depth decides whether the water needs a barrier, and the barrier has to be in place before the pool is filled. The barrier is what gets inspected, so the sheet shows where it runs and every gate with its swing.
How high can a retaining wall and a fence go?
Each takes its own height test, and a retaining wall carrying a fence has its own approval. Both heights go on the sheet for the certifier to read together.
The figures for your own lot are read in a minute, from its address.
Councils we hold facts for
Changes on the way
Rule changes announced for Western Australia, its councils and the whole country, each with the page that says so and the day we read it.
In the next 90 days
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Shire of Dandaragan Local Planning Policy 9.16 Exempt Development (draft)
A draft policy lifting development approval for minor residential structures, farm sheds, rural water tanks, and single houses and ancillary dwellings in the rural residential zone; comment closes 5 pm on 20 November 2026
Source dandaragan.wa.gov.au, read
Later
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Residential Design Codes (review), consultation draft
The draft Residential Design Codes and guidelines are out for comment until 5 pm AWST on 26 February 2027
Source wa.gov.au, read
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Building Regulations 2012, Schedules 4 and 5 (Building Amendment Regulations (No. 2) 2026)
Greater Geraldton becomes a whole district for the pool barrier duty and leaves the table of areas where no building permit is needed
Source legislation.wa.gov.au, read
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Building Code of Australia 2025, WA addition (Industry Bulletin 174)
A WA addition on fire separation of roofed outdoor areas (verandahs, alfresco areas, balconies) becomes mandatory with BCA 2025 for most building permits
Source wa.gov.au, read
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National Construction Code 2025
The transition ends and NCC 2022 can no longer be used
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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ABCB Housing Provisions 2025 (with NCC 2025)
Source abcb.gov.au, read
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AS 1926.1:2024 Swimming pool safety barriers
NCC 2025 cites the 2024 edition for pool barriers, so it reaches each state that takes NCC 2025 without a variation; Western Australia keeps the 2012 edition for private pools
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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NCC 2025 Housing Provisions Part 10.8
Class 1a condensation: wall membrane vapour permeance now by climate zone including zones 1 and 3 for the first time, cavity mandatory in zones 6, 7 and 8, new roof space clause 10.8.4
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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NCC 2025 Housing Provisions Part 9.2
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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NCC 2025 Volume Two Part H6, Specification 42 and Housing Provisions Section 13
Energy and whole of home for a class 1a do not tighten: 7 stars and whole of home 60 stay, with small changes on overhangs and waffle pod slabs
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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NCC 2025 Volume Two Part H8
Livable housing for a class 1a is unchanged in substance
Source ncc.abcb.gov.au, read
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Residential Design Codes (review), changes in effect
The R-Codes changes begin to take effect
Source wa.gov.au, read
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National Construction Code, residential pause
No residential changes to the NCC except essential safety and quality changes until mid 2029
Source treasury.gov.au, read
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National Construction Code, next edition
The edition after NCC 2025: the regular NCC 2028 moves back one year because of the pause on residential changes
Source abcb.gov.au, read
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No date yet
City of Perth Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (draft)
A new scheme replacing the city schemes for Central Perth, Northbridge, West Perth, East Perth and Claisebrook
Source yoursay.perth.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
City of Stirling local planning policies for character retention, Mount Lawley and Menora and Inglewood heritage areas (draft amendments)
The heritage area policies take on the LPS3 heritage controls, with fencing rules against contemporary fencing, roller shutter provisions and exemptions from development approval
Source stirling.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
City of Stirling Local Planning Policy, Development Approval Exemptions (draft)
One policy for the works exempt from development approval, replacing LPP 6.13 and LPP 6.15
Source stirling.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
City of Stirling Local Planning Scheme No. 4 (draft)
A new local planning scheme to replace LPS 3, with a new set of local planning policies
Source stirling.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (draft)
A draft coastal plan out for feedback; it changes no control until adopted
Source yoursay.amrshire.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
Shire of Capel review of local laws, Fencing Local Law 2016 among them
The Shire is reviewing twelve local laws, its Fencing Local Law 2016 among them; nothing changes until a new law is made
Source capel.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
Bushfire Prone Areas (OBRM-026)
The statewide bush fire prone areas layer is now OBRM-026, replacing OBRM-001 on the state service; the features read carry a designation date of December 2025 and a planning area
Source services.slip.wa.gov.au, read
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No date yet
AS 3959:2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas
The publisher lists the standard as pending revision; no new edition or draft is listed
Source store.standards.org.au, read
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No date yet
AS 4678-2002 Earth retaining structures
The publisher lists the standard as pending revision; no new edition or draft is listed
Source store.standards.org.au, read
Date passed, next step not seen yet
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Building Code of Australia 2025, WA additions for private swimming pools (Industry Bulletin 175)
WA additions and variations for private swimming pools apply with BCA 2025, mandatory for new private pools and their barriers from 1 May 2026; AS 1926.1-2012 stays in place of the 2024 edition
Source wa.gov.au, read
What we changed in Western Australia
The rules we hold for Western Australia and its councils, each brought up to date from the page it names, the newest first.
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Rules
Read from R-Codes Volume 1
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Rules
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Rules
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Rules
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Rules
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Rules
Read from R-Codes Volume 1
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Rules
Read from pw-cdn.watercorporation.com.au
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Rules
Read from pw-cdn.watercorporation.com.au
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Rules
Read from WA R-Codes Volume 1
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Rules
Read from services.slip.wa.gov.au
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Rules
Read from services.slip.wa.gov.au
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Rules
Read from services.slip.wa.gov.au
The sources we read for Western Australia
37 sources read for Western Australia, the newest on , each below with the day it was last read.
Planning schemes and codes
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Legislation, codes, schemes and policies
No change
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No change
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NCC: WA Building and Energy legislative framework
Changed since the read before
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No change
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Changed since the read before
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No change
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WA Planning and Development Regulations 2015
Changed since the read before
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No change
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WALW, Strata Titles Act 1985, Home Page
No change
Fees
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No change
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No change
Pages watched for changes on the way
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WA Planning: Residential Design Codes review
Changed since the read before
Standards
Follow Western Australia in a feed reader: www.rapidsiteplan.au/site-plan/wa/feed.xml. Every council and state has one, listed on rule changes by council and state.
General information only, not building or legal advice: your certifier or council makes the approval decision.
Plans for the job
Questions people ask
Other states and territories