Building, selling or renovating on a small block
Are you considering building, extending or renovating on a small lot?
Houses on small lots need to meet special regulations, as well as those regulations that apply to standard lots. In most cases, you will need building approval from a building certifier, and possibly also planning approval from Brisbane City Council.
Your lot is a small lot (refer to definitions) if it meets any of the following criteria:
- it has an average width of less than 15 metres
- it has an area less than 450 square metres
- if it is a rear allotment, it has an area less than 600 square metres (excluding access way)
Approvals
Before you begin work on the design of your new 'small lot house', you need to find out what approvals are required.
There are two types of approvals:
- Building approval (provided by a building certifier and assessed under the Building Code of Australia).
- Planning approval (provided by Council and assessed under the Brisbane City Plan 2000 (City Plan)).
Building approval ensures that buildings are structurally sound. Planning approval is used to make sure new houses and other structures complement the existing streetscape and do not negatively impact on your neighbourhood.
All new houses, including some types of extension or renovation, need building approval. However, if your lot is a small lot, depending on how you have designed your house, you may also need planning approval under City Plan. Planning approval takes time and there are Council fees involved. You may need to get technical reports from experts such as town planners, engineers and landscapers to support your application.
Building approval
All separate or 'detached' houses, including houses on small lots, are 'Class 1a' buildings under the Building Code of Australia. 'Class 1a' also includes other housing styles described as:
'one or more attached dwellings, each being a building, separated by a fire-resisting wall, including a row house, terrace house, town house or villa unit'.
All 'Class 1a' buildings need building approval. Extensions or renovations which involve new building work need building approval.
You can arrange for building approval for your new small lot house, extension or renovation through a building certifer. Certifers are listed in the Yellow Pages under 'building surveyors'. You must give the certifier scaled and detailed plans prepared by a draftsperson or architect.
State building regulations contain rules about where houses can be located on a small lot and how they should be designed. Your certifier can seek a 'relaxation' of some building requirements (for example, minimum distances from side boundaries) by making an application to Council. This is called a 'siting variation'.
To save the cost of a separate building application at a later date, you should include details of any sheds, garages, carports, or other structures with your application. These are often subject to building approval if constructed separately.
Planning approval
One of City Plan's main objectives is to minimise the impacts of new development on existing streetscapes and the living environment for residents. You must design your small lot proposal to meet specific planning criteria before you get your building approval. You may also need to submit a planning application to Council.
The following will determine what planning criteria, if any, apply to your small lot house proposal:
- where your property is located (that is, what is your Area classification or zoning?)
- whether or not your property is included in a Demolition Control Precinct (DCP)
- whether your property is affected by an overlay
If a planning application is required, this type of development may be suitable for assessment using the RiskSMART process.
More information on building a new house
To find out whether City Plan criteria apply to your small lot house proposal, and what you need to do, refer to:
Other useful links
Useful links to state requirements
Queensland Development Code – siting and amenity - detached housing:
- MP 1.1 - Design and siting standard for single detached housing on lots under 450 square metres
