House extensions, raising and renovation approvals
If you plan to extend, renovate or raise your house, you will need to comply with planning and building requirements.
Examples of common house extension projects include:
- the addition of a deck, carport and/or extra rooms
- raising a house and building in underneath
Approvals
Before you begin work on the design of your extensions or renovations, you need to find out what approvals are required.
There are two types of approvals:
- Building approval (provided by a building certifier).
- Planning approval (provided by Brisbane City Council and assessed under the Brisbane City Plan 2000).
Building approval ensures that buildings are structurally sound. Planning approval is used to make sure extensions and renovations complement the existing streetscape and do not negatively impact on your neighbourhood.
Some types of extensions and renovations do not require building or planning approval. Others require both. Sometimes, by tailoring your project, you can avoid the need to submit applications for approval. This can save you time and money.
The following information will help you to determine whether or not your extension project requires building or planning approval, or both.
Building approval
All separate or 'detached' houses, including houses on small lots, are regarded as '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 lot and how they should be designed, depending on whether your property is 450 square metres or less (a 'small lot') or over 450 square metres. While your existing house may comply with the regulations, any new extensions also need to comply.
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 house extension or renovation to meet planning criteria before you get your building approval. You may also need to submit a planning application to Council.
Obtaining planning approval takes time and there are costs involved such as Council application fees and the costs of technical reports prepared by experts to support your application.
The following factors will determine what planning criteria, if any, apply to your proposed extensions or renovations:
- where your property is located (that is, your Area classification)
- whether or not your property is included in a Demolition Control Precinct (DCP)
- whether or the lot is a 'small lot'
- whether your property is considered affected by an overlay
If a planning application is required, this type of development may be suitable for assessment using the RiskSMART process.
City Plan Criteria
To find out whether City Plan criteria apply to your proposed house extensions or renovations, and what you need to do, refer to:
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 450m²
- MP 1.2 - Design and siting standard for single detached housing on lots 450m² and over
