Home/ Granny flats
Secondary dwellings · Northern Beaches
Two pathways, two very different timelines, and one decision that has to be made correctly at the start. We work out which one your lot qualifies for, then prepare the documentation either way.
The fork in the road
A secondary dwelling — the planning term for a granny flat — is a self-contained dwelling within, attached to, or separate from the main house on the same lot. Under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 there are two ways to get one approved, and they are not interchangeable.
A Complying Development Certificate combines planning and construction approval into one. No council assessment, no neighbour notification, dramatically shorter — but every standard has to be met, with no discretion available.
Council assesses the proposal on its merits. Slower and more expensive, but it's the pathway for lots under 450m², unusual sites, and designs that step outside the code for a good reason.
The rules people get caught by
Planning controls change, and your council's local environmental plan can apply its own standards on top of the state policy. Everything on this page is general information current at the time of writing — we'll confirm what applies to your specific lot as part of your free assessment. We prepare documentation; we're not a certifier, and this isn't planning or legal advice.
What we prepare
Which of these apply depends on your pathway and your site. Your free assessment tells you which list is yours.
Common questions
The Housing SEPP caps the floor area for the complying development pathway — 60m² is the figure most people know, but the important detail is that the calculation now includes the principal dwelling and attached structures like carports, garages, decks and verandahs. That change catches a lot of designs. We check the current standard against your actual lot rather than working from a rule of thumb.
For the complying development pathway your lot generally needs to be at least 450m², and the property has to be in a zone where secondary dwellings are permitted — typically the residential zones. Below 450m² the CDC route closes but a DA is still open. Send us the address and we'll check the zoning and lot size for you.
Secondary dwellings approved under the Housing SEPP can generally be rented separately from the main house — that's a large part of why the policy exists. Confirm the position for your specific approval, and check any conditions attached to it, before you commit to a rental income figure.
No. A lot with a secondary dwelling on it can't be subdivided to create a separate title for the granny flat. If separate titles are the goal, you're looking at a dual occupancy with subdivision — a different approval, a different cost, and a different conversation worth having before you build anything.
No — a Complying Development Certificate covers both the planning approval and the construction approval, which is the main reason it's faster. You still need a Principal Certifier appointed, notice given before work starts, critical stage inspections during construction, and an Occupation Certificate at the end.
The certificate itself is rarely the slow part. Assembling the documentation is — engineering, BASIX, stormwater, any site-specific reports. Projects that arrive with a survey and a design already done move quickly. Starting from a bare address takes longer, and we'll give you an honest timeline rather than an optimistic one.
Before you decide it can wait
Interest, rent, storage and holding costs keep running whether or not anything is happening on site. Move the sliders — the number updates as you go. Nothing is sent anywhere; it all runs in your browser.
Cost of the delay
Every week it drags on $2,650
Free assessment
Free, no obligation. We check lot size, zoning and the current standards, then give you a written document list for whichever pathway applies.
Or email hello@approvalhub.au with the property address — or call 0422 299 555