Building permit for a bungalow.
A backyard bungalow, studio or sleep-out is a room people sleep, work or spend time in, so it is a habitable building. It needs a building permit at any size. With a kitchen and bathroom it becomes a small second dwelling.
Why a bungalow always needs a building permit
Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2018 exempts a small freestanding Class 10a building from needing a building permit. All of these must apply:
- a floor area of 10 m² or less
- no more than 3 m high, or 2.4 m within 1 m of a boundary
- no further forward than the front wall of the house
- not built of masonry
A Class 10a building is a non-habitable building, such as a shed, garage or carport. A bungalow used as a bedroom, studio, home office or rumpus room is habitable, so the National Construction Code classes it with the house as Class 1a. The exemption does not apply, however small it is.
Fitting out a shed and using it as a bedroom or office turns it into a habitable building, which needs a building permit.
Bungalow or granny flat
The difference is a kitchen. A small second dwelling is self-contained, with a kitchen sink, food preparation facilities, a bath or shower, and a toilet and wash basin. A bungalow without those is an extra room for the main house.
A bungalow can still have a toilet or shower; the plumbing work needs a licensed plumber and a compliance certificate. Adding a kitchen later makes it a small second dwelling, with its own siting rules; see our page on granny flats and small second dwellings.
Building rules that apply
- The Part 5 siting rules of the Building Regulations 2018: setbacks, building height, site coverage, permeability, walls on or near boundaries, and overlooking.
- The National Construction Code for a Class 1 building, including ceiling heights, natural light and ventilation, energy efficiency, and smoke alarms where required.
- A planning permit only if an overlay or the zone requires one. Your planning property report shows the controls on your land.
- Inspections at each mandatory stage. The building permit states whether an occupancy permit or a certificate of final inspection is issued at the end.
Common questions
Yes. The 10 m² exemption is only for non-habitable Class 10a buildings such as sheds. A bungalow is habitable, so it needs a permit at any size.
Not without a building permit. Using a shed as a bedroom makes it a habitable building, which must meet the Building Regulations and the National Construction Code for a Class 1 building.
Yes. Plumbing work needs a licensed plumber and a compliance certificate. Adding a kitchen as well makes it a small second dwelling.
Usually not, unless an overlay or the zone requires one. Your planning property report shows the controls on your land.
Yes, if it meets the requirements for a small second dwelling, including its siting rules. It needs a building permit for the change.
Request a quote
Request a quote online, or email what you have to info@cortekgroup.com.au, and we will quote a fixed fee for your building permit. For the permit itself we will need:
- The certificate of title and plan of subdivision, with any covenants or section 173 agreements
- Drawings issued for construction
- The engineer's drawings, computations and design certificate
- Energy efficiency details, such as a house energy rating report
- The planning permit and endorsed plans, if the project needs one
- If a builder is doing the work, the contract extract and, where it applies, the domestic building insurance certificate
- If you are an owner-builder, your certificate of consent from the BPC, where one is required
- A bushfire assessment, if the site is in a bushfire prone area