Renovation approvals
My home: does this renovation need approval
Kitchen, bathroom, deck, pergola, carport, fence, shed, garage conversion, pool. Enter your address and see which of them needs nothing, which needs a certificate and which needs the council, at this address rather than in general.
No signup. The address is used to read the heritage, flood and zoning layers over your lot.
Eleven jobs, and where each one lands
The ACT position on an ordinary residential lot. Enter an address to apply the overlays on your own.
KitchenNo approvalWork inside the house that touches nothing structural is not development anyone has to approve.
Stay inside these
This one has no measurements. It is a test of what you touch, not of how big it is.
- Nothing that carries load can be touched.
- No approval does not mean no rules. The work still has to meet the building code.
- Electrical and plumbing work still has to be done by a licensed tradesperson and certified.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.20; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 pt 1.3 item 15 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about KitchenBathroomNo approvalWork inside the house that touches nothing structural is not development anyone has to approve.
Stay inside these
This one has no measurements. It is a test of what you touch, not of how big it is.
- Wet area waterproofing is a building code requirement and is certified on its own, whether or not anyone had to approve the job.
- Electrical and plumbing work still has to be done by a licensed tradesperson and certified.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.20; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 pt 1.3 item 15 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about BathroomInternal alterationsNo approvalWork inside the house that touches nothing structural is not development anyone has to approve.
Stay inside these
This one has no measurements. It is a test of what you touch, not of how big it is.
- The layout of the room cannot change and an open area cannot be enclosed.
- No approval does not mean no rules. The work still has to meet the building code.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.20 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Internal alterationsDeckNo approvalStay inside the numbers below and nobody has to approve this.
Stay inside these
- Floor no more than 1 m above the ground(measured from the ground as it is now, not from a level you build up to)
- Floor no more than 0.4 m above the ground(It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.)
- Wall height no more than 1.2 m
- It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.45 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about DeckPergola or patioNo approvalStay inside the numbers below and nobody has to approve this.
Stay inside these
- Floor area no more than 50 m²
- Height no more than 3 m(measured from the ground as it is now, not from a level you build up to)
- Floor no more than 1 m above the ground
- It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.43 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Pergola or patioCarportNo approvalStay inside the numbers below and nobody has to approve this.
Stay inside these
- Floor area no more than 50 m²(The cap goes by block size: under 500 m² it is 10 m², from 500 to under 600 m² it is 25 m², and at 600 m² or more it is 50 m².)
- Height no more than 3 m(measured from the ground as it is now, not from a level you build up to)
- The cap goes by block size: under 500 m² it is 10 m², from 500 to under 600 m² it is 25 m², and at 600 m² or more it is 50 m².
- It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.41 and s 1.42; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 items 6 to 8 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about CarportFenceNo approvalStay inside the numbers below and nobody has to approve this.
Stay inside these
- Side and rear fence no higher than 2.3 m
- A front fence is not on the exempt list at all. If any part of it sits between the front boundary and the building line, this row does not apply.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.48 and s 1.49; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 pt 1.3 items 1 to 3 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about FenceGarden shedNo approvalStay inside the numbers below and nobody has to approve this.
Stay inside these
- Floor area no more than 50 m²(The cap goes by block size: under 500 m² it is 10 m², from 500 to under 600 m² it is 25 m², and at 600 m² or more it is 50 m².)
- Height no more than 3 m(measured from the ground as it is now, not from a level you build up to)
- The cap goes by block size: under 500 m² it is 10 m², from 500 to under 600 m² it is 25 m², and at 600 m² or more it is 50 m².
- It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.
- It has to stay non habitable. A bed, a shower or a kitchenette turns it into a second dwelling.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Not required for work that stays inside the limits above.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.42; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 items 6 to 8 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Garden shedGarage conversionDevelopment applicationThere is no fast route for this one. It is Development application.
Stay inside these
This one has no measurements. It is a test of what you touch, not of how big it is.
- Turning a garage into a room changes the class of the building, and that is what takes it out of every simple pathway.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Required. A certifier or surveyor has to approve the building work.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.20(1)(a) and s 1.130 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Garage conversionSecond storeyBuilding approval onlyOn the My Block pageNo planning approval, but the building work itself still has to be approved.
Stay inside these
This one has no measurements. It is a test of what you touch, not of how big it is.
- This one belongs to the land report, not to this page.
- The council development control plan sits on top of this and can be stricter.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Required. A certifier or surveyor has to approve the building work.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.130 and s 1.131 · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Second storeySwimming poolBuilding approval onlyNo planning approval, but the building work itself still has to be approved.
Stay inside these
- At least 1.5 m off each side and rear boundary
- Height no more than 1.5 m(measured from the ground as it is now, not from a level you build up to)
- Water no deeper than 0.3 m(Anything that can hold water deeper than 300 mm is caught, a portable one included.)
- The child resistant barrier is its own law with its own penalties, and it applies whether or not the pool itself needed approval.
- It has to sit behind the building line of every road frontage.
Overlays on this lot
No address, so no overlay was read. This row is the clean lot position.
Building approval
Required. A certifier or surveyor has to approve the building work.
Source
Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.51; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 pt 1.3 item 10; Building Act 2004 pt 5A · read 2026-09-15
Read the clauseMore about Swimming poolEvery threshold is read from the instrument named on its row, on the date shown. Council controls sit on top of all of them and are not in this table.
What other people paid for the same job
Published projects with the price attached and a badge saying where the number came from. Nothing here is estimated by us.
Published projects in Kitchen and bathroom · Whole home renovation · Alterations and additions, most recent first.
Kitchen and bathroomCollingwood VICCollingwood Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation
A$65,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 5 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomRichmond VICRichmond Modern Bathroom Renovation
A$30,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomPrahran VICPrahran Main Bathroom Renovation
A$25,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomPrahran VICPrahran Bathroom Renovation
A$25,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomElsternwick VICElsternwick Bathroom Renovation
A$35,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomArmadale VICArmadale Bathroom and Ensuite Renovation
A$70,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 5 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomBrunswick VICBrunswick Kitchen Bathroom Laundry Renovation
A$80,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 4 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomBalwyn VICBalwyn Bathroom Renovation Project
A$30,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomKew VICKew Bathroom Renovation, Custom Vanity
A$30,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Who did these jobsThe builders and trades credited on the projects above.
Three things to settle before the first tradesman arrives
None of them is on the quote, and all three can stop the job after it has started.
Heritage and conservation areas
A heritage item or a conservation area removes most of the easy answers on this page. Check your own address to find out which one you are on.
Read off the state planning layer. It does not say which kind of listing it is, and the kinds do not have the same effect.
Asbestos
If your house was built before 1990, fibro sheeting, eaves, wet area linings and vinyl backing may contain asbestos. Every state requires a licensed removalist above a small quantity, and the rules bind the homeowner as well as the builder.
We do not know the year your house was built and we do not guess it. Nothing in the land data says so.
Strata and the owners corporation
If you own a unit, a villa or a townhouse, the owners corporation is a second approval sitting on top of everything on this page.
Read off the lot identifier in the cadastre.
Extending, or adding a storey
A renovation that makes the house bigger is a different question with a different answer, and it has its own door. The land report works out whether the state fast track is open for an extension on your block, how long this council takes and what the neighbours declared.
Open the land report