Granny Flat Planning Process and Approval Process

Granny Flats can be quick and easy to approve and construct. Your plans can be drafted in 2 weeks, approved in 10 days, and your new granny flat built within 20 weeks for custom projects, and 12 weeks for DuraBuild projects. 

The NSW Government has passed legislation to create more affordable housing in the region. This is called ‘The State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) – Affordable Housing’. If your property and plans meet the criteria, you do not have to go through the Council DA process to have your plans approved. Your granny flat approval can be fast-tracked and approved within 10 days by a Private Certifier as a Complying Development. We can help you with this from start to finish.

Granny Flat Approval Process Steps

Here’s how to get started with granny flat planning approval.

1.We will meet with you at your site to discuss your ideas and confirm that your property is suitable. We can give you some preliminary pricing based on your granny flat choices. You are welcome to bring plans from another designer for us to quote on (there is no charge for this visit).

2. Our designer will arrange for a detailed survey, check compliance with the Affordable Housing Legislation and complete property searches and a Site Build Zone Map.

3. The following documentation will be completed and reviewed in depth by the Bungalow Homes team:

  • Architectural Plans

  • Structural & Stormwater Engineering Plans

  • BASIX Certificate

  • Sydney Water Sewer approval

We are very flexible. You can bring your own plans for granny flat approval, choose one of our standard granny flat designs, make changes to one of our designs or have a completely customised design suited to your needs and your unique site.

We can also arrange for any additional reports required, such as BAL Certificates, Arboricultural Impact Assessments or Geotechnical reports.

4. Once you are happy with the plans, they will be sent to our Private Certifier. His role includes approval of your plans, notifying the neighbours, visiting the site 5 times during construction for critical stage inspections, and issuing the final Occupation Certificate.

5. If you have chosen to have a customised design or have provided your own plans, we will meet to discuss materials and finishes, then complete a detailed quote for you. Once this has been agreed, we will forward an easy-to-read Building Contract from the ‘Department of Fair Trading’ to you for signing.

6. We will take out a Home Owners Warranty Insurance Policy and request a deposit from you. Building can then start!

What can delay your granny flat planning approval?

While the Complying Development process is fast, several common issues can delay your granny flat planning approval if not managed early. The most frequent cause is non-compliance with the SEPP (Affordable Rental Housing) criteria. For example, your lot must be at least 450m² with a minimum 12-metre street frontage. If your site doesn’t meet these requirements, a full Council Development Application (DA) may be necessary, which can take months instead of days.

Other potential delays to granny flat approvals include inaccurate or incomplete documentation, incorrect boundary setbacks, or missing required reports. If your site is affected by bushfire zoning, flood zones, landslip risk, heritage restrictions or has significant trees, additional assessments such as BAL (Bushfire Attack Level), arborist, or specialist engineering reports may be required.

Finally, neighbour objections won’t stop a Complying Development approval, but can still lead to complications if boundary issues arise. That’s why our team works closely with certifiers and local experts to anticipate and resolve any red flags before submission. By identifying these hurdles early, we can ensure a smoother, faster granny flat approval process, whether you’re building a custom design or selecting from one of our pre-approved DuraBuild models.