Short answer: before you design a granny flat (called a “small second dwelling” in Victoria’s planning rules), get a feature and level survey of your block, and a re-establishment survey if the granny flat will sit near a side or rear boundary. These show your designer and building surveyor exactly how much room you have, where the easements and levels are, and whether the siting rules can be met. Once the building permit is issued, a building set-out pegs the granny flat in the approved position.
Granny flats are a popular way to house family or earn rental income across the Geelong region. Victoria’s rules have been made simpler in recent years, but every granny flat still has to fit on the land. This guide explains what has changed, which surveys you are likely to need and how a land surveyor helps you avoid surprises.
What counts as a granny flat in Victoria?
In the planning system, a granny flat or small second home is a “small second dwelling”. It is a self-contained home on the same lot as an existing house, with its own kitchen sink, food preparation facilities, bath or shower, toilet and wash basin. It can be detached, attached to the main house, or a conversion of an existing building such as a garage or studio.
Since 15 October 2026, Amendment VC306 has lifted the maximum floor area in the planning definition from 60 to 80 square metres. It also clarified how that area is measured (to the outside of the external walls), so attached decks and verandahs no longer count towards it. The state government has said matching changes to the Building Regulations 2018 will follow, so ask your building surveyor which limit applies to your design before you lock it in.
A small second dwelling can’t be subdivided off and sold separately. Planning Victoria’s guidance is that a permit can’t be granted to create a separate lot for land containing one. If you’re thinking about a separate title later, talk to us about a two-lot subdivision instead, as that is a different process.
Do I need a planning permit for a granny flat?
Often not, but you always need a building permit. In residential and rural zones a small second dwelling normally won’t need a planning permit unless, for example:
- the lot is less than 300 square metres in a residential zone
- the land is in a Green Wedge Zone, Green Wedge A Zone or Rural Conservation Zone
- a rural zone requires a permit for earthworks or sets setbacks the granny flat can’t meet
- another part of the planning scheme, such as an overlay, requires a permit.
A free planning property report from VicPlan shows the zone and overlays for your address. Flooding, bushfire and other overlays apply to parts of the Geelong region, including some low-lying land near the Barwon River and the Bellarine, so it’s worth checking early. Restrictions on your title, such as a covenant, can also matter regardless of the planning rules.
When no planning permit is needed, the building surveyor checks the siting rules (setbacks, walls on boundaries, site coverage, overlooking, overshadowing and garden area) as part of the building permit. When a planning permit is needed because the lot is under 300 square metres, council does that assessment instead. Either way, someone has to measure the design against your real site, and that depends on accurate survey information.
Why a granny flat needs a land surveyor
Backyards are rarely as simple as they look. A granny flat usually goes into the part of the block where boundaries, easements, trees and levels matter most. Under the Surveying Act 2004, only a licensed surveyor can carry out cadastral surveys that define title boundaries, so a land surveyor is the right person to confirm where you can build.
Feature and level survey
A feature and level survey records your existing house, sheds, fences, trees, driveways, service pits and ground levels, plus relevant parts of the neighbouring properties such as windows and walls near the boundary. Your designer uses it as the base plan, so the granny flat’s floor level, drainage and access path tie in with what’s already there.
Re-establishment survey
Many granny flats are built close to a rear or side boundary to keep as much garden as possible. On older blocks in suburbs like Newtown, Geelong West, Belmont or Hamlyn Heights, fences are often not on the title line. A re-establishment survey confirms where your boundaries really are, so setbacks and any wall on the boundary are designed to the right line.
Building set-out
After the building permit is issued, the land surveyor marks the position of the granny flat on site so the slab or footings go in the approved location. This is especially useful where the design is tight against a boundary or an easement.
Common issues a survey picks up early
- Easements across the back of the block. Drainage and sewerage easements commonly run along rear boundaries in Geelong. Building over or near them may need consent from the relevant authority, such as council or Barwon Water. Our guide to easement surveys in Geelong explains more.
- Less room than expected. Once the true boundary, setbacks and garden area are applied, the buildable area can be smaller (or larger) than the fences suggest.
- Sloping yards. Levels affect floor height, steps, retaining walls and how stormwater drains away from both homes.
- Neighbours’ windows and open space. Overlooking and overshadowing are assessed against the properties next door, so their windows and outdoor areas need to be shown accurately.
How the process usually works
- Check your property. Get your title and plan, and a planning property report from VicPlan, to see the lot size, zone, overlays and any easements or restrictions.
- Order the surveys. Book a feature and level survey, plus a re-establishment survey if you’re building near a boundary or the fences look doubtful.
- Design the granny flat. Your designer or builder uses the survey plan to fit the design to the site and the siting rules.
- Get approvals. Your building surveyor assesses the building permit, and council assesses any planning permit that’s needed.
- Set out and build. The land surveyor pegs the granny flat on site, ready for construction.
Tips to keep your granny flat on track
- Survey before you buy a kit or sign a design. A modular or prefabricated granny flat still has to fit the real boundaries and setbacks.
- Tell your surveyor where you plan to put the granny flat, so they pick up the right detail on the neighbouring properties.
- If you’re also planning an extension to the main house, mention it. One survey can often cover both. See our home extension survey guide.
Areas we cover
Geelong Land Surveyors works across Geelong and the region, including Lara, Belmont, Highton, Newtown, Leopold, Drysdale, Ocean Grove, Torquay, the Surf Coast and Ballarat. We’re a land surveying business, so we provide the survey plans your designer, builder and building surveyor rely on.
Planning a granny flat? Request a quote online or call 0412 722 261 and tell us your address and where you’d like to build.
Frequently asked questions
What survey do I need for a granny flat in Geelong?
Most granny flats need a feature and level survey so your designer has an accurate base plan. If the granny flat will be close to a side or rear boundary, or the fences look doubtful, you’ll usually also need a re-establishment survey to confirm the title boundaries.
How big can a granny flat be without a planning permit in Victoria?
Since 15 October 2026, the planning definition of a small second dwelling allows up to 80 square metres of floor area, up from 60. Matching changes to the Building Regulations 2018 are expected to follow, so check with your building surveyor which limit applies to your design.
Do I need a building permit for a granny flat?
Yes. A small second dwelling always needs a building permit, even when no planning permit is required. The building surveyor checks the siting rules as part of that permit.
Can I subdivide my granny flat and sell it separately?
No. A planning permit can’t be granted to create a separate lot for land containing a small second dwelling. If you want a separate title, a subdivision is a different process with its own surveys and approvals.