Can I build a house on my property?

You will need an approval to build a new house on your property. The design requirements are slightly different depending on the size of your property.

The location of your site can also affect the type of approval you need to get. Council has mapping of site features such as environmental, flooding, bushfire, and heritage. If your land has these features mapped as ‘overlays’ over your property, you may need a town planning application for your house or structure. For more information on the types of overlays which may affect your property please see Council’s Zones and Overlays factsheet.

To check if any overlays apply to your site, please visit Council’s interactive mapping or contact Council on (07) 4970 0700 or info@gladstone.qld.gov.au.

What are the rules for my property with a size:

Can I relocate a house from one site to another?

A building approval can be obtained from a Building Certifier and may also require planning, amenity and aesthetics, or boundary relaxation approval from Council. Key things to consider when relocating a house include:

1. Cyclone proofing - The structural and building elements of the dwelling must comply with the Region C wind region classification as specified in the National Construction Code. This means that all external wall and roof cladding, windows, doors, garage doors and soffits must be cyclone proofed to ensure they can resist the potential wind impacts expected at your site.
2. Exterior condition and design - It’s important to be aware of the costs associated with completing all required works on the house to ensure that it meets structural and legislative requirements.
3. Asbestos materials - A report from a licensed asbestos contractor is required to show that the building is free from asbestos.
4. Security bonds - In short, house relocation is rarely an easier or cheaper option and requires security bonds to be paid to Council to ensure compliance is achieved refer to Council's Fees and Charges for the applicable bond amount.

For more information please contact Council on (07) 4970 0700 or info@gladstone.qld.gov.au

To see other Fact Sheets, hover over the image above and click on an aspect (or symbol such as a fence, house etc). This will display another Fact Sheet for you on that subject.

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