Two homes on one block…designed properly
A dual occupancy lets you build two genuinely independent dwellings on the one lot, each with its own services and access. Get your concept checked by an in-house town planner before you commit to drawings.
Why Consider Dual Occupancy?
Unlike a granny flat, a dual occupancy isn’t capped to a small subordinate footprint. Both dwellings can be built at full size, with their own access and services, which opens up how you use or sell the block.
Advantages include:
- Full-size dwellings. No secondary-dwelling floor area cap. Each home is designed to its own brief, not squeezed to qualify as ancillary.
- Indepedant operation. Separate driveway, services and access where the site allows it, so each dwelling can be sold, rented or lived in on its own.
- No house hold restruction. Two unrelated households can occupy the dwellings, giving you more flexibility for rental or multi-generational living.
Is Dual Occupancy Right for Your Block?
- You want two homes that can each stand alone, not a smaller unit that depends on the main house.
- You want the option to sell or rent the dwellings separately, now or down the track.
- You need both dwellings at a reasonable size, not restricted to a small ancillary footprint.
- You’re comfortable with a Development Application being part of the process, depending on your zone and site.
Dual occupancy design across South East Queensland
Dual occupancy rules are defined consistently across the councils surrounding Brisbane, though size limits, zones and DA triggers vary. We design with your specific council in mind.
Our design and planning package will:
- Prepare concept plans around Brisbane City Plan or local council requirements
- Review overlays and likely approval pathways before design progresses
- Coordinate site and detail surveys on your behalf
- Source town planning advice and DA support through our planning partners
- Introduce experienced private certifiers to finalise approvals.
What’s included in our dual occupancy plans?
01 – Professional concept plans: Functional secondary dwelling layouts designed around your site constraints, overlays and approval pathway. Builder-ready.
02 – Site and detail survey management: We coordinate all pre-design surveys including site visits, fieldwork and initial documentation.
03 – Town planning advice and DA support: Our planning partners assess overlays, zoning and approval triggers and prepare applications where required.
04 – Certifier introductions: Trusted private certifiers introduced at the right stage to help finalise approvals efficiently.
Brisbane suburbs seeing strong demand for secondary dwellings
We regularly work on secondary dwelling projects across Brisbane including:
Paddington, Ashgrove, Bardon, The Gap, Mitchelton, Camp Hill, Carina, Holland Park, Greenslopes, Coorparoo, Tarragindi, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Bulimba, Hawthorne, Nundah, Chermside, Stafford, Everton Park, Wynnum, Manly and surrounding middle-ring suburbs.
Flood overlays, character controls and small lot constraints are especially common in Brisbane’s older suburbs.
Brisbane suburbs seeing strong demand for dual occupancy
We regularly work on dual occupancy projects across Brisbane including:
Flood overlays, character controls and small lot constraints are especially common in Brisbane’s older suburbs. Brisbane City Plan includes overlay controls, neighbourhood plans and residential development requirements that can affect dual occupancy approvals.
Not sure if your property can accommodate a dual occupancy? Get in touch and we’ll review your property constraints, overlays and likely approval requirements before you commit to design costs.
