Granny Flat & Sleepout FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need a planning permit for a granny flat in Victoria?

  A building permit is always required, and we obtain it. Whether a planning permit is also needed depends on your council, your zone and any overlays on the land — heritage, flooding, bushfire and similar. We check your address before you commit.
• Do I need a building permit?

  Always — for any habitable building, including the smallest sleepout. We obtain it, and it’s included in the price of every unit we build, so you don’t engage a separate building surveyor or chase the paperwork.
• Do we meet bushfire requirements?

  Our units can be modified to suit up to BAL 40. We can check your property at initial enquiry stage.
• Does my land need to be flat?

  No. We build on stumps, so no site excavation is required and a fall across the block is absorbed in the stump heights. Steeply sloping sites can still add cost, and we’ll tell you if yours will.
• What site access do you need?

  We only require side gate access, about a metre wide. Our units are built from panels that are carried in by hand, so we can work through garages and carports as long as there’s a gateway to walk through. There’s no crane and no truck on your nature strip.
• How long does construction take?

  Approximately six to eight weeks from the start of construction through to handover, with the on-site assembly itself usually under a week. Typically three to four months all up, depending on permits and our schedule.
• What is the ceiling height?

  2.4 metres throughout — the same as a standard house, not a reduced cabin height.
• Do you build in country Victoria?

  Yes — we build right across the state. A travel allowance applies to country areas, and we quote it up front rather than adding it later.
• Are you open on the weekend?

  Our Carrum Downs display is open weekdays, and Saturday mornings from 9am to 12pm by appointment. Appointments are essential — please call 03 9782 9894 to book.
• Can we build custom designs?

  Yes. Every sleepout and unit can be made to any size or layout. There are no load-bearing internal walls in our units, so the internal layout can be rearranged without re-engineering the building.
• Are units energy rated?

  Our granny flats and second dwellings are 7-star energy rated, meeting the National Construction Code requirements introduced in Victoria on 1 May 2024. The rating comes from our interlocking insulated sandwich panels and double glazed windows.
• What’s included in the price?

  The building permit, the kitchen and bathroom, Westinghouse cooking appliances, a Rinnai inverter reverse cycle split system, heat pump hot water, double glazed windows, painting inside and out, floor coverings, home owners warranty; six year and six month structural guarantee, and connection of services within 10 metres of the main dwelling.
• What’s the difference between a granny flat and a sleepout?

  A granny flat is a complete home with its own kitchen. A sleepout — or bungalow — is a habitable outbuilding: one or two rooms, with an ensuite if you want one, but no kitchen. Sleepouts cost considerably less and are treated differently under planning rules.
• Can the unit be moved if I sell the house?

  Yes. Our units are built from panels rather than poured on a slab, so they can be dismantled and reassembled at a new address.
• Do you do disability modifications?

  Yes, and regularly. Wider doorways, stepless showers, 1:14 access ramps and stainless grab rails are all standard modifications for us, and we’re comfortable building to an occupational therapist’s report.