Big Small Haus Research
Every Queensland council's granny flat cap, side by side
Queensland is the one state where each council sets its own size cap for a secondary dwelling, so the answer to "how big can it be" changes at every council boundary. This table holds all 77 planning schemes, read from the scheme clause or the council's own fact sheet, with the source and the read date on every row. Click a column to sort.
Big Small Haus Research · schemes read 15 Oct 2026 to 16 Oct 2026, built 16 Oct 2026
42of 77 councils set no size cap at all
80 m²the most common cap, in 9 councils
45 to 100 m²the range across the 35 councils with a cap
70 m²median of the 35 caps
14councils with a minimum lot size
How this was counted. One row per file in data/council-caps, the same files behind each council rules page and the block check. The cap is the figure for a typical urban lot in the main residential zone; where a scheme steps the cap up on bigger lots or in rural zones, the rule column says so. select cap_m2, count(*) from councils group by 1 order by 1
The 77 councils
Sorted by name. Click Cap to see the tightest and loosest, Minimum lot to see who sets one.
| Council | Cap | Minimum lot | The rule | Read from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurukun | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Balonne | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. It must share the house's services, bin and letterbox. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Banana | 60 m² | 600 m² | 60 m² floor area, within 10 m of the house, on a lot of 600 m² or more, sharing the driveway. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Barcaldine | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Barcoo | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Blackall Tambo | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Boulia | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Brisbane | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area, within 20 m of the house. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Bulloo | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Bundaberg | 60 m² | 800 m² | 60 m² gross floor area, attached or within 20 m of the house, on a lot of 800 m² or more in the Low density residential zone. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Burdekin | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Burke | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Cairns | 70 m² | None | 70 m² floor area in the residential zones; 250 m² in the Rural zone on lots over 10 ha. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Cassowary Coast | 60 m² | None | 60 m² gross floor area, attached or within 10 m of the house by a covered path, sharing the driveway and meters. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Central Highlands | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area and smaller than the house, within 20 m of it (100 m in rural zones), with three car spaces on the lot. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Charters Towers | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area in the General residential zone; 150 m² in the Rural zone, 80 m² within 25 m in Rural residential, 80 m² within 10 m in Township. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Cherbourg | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Cloncurry | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Cook | No cap | None | No fixed cap: up to 50% of the house's gross floor area, and directly connected to the house. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Croydon | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Diamantina | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Doomadgee | 50 m² | 800 m² | 50 m² gross floor area or 50% of the house, whichever is less, attached to the house, on a lot of 800 m² or more. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Douglas | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area, not counting one carport or garage. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Etheridge | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Flinders | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Fraser Coast | 70 m² | None | 70 m² gross floor area, 100 m² total use area including covered outdoor space, with one car space. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Gladstone | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area, within 10 m of the house in residential zones (50 m in rural), linked by a path, sharing the driveway. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Gold Coast | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area, attached or within 10 m of the house, sharing its driveway. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Goondiwindi | 50 m² | 800 m² | 50 m² gross floor area or 50% of the house, whichever is less, attached to the house by a wall, garage or breezeway, on a lot of 800 m² or more. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Gympie | 70 m² | None | 70 m² gross floor area, attached or within 20 m of the house, not in front of it, sharing the driveway. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Hinchinbrook | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Hope Vale | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Ipswich | 60 m² | 450 m² | 60 m² GFA on lots over 450 to 600 m², 90 m² over 600 to 800 m², 120 m² over 800 m²; none at 450 m² or under. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Isaac | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area within 10 m of the house in the Low density residential zone; 150 m² within 50 m in the Rural zone. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Kowanyama | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Livingstone | 80 m² | None | 80 m² gross floor area, sharing the house's driveway and crossover, not in front of the house in residential zones. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Lockhart River | 50 m² | 800 m² | 50 m² gross floor area or 50% of the house, whichever is less, attached to the house, on a lot of 800 m² or more. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Lockyer Valley | 70 m² | None | 70 m² GFA in a residential or Township zone, 100 m² elsewhere, two bedrooms at most. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Logan | 70 m² | None | 70 m² GFA on residential lots under 1,000 m², 100 m² otherwise, within 20 m of the house. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Longreach | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Mackay | No cap | None | No size cap in the urban zones; in the Rural and Rural residential zones 60 m² gross floor area within 20 m of the house. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Mapoon | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Maranoa | 80 m² | 800 m² | 80 m² gross floor area or 50% of the house, whichever is less, attached to the house, on a lot of 800 m² or more (lots over 100 ha are unrestricted). | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Mareeba | 100 m² | None | 100 m² gross floor area, within 10 m of the house on lots of 2 ha or less, within 20 m on larger lots. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| McKinlay | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Moreton Bay | 45 m² | 450 m² | 45 m² GFA on lots 450 to 800 m², 55 m² above; none under 450 m² or 10 m frontage (600 m² and 12.5 m in some precincts). | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Mornington | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Mount Isa | No cap | None | No size cap, but a dwelling house is accepted development only without a secondary dwelling, so adding one needs a planning application unless state law overrides the scheme. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Murweh | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Napranum | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Noosa | 65 m² | None | 65 m² GFA and no more than two bedrooms, one per lot, on any lot size. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| North Burnett | 60 m² | 800 m² | 60 m² gross floor area on a lot of 800 m² or more. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Northern Peninsula Area | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. One scheme covers Bamaga, Seisia, Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Palm Island | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Paroo | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Pormpuraaw | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Quilpie | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Redland | 85 m² | None | 85 m² GFA on lots under 1,000 m², 112 m² on 1,000 m² or more, 160 m² in the Rural zone on 6,000 m² or more. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Richmond | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Rockhampton | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. The scheme has no dwelling house code. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Scenic Rim | 60 m² | None | 60 m² GFA within 20 m of the main house, on any lot size. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Somerset | 60 m² | 800 m² | 60 m² GFA under 2,000 m² (90 m² over, 120 m² on rural lots over 5 ha), but the lot must be at least 800 m², so a 600 m² lot misses the code. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| South Burnett | 70 m² | None | 70 m² gross floor area or 40% of the house, whichever is less, with one car space off the same driveway. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Southern Downs | No cap | None | No size cap found in the scheme codes; no planning approval in the Low and Medium density residential zones, approval needed in Rural, Rural residential and Township zones. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Sunshine Coast | 60 m² | 600 m² | 60 m² GFA on a regular-shaped urban lot of at least 600 m²; 90 m² in Rural and Rural residential zones. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Tablelands | No cap | None | No size cap: a self-contained building within 100 m of the house, sharing its access. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Toowoomba | No cap | None | No GFA cap in the scheme; it must be used with, and subordinate to, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Torres | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. Accepted development with no standards in the Low density residential and Rural zones. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Torres Strait Island | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. One scheme covers the 15 island communities. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Townsville | 90 m² | None | 90 m² gross floor area, not counting one carport or garage, within 20 m of the house, one per lot. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Weipa | 70 m² | 1,000 m² | 70 m² gross floor area, behind the house, on a lot of 1,000 m² or more in the Medium density zone. Weipa is a Town Authority under the mining lease, not a council. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Western Downs | 50 m² | 800 m² | 50 m² gross floor area or 50% of the house, whichever is less, attached to the house, on a lot of 800 m² or more, with one extra car space. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Whitsunday | 70 m² | None | 70 m² gross floor area, 100 m² total use area including covered outdoor space, with one car space. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Winton | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Woorabinda | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
| Wujal Wujal | No cap | None | No size cap in the scheme; the second home only has to be used with, and smaller than, the house on the same lot. The 2013 scheme is not on the council's site; read from an archived copy. | Source read 16 Oct 2026 |
| Yarrabah | 75 m² | 600 m² | 75 m² gross floor area on a lot over 600 m², with its own metered services. | Source read 15 Oct 2026 |
Reading the table
- "No cap" means the scheme sets no floor area for a secondary dwelling. The state definition still applies: the second home must be used with, and be subordinate to, the house on the same lot, and the Queensland Housing Code's building default (50 m², 60 m² on lots of 1,000 m² or more) applies once the council adopts the code, or from 1 September 2029.
- A cap is for the main residential zone on a typical urban lot. Several schemes step up on bigger lots or in rural zones; the rule column carries the steps.
- Minimum lot is only shown where the scheme makes the second home conditional on lot size. Setbacks, site cover and the house's own footprint decide what fits on the rest.
- A cap is not an approval. Overlays (flood, bushfire, heritage, character) and the assessment category in each zone still apply. The free block check reads those for any Queensland address.
- Corrections go live within one working day of an email to howdy@bigsmallhaus.au, and every reading is kept with its date (how, for councils).
Sources, checked October 2026
- Each row links the planning scheme clause, code or fact sheet it was read from, with the read date.
- Planning Regulation 2017, schedule 24 (the secondary dwelling definition every scheme uses)
- Department of Housing and Public Works, Queensland Housing Code (the building default and the 2029 date)
- Queensland Government, secondary dwellings (who can live in one, since September 2022)
Published by Big Small Haus Research, part of Big Small Haus Pty Ltd, a licensed Queensland builder (QBCC 15506005) listed on this site like every other builder. The national picture, state by state, is in the research hub.