Planning rules in South Australia
South Australia has one Planning and Design Code for the whole state: it sets the zones, subzones and overlays everywhere, and every application goes through the PlanSA portal. A development approval is made up of planning consent and building consent.
Lots on the zoning map
Councils with zoning maps
Projects explained, with sources
Routes to approval, below
How approval works in South Australia.
The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 sets up the system, and the Planning and Design Code, in place statewide since March 2021, holds the zones, overlays and policies for every property. Applications are lodged and tracked on PlanSA, and decided by an assessment manager, an assessment panel or an accredited professional, depending on the pathway.
Exempt or accepted
Some minor works need no approval, and some need only building consent, with no planning assessment.
Deemed-to-satisfy
Where a proposal meets every deemed-to-satisfy standard in the Code, planning consent must be granted, with no merit judgement and no public notification.
Performance assessed
Anything else is assessed on merit against the Code by the council's assessment panel or an assessment manager, and some applications are publicly notified.
Building consent, against the building rules, is a separate part of the same development approval. Your state’s portal: PlanSA.
Your project in South Australia.
The statewide answer for each project, with the size limits, setbacks and approval route on its own page. Overlays on your lot can change it: check your address for those.
Granny flats
Approval requiredYes. Ancillary accommodation of up to 70 m² is allowed on the same allotment as your house. Planning and building approval are always required, but a streamlined deemed-to-satisfy pathway…
Granny flat rules in SADual occupancy
Depends on your lotOften yes. The Planning and Design Code treats two homes on one allotment as semi-detached dwellings, a group dwelling or a residential flat building, and each zone sets a minimum site area…
Dual occupancy rules in SASubdivision
Depends on your lotSubdivision in South Australia is called land division, and it requires development approval including land division consent. Whether your block qualifies depends on the minimum site area…
Subdivision rules in SADecks & pergolas
Depends on your lotA deck in association with a house is exempt development if no part of its floor is more than 500 mm above natural ground. Higher decks, and roofed verandahs, generally need development…
Deck & pergola rules in SASheds & garages
Fast-track availableA detached outbuilding of 15 m² or less (10 m² in heritage/conservation zones), no more than 2.5 m high with no span over 3 m, is exempt development in most of SA — no planning or building…
Shed & garage rules in SAFences
Fast-track availableIn South Australia a fence up to 2.1 m high is exempt from development approval, measured from the lower of the two adjoining finished ground levels. Masonry is the big exception - any part…
Fence rules in SAZoning in South Australia.
The zone decides what can be built on a lot. See it for any address, on the map, or council by council.
Zoning maps by council
Every council we map in South Australia: its zones, lot sizes and the flood, bushfire and heritage overlays, from the government’s own data.
66 councilsWhat’s permitted in each zone
Whether a dual occupancy, a home business or a child care centre is allowed, from the land use tables for South Australia.
Browse land usesThe zoning map
Every lot’s zone, boundary and size on one map, with the overlays that change what you can build.
Open the mapThe largest councils, by lots mapped
Questions about South Australia.
How big can an ancillary dwelling be in South Australia?
Up to 70 m², increased from 60 m² by a November 2024 change to the Planning and Design Code.
What size block do I need for two houses in Adelaide?
It depends on the zone and the Technical and Numeric Variation mapped to your allotment. In the General Neighbourhood Zone the deemed-to-satisfy figures are 300 m² of site area and 9 m of frontage per semi-detached dwelling, so about 600 m² and 18 m of frontage for two. Look your allotment up on SAPPA to see the exact figures that apply, because a Technical and Numeric Variation can change them.
Can I subdivide my land in South Australia?
You can if land division is envisaged in your zone and each new allotment meets the minimum site area and frontage the Planning and Design Code sets for your land, with adequate access and servicing. There is no single state-wide minimum - metropolitan Adelaide neighbourhood zones commonly sit somewhere in the 300-800 m² range, but the applicable figure is set by your zone and any Technical and Numeric Variation over your property.
Do I need approval to build a deck in South Australia?
A deck with no part of its floor more than 500 mm above natural ground is exempt from planning approval. Higher decks generally need development approval, and most raised decks also need separate building-rules consent.
Do I need council approval for a shed in South Australia?
Not if it's a detached shed of 15 m² or less (10 m² in heritage/conservation zones), no more than 2.5 m high with no span over 3 m, and behind the building line. Larger sheds need development approval.
How high can a fence be in SA without council approval?
Up to 2.1 m, measured from the lower of the two adjoining finished ground levels. A masonry fence, including masonry piers, is only exempt to 1 m.
Where this comes from
The project answers above are summarised from each project page’s own sources. Last reviewed November 2026.
General guidance only, not professional planning advice. Planning rules change, and councils add their own controls: confirm with your council or a qualified planner before you start.
Talk to a town planner in South Australia
This page covers the general rules. A qualified town planner can tell you what applies to your block, including the zone, overlays and approval path, before you spend money on drawings.
- Qualified, practising town planners
- Advice specific to your property
- Free, with no obligation