Canberra’s specialist granny flat builders.
1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and studio secondary residences up to 60m² under the Territory Plan. Garage conversions. Full custom Territory Plan / EPSDD-approved designs. NatHERS 7-star, EER 6-star ready, double-glazed cold-climate detailing for Canberra winters. ACT-licensed. Free on-site quote.
Five granny flat formats.
From a sub-40m² studio off the back of a Belconnen weatherboard, through to a 60m² 2-bedroom secondary residence on a Gungahlin RZ1 block, through to a custom architect-detailed pavilion in Forrest. We do the design, the DA, the build, and the energy rating.
1-bedroom granny flat
40-50m² GFA. The most popular format - one bedroom, one bathroom, open-plan kitchen / living / dining, small north-facing porch. Suits APS short-let, family member, adult child returning. ~$90K-$130K turnkey.
See 1-bedroom builds →2-bedroom granny flat
50-60m² GFA - the Territory Plan maximum for a secondary residence. Two bedrooms, bathroom, separate laundry nook, open-plan living. Strong rental demand. ~$130K-$170K turnkey.
See 2-bedroom builds →Studio + bathroom
Under 40m². Compact studio - bed nook, kitchenette, bathroom, living area. Ideal granny / Airbnb / home office / teenage retreat. Less DA friction. ~$80K-$110K.
See studio builds →Garage conversion
Convert existing detached or attached garage to habitable secondary dwelling. Re-floor, insulate, line, plumb, new doors and windows. Cheapest path to a granny flat where the bones already exist. ~$50K-$90K.
See garage conversions →Custom design + Territory Plan
Bespoke architectural granny flats. Full architect partnership, custom EPSDD DA package, premium finishes (oak floors, stone bench, designer lighting). For Forrest / Yarralumla / Red Hill / Griffith blocks. ~$150K-$250K+.
See custom builds →
Three things every Canberra granny flat needs to get right.
Territory Plan + EPSDD - not council, not state, not VIC/NSW rules.
The ACT is unique: no councils, no shire planners, no separate state government overlay. Every approval goes through one agency: EPSDD (Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate), under the Territory Plan. That means one set of rules and one path - but those rules are different from NSW or VIC. Standard RZ1 blocks allow a secondary residence up to 60m² GFA, single-storey, with 3m front / 1.5m side setbacks typically. Most NSW-trained builders quote 70m²+ on a Canberra block because that’s the NSW CDC threshold - that gets rejected at DA here. Get the Territory Plan right at design stage and the DA goes through in 6-12 weeks; get it wrong and you re-submit and lose 3 months.
NatHERS 7-star + cold-climate envelope - mandatory, not optional.
Canberra winter overnight min sits at −2 to +2°C with frost most mornings May to August. NCC 2022 mandates NatHERS 7-star for all new residential builds nationwide, and in Canberra that means double-glazed windows (low-E + argon, uPVC or thermally-broken aluminium frames), R5 ceiling, R2.5 wall, R2.0 underfloor, draught-sealed envelope and a reverse-cycle split rated for −5°C operation. A NSW-spec single-glazed build won’t hit 7-star in Canberra - it’ll come back at 5.5-6 stars and fail certification. Plus the ACT-specific EER 6-star disclosure at sale means the building’s rating is permanently public - future buyers will see it.
Larger blocks + govt-workforce tenants - the Canberra advantage.
Canberra blocks are bigger than almost anywhere else in urban Australia - typical 600-900m² in Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and parts of Gungahlin, vs 350-500m² in equivalent Sydney suburbs. That means a 60m² secondary residence fits comfortably without compromising the main dwelling or yard. And the ACT’s permanent rotating APS tenant pool (federal public servants posted on 6-24 month assignments) plus university and defence demand keeps vacancy under 1.5%. A 2-bedroom granny flat in inner Canberra rents $500-$600/week. The financial case for a secondary residence is stronger in Canberra than in any other Australian capital.
Where we build.
Whole ACT - the five major Canberra districts plus the Inner North, Inner South and newer Molonglo Valley. One government, one rule book, but five very different suburb profiles - we work all of them weekly.
From on-site quote to handover key - 5 stages.
Free on-site quote
60-min visit. Measure the block, check Territory Plan zone, check existing setbacks, talk through 1-bed vs 2-bed vs studio, intended use (family / rental / Airbnb). No obligation.
Design + NatHERS rating
Concept plans + NatHERS 7-star modelling + fixed-price contract within 7-14 days. We confirm the design hits Territory Plan envelope rules before lodging.
EPSDD DA
We lodge the full DA package with EPSDD. 6-12 weeks typical. We handle any neighbour notification + RFI responses.
Build
Footings + slab week 1-2, frame week 3-4, lock-up week 5-6, fit-out week 7-9, finishes week 10-12. Total 10-14 weeks for a standard 1-bed; 14-18 weeks for a 2-bed. Daily on-site progress.
Certificate of occupancy
Final certifier inspection, NatHERS as-built confirmation, ACT Building Services sign-off, EER certificate issued. Handover key, 7-year structural warranty, 12-month defects period.
Ready for a free on-site quote?
60 minutes on-site. We measure, check Territory Plan zoning, talk through 1-bed / 2-bed / studio options honestly.
Articles & guides for Canberra
Practical reading from our jobs in Canberra - what we charge, what to watch for, when a callout is worth it.