- Low density residential zone: smallest new lot 450 m² and 15 m frontage.
- Low density residential zone: up to 9.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- Low density residential zone: front setback 6 m, side 1.5 m and site cover 50%.
- Low-medium density residential zone (2 storey mix): smallest new lot 260 m² and 7 m frontage.
- Low-medium density residential zone (2 storey mix): up to 9.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- Low-medium density residential zone (2 storey mix): front setback 6 m, side 1.5 m and site cover 50%.
- Medium density residential zone: smallest new lot 800 m² and 20 m frontage.
- Medium density residential zone: 5 storeys.
- Medium density residential zone: front setback 6 m, side 1.5 m and site cover 50%.
- A sample brief on 134 Weller Road, Tarragindi (dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys) holds 8 numbers from the rules; 11 more are Not on file.
What a Design Brief holds
For one lot and what you are designing (a house, a pair, townhouses, apartments, a granny flat), the brief lists the numbers the zone sets: site and homes, height and site cover, setbacks, open space and landscape and parking and access. Each is cited to its clause, and the buildable envelope is drawn on the real lot in plan and in 3D.
15 credits a brief. The same block and kind again within 30 days opens free.
Zone parameters in Brisbane
| Zone | Smallest new lot (a house) | Frontage | Height | Storeys | Front setback | Side setback | Site cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low density residential zone | 450 m² | 15 m | 9.5 m | 2 | 6 m | 1.5 m | 50% |
| Low-medium density residential zone (2 storey mix) | 260 m² | 7 m | 9.5 m | 2 | 6 m | 1.5 m | 50% |
| Medium density residential zone | 800 m² | 20 m | Not on file | 5 | 6 m | 1.5 m | 50% |
Rules read on 23 October 2026: Brisbane City Plan 2014 v37.00/2026, effective 18 Sep 2026; Queensland Development Code MP 1.1 and MP 1.2, publication date 11 Mar 2010, commenced 26 Mar 2010. Clauses: BCC-9.4.10-T-B Brisbane City Plan 2014, Subdivision code Table 9.4.10.3.B; BCC-9.3.6-T-B Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.B; BCC-9.3.6-T-C1 Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.C; BCC-9.3.6-AO4 Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code AO4; BCC-T5.5.3-MDR Brisbane City Plan 2014, Table 5.5.3.
A sample brief: 134 Weller Road, Tarragindi
Dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys, on the Low density residential zone lot GoSiteHunt uses as the QLD public example.
| Item | Number | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum site area for each home | 1,500 m² | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.B |
| Minimum frontage | 20 m | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.B |
| Assessment path (indicative) | Always assessed on its merits | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Table 5.5.1 |
| Site coverage | 50% at most | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code AO4 |
| Building height in storeys | 2 storeys at most | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.B |
| Building height in metres | 9.5 m at most | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code Table 9.3.6.3.B |
| Private open space (each home) | 35 m² at least | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code AO11 |
| Car parking for each home | 1 space with a studio to 2 bedrooms; 2 spaces with 3 or more bedrooms | Brisbane City Plan 2014, Dual occupancy code AO23 |
11 more items are Not on file for this lot and kind: the brief says so, item by item.
Make a Design Brief What can be built in Brisbane
Questions
- What setbacks apply in Brisbane?
- In the Low density residential zone, the front setback is 6 m and the side setback 1.5 m, by the rule pack. A brief gives the numbers for your own lot.
Last updated: 14 November 2026. Guide only. Confirm all results with a council planner before you rely on them.