- Low density residential zone: smallest new lot 600 m² and 17 m frontage.
- Low density residential zone: up to 9 m high and 2 storeys.
- Low density residential zone: front setback 6 m, side 1.5 m and site cover 50%.
- Medium density residential zone: smallest new lot 400 m².
- Medium density residential zone: front setback 4 m, side 1.5 m and site cover 50%.
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. 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 on the Gold Coast
| Zone | Smallest new lot (a house) | Frontage | Height | Storeys | Front setback | Side setback | Site cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low density residential zone | 600 m² | 17 m | 9 m | 2 | 6 m | 1.5 m | 50% |
| Medium density residential zone | 400 m² | Not on file | Not on file | Not on file | 4 m | 1.5 m | 50% |
Rules read on 23 October 2026. Clauses: GC-6.2.1-PO8 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.1; GC-6.2.1-AO5 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.1; GC-6.2.1-AO3 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.1; GC-6.2.1-AO1 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.1; GC-6.2.1-AO2 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.1; GC-6.2.2-AO7.1 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.2; GC-6.2.2-AO1 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.2; GC-6.2.2-AO2 Gold Coast City Plan Version 14, zone code 6.2.2.
Make a Design Brief What can be built on the Gold Coast
Questions
- What setbacks apply on the Gold Coast?
- 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.