- R2 Low Density Residential zone: smallest new lot 200 m² and 6 m frontage.
- R2 Low Density Residential zone: up to 8.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- R2 Low Density Residential zone: front setback 4.5 m and side 0.9 m.
- R3 Medium Density Residential zone: smallest new lot 200 m² and 6 m frontage.
- R3 Medium Density Residential zone: up to 9 m high and 2 storeys.
- R3 Medium Density Residential zone: front setback 3.5 m and side 1.5 m.
- A sample brief on 8 Wyralla Avenue, Epping (townhouses or row homes, 2 storeys) holds 14 numbers from the rules; 7 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 Sydney
| Zone | Smallest new lot (a house) | Frontage | Height | Storeys | Front setback | Side setback | Site cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 Low Density Residential zone | 200 m² | 6 m | 8.5 m | 2 | 4.5 m | 0.9 m | Not on file |
| R3 Medium Density Residential zone | 200 m² | 6 m | 9 m | 2 | 3.5 m | 1.5 m | Not on file |
Rules read on 22 October 2026: Codes SEPP 2026-09-11; Housing SEPP 2026-10-09; SI LEP 2026-07-01. Clauses: CDC-3.1 Codes SEPP clause 3.1; CDC-3B.9 Codes SEPP clauses 3B.9 and 3B.34; CDC-3B.1 Codes SEPP clause 3B.1; CDC-3B.11 Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike; CDC-3B.34 Codes SEPP clause 3B.34; CDC-3B.36 Codes SEPP clause 3B.36.
A sample brief: 8 Wyralla Avenue, Epping
Townhouses or row homes, 2 storeys, on the R2 Low Density Residential zone lot GoSiteHunt uses as the NSW public example.
| Item | Number | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum frontage | 6 m | Codes SEPP clause 3B.38 |
| Site coverage | No limit set | Codes SEPP |
| Building height in storeys | 2 storeys at most | Codes SEPP clause 3B.1 |
| Building height in metres | 8.5 m at most | Codes SEPP clauses 3B.9 and 3B.34 |
| Front setback | 4.5 m at least | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Side street setback (corner blocks) | 2 m at least | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Side setback, ground floor | 0.9 m at least | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Side setback, upper floor | 1.28 m for a 6 m wall | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Rear setback, ground floor | 3 m at least | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Rear setback, upper floor | 10 m at least | Codes SEPP clause 3B.11; the Housing Code's are alike |
| Walls between the new homes | wall to wall, on the line between them | Codes SEPP clause 3B.13 |
| Private open space (each home) | 16 m² at least | Codes SEPP clauses 3B.15 and 3B.40 |
| Car parking for each home | 1 space a home | Codes SEPP clauses 3.16, 3B.18 and 3B.43 |
| Garage setback from the street | 5.5 m at least | Codes SEPP clauses 3.16, 3B.18 and 3B.43 |
7 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 Sydney
Questions
- What setbacks apply in Sydney?
- In the R2 Low Density Residential zone, the front setback is 4.5 m and the side setback 0.9 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.