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Gardens and outdoor space with a modular home
| NSW deck without approval | Up to 25 m², floor no more than 1 m above ground[1] |
|---|---|
| Victorian deck attached to a house | Building permit required regardless of size[2] |
| QLD retaining wall, self-assessable | Up to 1 m high, with no load above it[3] |
| NSW tree permits | Set by each council's development control plan[4] |
| Garden bed to weep hole (QLD advice) | At least 75 mm clearance recommended[5] |
| *Each figure applies only in the jurisdiction named and is subject to further conditions in the source. | |
The outdoor area around a modular home is governed by the same rules as any other house, and they differ sharply between states: in NSW a deck of up to 25 m² with a floor no more than 1 m above ground can be built without approval, while in Victoria a deck attached to a house needs a building permit whatever its size.[1][2] The garden also has to be planned around the module itself — crane access on install day, and landscaping that does not bridge termite protection or block subfloor airflow once the house is in place.
A modular home arrives finished, but the garden around it does not. Decks, steps, paths, fences, retaining walls and planting may be designed, priced and built separately from the house, and sometimes only after it has been installed. This page sets out where that outdoor work meets published rules, and where the module itself changes what is sensible to build next to it.
Install day: the garden as a work site §
Before anything is planted, the yard is a delivery route. Modules arrive on trucks and are lifted by crane, so the space between the street and the footings has to accommodate a vehicle, a crane standing area and a clear lift path. What that means for access, overhead wires and street trees is covered in delivery, transport and craneage, and the cost of site preparation in site works costs.
Existing trees are the part of the garden most likely to be affected, and removing or pruning them is regulated. In NSW, clearing vegetation in non-rural areas that is not part of a development application falls under Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021. Each council decides which trees need a permit by declaring them in its development control plan — by species, size, location or habitat value — and a refusal can be appealed to the Land and Environment Court.[4] Tree controls in other states are not covered by the sources compiled here.
The practical point is sequence. Whether a tree can be removed or pruned should be known before the module size, position and crane location are fixed, not discovered when the truck arrives.
Open space the rules protect §
On a lot with a granny flat or second dwelling, outdoor space is not only a matter of taste. Some jurisdictions require a minimum area of private open space for each dwelling, which competes directly with the footprint of the new building. Granny flat layouts and the rules that shape them explains how that requirement interacts with siting.
Do decks and verandahs need approval? §
Decks and verandahs are where state rules diverge most.
In New South Wales, a balcony, deck, patio, pergola, terrace or verandah can be exempt development — no approval needed — if it meets all of the published standards. The main ones are a maximum of 25 m² per structure, a floor no more than 1 m and an overall height no more than 3 m above existing ground level, a position behind the building line, and a setback of 900 mm from boundaries in most zones or 5 m in rural and R5 zones.[1] There is also a cap on all such structures together: no more than 15 per cent of the dwelling's ground floor area on lots over 300 m², or 25 m² on smaller lots. On bushfire prone land, a structure within 5 m of a house must be non-combustible.[1]
That height limit is worth checking against the house. A modular home set on piers or a raised subfloor may have a floor level well over 1 m above the ground, and a deck built to meet that floor would then fall outside the exempt standards.[1]
In Victoria, the position is close to the reverse for decks. A building permit is required for a deck or verandah attached to a building irrespective of size, and for a detached deck that forms part of a building's amenity.[2] An open pergola can be exempt if it is no more than 3.6 m high and 20 m² in area and sits within the published siting limits.[2] The practice note cited here was published in 2022 by the Victorian Building Authority, now the Building and Plumbing Commission.
Rules for decks in other states are not covered by the sources compiled here.
Retaining walls and fences §
Sloping blocks often need retaining walls once a level pad has been cut for the house. In Queensland, a retaining wall up to 1 m high is accepted development — the owner is responsible for meeting the applicable standards, but no building approval is needed — provided no load such as a building or driveway sits above it. A fence up to 2 m high, other than a pool fence, is treated the same way. Council planning schemes can still require approval.[3]
Equivalent thresholds in other states are not covered by the sources compiled here.
Landscaping against the house §
The most consequential garden decisions are often the smallest: what sits directly against the wall.
Termite protection. Where a house relies on a perimeter termite management system, the Queensland regulator lists landscaping as one of the most common reasons such systems fail. Garden beds, wood chips, turf, paving and concrete paths placed against the house, and carports, pergolas or fences attached to it without protection, can bridge the system.[5] The regulator's published clearances include:[5]
- at least 75 mm from the bottom of weep holes to the top of garden beds, concrete or paving
- a 75 mm exposed slab edge, left visible for inspection
- at least 25 mm between a freestanding structure and the house
- 75 mm between the ground and the bottom of timber pergola posts
A water tank placed against the house across the termite system can breach the inspection zone and, the regulator warns, void warranties and insurance.[5] Its guidance also requires a durable notice describing the termite system, commonly fixed in the meter box, and recommends a professional inspection at least every 12 months.[5] Termite management for steel- and timber-framed homes is discussed in steel framing in prefab and modular homes.
Subfloor airflow. Where a modular home sits on piers or stumps with a ventilated space beneath, that space is regulated. The NCC sets minimum ventilation openings for that space by climate zone, and a minimum clearance between the ground and the floor framing of 150 mm, rising to 400 mm where termite inspection is required.[6] Garden beds built up around the base of the house, lattice infill or stored materials under the floor change the conditions those figures assume. Whether a particular screening or skirting detail keeps the subfloor compliant is a question for the builder or certifier.
Summary §
| Item | What the sources state | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deck without approval (NSW) | Up to 25 m², floor ≤ 1 m above ground, behind building line, other conditions | NSW Planning Portal[1] |
| Attached deck (VIC) | Building permit required regardless of size | VBA[2] |
| Retaining wall (QLD) | Accepted development up to 1 m with no load above | Business Queensland[3] |
| Tree removal (NSW) | Permit where the council's DCP declares the tree | NSW DPHI[4] |
| Garden beds near weep holes | 75 mm clearance recommended (QLD advice) | QBCC[5] |
| Subfloor clearance | 150 mm, or 400 mm where termite inspection required | NCC Housing Provisions[6] |
| Deck, retaining wall and tree rules in other states | Not covered by sources compiled here | — |
Common questions §
Do I need approval to build a deck in NSW?
Not if it meets every exempt development standard, including a maximum of 25 m², a floor no more than 1 m above ground and a position behind the building line.[1] A deck matching a raised modular floor may exceed the height limit.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Victoria?
For a deck or verandah attached to a house, yes — a building permit is required regardless of size.[2]
Do I need approval for a retaining wall in Queensland?
A retaining wall up to 1 m high with no building or driveway load above it is accepted development, with no building approval needed; a council planning scheme can still require approval.[3]
Can I remove a tree to fit a granny flat in NSW?
It depends on your council. Each council declares in its development control plan which trees need a permit; clearing linked to a development application falls outside that permit system and is dealt with as part of the application.[4]
Can I put garden beds against my house?
The Queensland regulator lists garden beds against the house as a common cause of termite system failure and recommends at least 75 mm between the top of the bed and the bottom of the weep holes.[5]
What is not covered here §
This page covers one jurisdiction for each topic as a worked example. Deck rules outside NSW and Victoria, retaining wall and fence thresholds outside Queensland, and tree controls outside NSW are not covered by the sources compiled here, and figures from one state should not be applied in another.
Council-level controls — landscaped area percentages, private open space, front fences, heritage and flood overlays — vary within each state and are not summarised. Pool fencing, driveways, stormwater and water tank approvals are not covered.
No published source compiled here gives typical costs for landscaping or decks around a modular home.
Questions worth asking §
- Which trees on or next to the lot will be affected by delivery and craneage, and do any need a council permit?
- Is any deck, verandah, step or ramp included in the quote, or priced separately?
- How high will the floor sit above the ground, and what does that mean for deck approval?
- What termite management system is installed, and where is the durable notice?
- What clearances must garden beds, paths and paving keep from the walls?
- How is the subfloor ventilated, and can it be screened without reducing airflow?
Related: living in a modular home · kitchens in modular homes
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References §
- NSW Planning Portal, NSW Government — Exempt development standards for balconies, decks, patios, pergolas, terraces and verandahs under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, Part 2 Division 1 Subdivision 6. Maximum 25 m² per structure, floor no more than 1 m and overall height no more than 3 m above existing ground level; not forward of the building line; 900 mm from boundaries in most zones and 5 m in rural and R5 zones; total of all such structures no more than 15 per cent of the dwelling's ground floor area on lots over 300 m², or 25 m² on smaller lots; non-combustible if within 5 m of a house on bushfire prone land; check with council before removing or pruning trees. planningportal.nsw.gov.au/development-and-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/exempt-development/balconies-decks-and-patios
- Victorian Building Authority (now Building and Plumbing Commission) — Building Practice Note BP-01, When is a building permit required, April 2022. States a building permit is required for a deck or verandah attached to a building irrespective of size, and for a detached deck forming part of a building's amenity; a pergola is exempt if no more than 3.6 m high, no more than 20 m² in floor area and not sited forward of the limits stated. building.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/583915/BP-01-When-is-a-building-permit-required.pdf
- Business Queensland, Queensland Government — When you don't need building approval. Lists accepted development under Schedule 1 of the Building Regulation 2021, including a retaining wall up to 1 m high with no loads such as a building or driveway imposed above it, and a fence no more than 2 m high other than a pool fence; states council planning schemes may still require approval. business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/when-not-needed
- NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure — Vegetation in non-rural areas. States that Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 governs clearing of vegetation in non-rural areas not linked to a development application; that a council requires a permit for vegetation it declares in its development control plan, identified by species, size, location or habitat value; and that refusals can be appealed to the Land and Environment Court. planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/environment-and-heritage/vegetation-in-non-rural-areas
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — Termite Management Systems — Advisory Notes for Builders and Homeowners, April 2024. Warns that garden beds, wood chips, turf, paving, paths and unprotected carports, pergolas or fences built against a house are among the most common causes of failed perimeter systems; recommends at least 75 mm clearance from the bottom of weep holes to garden beds or paving, a 75 mm exposed slab edge, at least 25 mm between freestanding structures and the house, and 75 mm between ground and timber pergola posts; warns that a water tank placed against the house across the termite system can breach the inspection zone and void warranties; requires a durable termite notice, commonly in the meter box; recommends inspection at least every 12 months. qbcc.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/publication-termite-management-systems-homeowners-builders.pdf
- Australian Building Codes Board — ABCB Housing Provisions, NCC 2022, Part 6.2 Subfloor ventilation. Clause 6.2.1 sets minimum subfloor ventilation openings by climatic zone, halved where the ground is sealed with an impervious membrane, and minimum clearance between ground and floor framing of 150 mm where no termite inspection is required and 400 mm where termite inspection is required. ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/6-framing/part-62-subfloor-ventilation
Figures are as published by the sources above at their respective dates and are paraphrased summaries, not verbatim reproductions. Verify current pricing and rules directly with builders, lenders and planning authorities.