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Granny flat costs in Queensland
| One bedroom | A$130,000 – A$185,000, owner-managed[1] |
|---|---|
| Two bedrooms | A$160,000 – A$260,000[1][2] |
| Three bedrooms | A$230,000 – A$330,000[1] |
| Turnkey range, Brisbane | A$150,000 – A$300,000[3] |
| Per square metre | A$2,500 – A$4,000+ complete[4] |
| *Sources disagree substantially. Figures describe different scopes — owner-managed against turnkey — and different suppliers' products. See the section on why the ranges diverge. | |
Published Queensland figures for a granny flat run from about A$130,000–A$185,000 for an owner-managed one-bedroom to A$230,000–A$330,000 for three bedrooms, and a two-bedroom in Brisbane commonly lands at A$160,000–A$260,000 all-in.[1][2] These are commercial guidance, not independent survey data, and the sources disagree widely because they price different scopes under the same name.
Queensland secondary dwelling costs are published widely and disagree by more than A$100,000 for the same nominal product. The disagreement is not noise — it is the predictable result of different sources pricing different scopes and calling both a "granny flat". This guide sets out what the published figures actually say, why they diverge, and which parts of a Queensland project sit outside the number a builder quotes first.
What the published sources say §
| Configuration | Published range | Basis stated | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| One bedroom, 35–45 m² | A$130,000 – 185,000 | Owner-managed total project | Drafting service[1] |
| Two bedrooms, 50–65 m² | A$175,000 – 260,000 | Owner-managed total project | Drafting service[1] |
| Three bedrooms, 70–80 m² | A$230,000 – 330,000 | Owner-managed total project | Drafting service[1] |
| One bedroom, compact | From A$130,900 | Builder price, site costs excluded | Volume builder[5] |
| Two bedrooms, well appointed | A$163,800 – 195,100 | Builder price, site costs excluded | Volume builder[5] |
| Two bedrooms with garage | To about A$225,000 | Builder price, site costs excluded | Volume builder[5] |
| Brisbane, unspecified size | A$150,000 – 300,000 | Turnkey | Modular builder[3] |
| Brisbane, turnkey | A$150,000 – 280,000 | Turnkey | Industry site[4] |
All of these are commercial guidance. Two are published by companies selling the product, one by a drafting service, one by an industry information site. None is independent survey data.
Why the ranges diverge §
Three separate things are being counted.
The first is scope. The owner-managed figures are stated as total project costs including plans, engineering, certifier fees, site works, construction, utility connections and a 10 per cent contingency[1]. A builder's published price is the building — one volume builder states explicitly that its figures exclude site-specific costs, approvals, service connections and site preparation[5]. Those are not the same number and should never be compared directly.
The second is margin. The drafting service puts the gap between an owner-managed project and a turnkey quote at typically A$30,000 to A$60,000 on a project of this size, and identifies it as the builder's margin[1]. That is a service being paid for — contract administration, trade coordination, statutory insurance and a fixed price — rather than a loss.
The third is site. The same source frames the spread as running from a simple one-bedroom on a flat block with stable soil and a sewer connection within a few metres, to a three-bedroom on a sloping lot with reactive clay, a flood overlay and a long sewer run[1]. Two Queensland blocks in the same suburb can sit at opposite ends of the published range with identical dwellings on them.
Per square metre §
For a complete, ready-to-move-in granny flat in Brisbane, an industry site puts the rate at A$2,500 to A$4,000 or more per square metre[4].
As with modular pricing generally, a square-metre rate is useful for checking a quote already in hand and close to useless for comparing two quotes whose scopes have not been established. It is also weakly related to size: fixed costs — bathroom, kitchen, service connections, approvals — do not scale down with floor area, so a small dwelling carries a higher rate per square metre than a large one.
Size drives the budget, and the cap is a council matter §
Queensland has no statewide floor area cap for secondary dwellings, and many councils, Brisbane City among them, allow around 80 m²[2]. Brisbane City Council is reported to apply an 80 m² gross floor area cap and to process most compliant designs through code assessment rather than a full development application[4].
Published sources are not consistent on this point — some state a 60 m² limit, which is the figure that anchors several southern states. Because the cap is set locally and varies, this guide does not state a Queensland figure; the position for a specific lot should be confirmed against Granny flat rules in Queensland and with the relevant council or a private certifier before a design is commissioned.
The budget consequence is direct. Where a larger secondary dwelling is permitted, the extra floor area is comparatively cheap per square metre because the expensive fixed elements are already paid for. Where it is not, the design has to fit the cap, and the cap effectively sets the ceiling on rental return.
Cost direction §
Secondary dwelling construction costs are reported to have risen 4.2 per cent year on year as at the first quarter of 2026, broadly tracking the wider residential construction market, on figures attributed to the HIA Housing Scorecard[6].
That is a modest movement by recent standards, but it matters for quotes with a long validity period or for projects where approval will take months. Ask whether a quoted price is fixed and for how long, and whether any rise-and-fall provision applies.
What sits outside the headline price §
The items most often absent from a first quote, and present in the owner-managed totals above, are:
- Soil classification and site survey
- Structural engineering for the specific block
- Private certifier fees and council charges
- Earthworks, retaining and drainage on sloping or reactive sites
- Sewer and stormwater connection, including any long run to the main
- Electrical supply upgrade where the existing service is inadequate
- Driveway, off-street parking and paths
- Contingency — 10 per cent is the allowance used in the owner-managed figures[1]
Off-street parking is worth singling out in Queensland, where a dedicated space for the secondary dwelling is commonly required in addition to existing parking for the main house, and where providing it can mean new hardstand and a crossover.
Queensland is the only state with a published three-bedroom range. That figure, and the rest of the ranges above, are in the cost range finder alongside every other state.
What is not covered here §
No independent Australian survey of completed Queensland secondary dwelling costs has been located for this guide. Council infrastructure charges vary by local government area and are not covered by the sources compiled here. Rental yield figures circulate widely in this market and are not reproduced, because the published examples are promotional and are not supported by independent Queensland rental data in the sources reviewed. Tax treatment of a rented secondary dwelling is not covered here.
Sent to info@modularlivingaustralia.com.au and handled by a person. See Privacy.
References §
- Draftee — Drafting service, June 2026. Publishes Brisbane figures for owner-builder managed projects — one bedroom at 35–45 m² for A$130,000 to A$185,000, two bedrooms at 50–65 m² for A$175,000 to A$260,000, and three bedrooms at 70–80 m² for A$230,000 to A$330,000 — stated as total project costs including plans, engineering, certifier fees, site works, construction, utility connections and a 10 per cent contingency. States the gap to turnkey quotes is the builder's margin, typically A$30,000 to A$60,000 on a project of this size. draftee.com.au/granny-flat-cost-brisbane/
- Draftee — State-by-state comparison, June 2026. States a two-bedroom granny flat in Brisbane commonly lands between A$160,000 and A$260,000 all-in, and that Queensland has no statewide size cap with many councils, including Brisbane City, allowing around 80 m². draftee.com.au/2-bedroom-granny-flat-prices/
- Hoek Modular Homes — Builder-published article. States a Brisbane granny flat cost range of A$150,000 to A$300,000 depending on size, design and materials. hoekmodularhomes.com/how-much-does-a-granny-flat-cost/
- The Granny Flat Guide — Industry information site, July 2026. States a Brisbane turnkey range of A$150,000 to A$280,000 for 2026 and an estimated A$2,500 to A$4,000 or more per square metre for a complete, ready-to-move-in granny flat. States Brisbane City Council applies an 80 m² gross floor area cap and processes most compliant designs through code assessment rather than a full development application. thegrannyflatguide.com/regulations-costs/granny-flats-brisbane/
- Dixon Homes — Builder-published pricing, May 2026. States South East Queensland granny flat prices starting from A$130,900 for a compact one-bedroom design and up to around A$225,000 for a larger two-bedroom with a garage, with a well-appointed two-bedroom typically between A$163,800 and A$195,100. States a 5 kW solar system is a standard inclusion and that prices exclude site-specific costs, approvals, service connections and site preparation. dixonhomes.com/post/granny-flat-cost-brisbane
- HomeBuildBudget — Quantity surveying information site, June 2026. Cites the HIA Housing Scorecard for the first quarter of 2026 as showing secondary dwelling construction costs rising 4.2 per cent year on year, broadly tracking the wider residential construction market. homebuildbudget.com/guides/secondary-dwelling-costs-adding-a-granny-flat-to-your-property/
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.