How long does a granny flat take?

Most granny flat projects in Melbourne take 6–9 months from the first conversation to handover. The single longest step is the permit, and the single biggest variable is your council. Here is the realistic breakdown, and where projects lose time.

If you are reading the rules alongside this, note the official name for the building: Victoria’s planning system calls it a small second dwelling. Whether you also need a planning permit — as opposed to a building permit — is what usually decides how long the front half of your project takes.

The full timeline

Stage	Typical duration	Who is doing what
Free consultation	Within a week of enquiry	We look at your site and answer the questions that decide everything else.
Design	2–4 weeks	Floor plan tailored to your block; selections started.
Permit	8–12 weeks (council-dependent)	We prepare, lodge and track the application.
Construction	12–16 weeks	Build, inspections, milestones.
Handover	Same week as completion	Final inspection, keys, documents.

All up, plan for roughly 6–9 months. Projects on the planning permit exemption path sit at the faster end of the permit range; projects that need a planning permit sit at the slower end.

Why the permit is the longest stage

Council assessment times vary across Melbourne, and they are outside anyone’s control. What is inside our control is the quality of the application. A complete application avoids the back-and-forth that adds weeks, so we prepare and lodge it as part of the fixed price and track it through council rather than leaving you to chase it.

Two things shorten this stage:

• Being on the exemption path. If your project meets the conditions under the small second dwelling rules, you generally skip the planning permit entirely and go straight to a building permit.
• Knowing your block’s constraints early. Easements, overlays and setbacks are cheaper to design around than to discover later.

Where delays actually come from

1. Council processing times. Outside anyone’s control. A complete application is the only real lever.
2. Incomplete paperwork. Missing property documents stall an application. We tell you exactly what is needed, at the start.
3. Changes during construction. Every change mid-build adds time and money. Locking the plan before we start is what keeps the schedule honest.
4. Site surprises. Rock, poor soil or unexpected drainage. We assess the site before you commit, so this stays rare.

What we do to keep it moving

We agree a timeline in writing, report progress against it, and contact you only about the things that genuinely need your decision. The six construction payments are tied to build milestones, so you always know where the project stands and what has been paid for.

Questions people ask about timelines

Can you build faster than 6 months?

Sometimes, but we will not promise it to win the job. Permit timing is council’s, not ours, and a compressed build schedule usually means paying for it somewhere else. We would rather give you a timeline we beat than one we miss.

What if I need it finished by a specific date?

Tell us at the consultation. We will tell you honestly whether it is realistic, and what would have to be true for it to work.

Does the build happen all at once?

Yes. It is a single continuous build on your site, typically 12–16 weeks, not staged work spread across a year. You do not need to move out of the main house.

Where to go next

• See what the fixed price covers before you compare timelines with anyone.
• If parents will be living in it, the design considerations are here.
• Start your selections while the permit is in progress — the finishes are already in the price.
• Book a free consultation and we will give you a timeline for your actual block.