Subdivision & Unit Development

Knowing What Your Block Can Yield Comes Before Drawing It

A block’s R-Codes density coding decides what’s actually possible on it, long before anyone draws a floor plan. R20, R30 and R40 all split a block differently: different lot sizes, different unit counts, different setbacks between dwellings. Misread that at the start and the design gets reworked at DA stage, or a lot that could have carried three units ends up carrying two.
So that’s where we start: your block’s coding, its size and shape, and the yield it genuinely supports. That tells us whether green title (freehold) subdivision or a survey-strata scheme with shared common property suits your site better, how many dwellings fit within setback and open space rules, and where driveways, services and boundaries actually land.
Each dwelling is then designed against that layout from the start. Orientation, natural light and street presence get worked out per unit, so the finished development reads as considered rather than squeezed onto a subdivided block.
Whether you’re splitting one block into two lots or developing a multi-unit site, the same design and documentation process carries through from concept to construction-ready drawings, and we coordinate with your surveyor and consultants at every stage.
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What Subdivision & Unit Development Actually Involves

  • R-Codes density coding: your block's R-Code (R20, R30, R40 and above) sets the minimum lot size per dwelling, and with it, the maximum number of units your site can support.
  • Subdivision type: green title (freehold) subdivision suits some sites, a survey-strata scheme with shared common property suits others, depending on lot size, access and how the dwellings will be titled.
  • Common property and access: shared driveways, visitor parking and services need their own design resolution once a block carries more than one dwelling.
  • Setbacks between dwellings: R-Codes boundary and open space rules apply unit to unit as well as unit to boundary, shaping how close dwellings can sit to each other and to the street.
  • Easements and service authority requirements: existing services, easements and utility connections (power, water, sewer) get checked early, since they can limit where a new lot boundary or a dwelling can go.
  • WAPC and council approval: subdivision applications go through the WA Planning Commission, while the dwellings themselves need council approval, and the two have to move together.
  • Streetscape and privacy: how multiple dwellings present to the street and to each other needs more thought on corner or narrow blocks, where overlooking and street presence matter more than on a single-home site.

Our Process

1

Feasibility & Site Assessment

A site visit, plus a check of your block's R-Codes density coding against its size and shape. That tells us realistically what it can yield: how many lots or dwellings, and whether green title subdivision or a survey-strata scheme fits better.

2

Concept Design & Subdivision Layout

The initial lot layout or unit configuration gets developed alongside each dwelling's concept design, so orientation, access, common property and setbacks are worked through as one plan.

3

Design Development & Approvals

We refine the layout and dwelling designs with you, checking R-Codes compliance, easements and service authority requirements before lodging the WAPC subdivision application and the council submission for the dwellings.

4

Working Drawings & Titles Documentation

Construction-ready working drawings for each dwelling, plus the subdivision or strata documentation needed for Landgate title registration. From here, it goes to your builder and surveyor for the next stage.

What's Included

Subdivisions & Unit Development

Design & Documentation

  • R-Codes density and yield assessment specific to your block
  • Subdivision layout or unit configuration built around site constraints and your brief
  • Individual design for each dwelling, covering orientation, layout and street presence
  • Design development through to construction-ready working drawings
  • Common property, access and driveway design where a survey-strata scheme applies

Approvals & Coordination

  • WAPC subdivision application support
  • Council submission and deemed-to-comply checks for the dwellings
  • Coordination with your surveyor on lot boundaries, easements and titles
  • Liaison with service authorities on connections and clearances
  • Coordination with your builder through documentation and pricing
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New Home Designs

New homes, subdivisions and granny flats, designed and documented end to end.

Questions? You’re covered.
How do I know what my block's R-Codes density coding allows?

Your local council's town planning scheme or zoning map shows the R-Code, and it's the first thing we check. It sets minimum lot size per dwelling and, from that, roughly how many dwellings your block can support.

Green title (freehold) subdivision creates fully separate lots with their own title, no shared property. Survey-strata creates individual lots that share some common property, typically a driveway or access way. Which one suits your block depends on its size, shape and access.

It depends on your R-Code, lot size and shape, plus setback and open space requirements. We work this out at the feasibility stage, before any design work starts, so you know what's realistic before committing to a layout.

Not always. Some blocks can be subdivided with the existing home retained on one lot and a new dwelling built on the other. Whether that works depends on the existing home's position on the block and your R-Code.

We handle the design and documentation. A licensed surveyor handles the survey and lodges the subdivision with Landgate. We coordinate directly with your surveyor throughout so the two workstreams stay aligned.
Both, generally. Subdivision itself goes through the WA Planning Commission, while the dwellings need council approval (DA or deemed-to-comply) alongside it. We manage both as one coordinated process.
They can differ, though many developments use a shared design language across units for a cleaner streetscape and simpler documentation. Either approach works. It comes down to your brief, not a planning rule.
It depends on lot count, council and WAPC processing times, and whether service authority clearances hold things up. Feasibility, concept, design development and working drawings each get reviewed with you before the next stage starts. Titles themselves are issued on the surveyor's and Landgate's timeline, separate from the design stage.
They're designed as common property from the start. Access, parking and service runs get planned so they work for every dwelling, with a strata scheme set up to manage them once the development is complete.
Yes, that's exactly what the feasibility stage is for. A read of your block's R-Code, size and shape against realistic construction costs tells you whether subdivision or unit development is worth pursuing before any design fees are spent.

Ready to See What Your Block Can Yield?

Start with a feasibility conversation about your block's R-Codes and your subdivision or development goals.

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