A planning permit application for a modular project needs different evidence from a traditional build. The planner is not assessing a shed being delivered on a truck, they are assessing a permanent building, and they need to see that on the endorsed plans, not buried in a supply contract. This guide sets out what a town planner actually needs from a modular supplier, and where that differs from the building permit stage that follows it.
Planning permit and building permit are not the same gate
A planning permit deals with land use, built form, setbacks, height, overshadowing and neighbourhood character. A building permit deals with whether the building itself is structurally and technically compliant to be constructed. Modular suppliers who only engage at building permit stage leave the planning application to describe the building however the applicant’s draftsperson guessed it would look, which creates a mismatch the building surveyor then has to reconcile later. Engaging the module supplier before the planning application is lodged closes that gap at the point it is cheapest to close.
What a planner needs to see on a modular application
- Accurate external massing and elevations that match the real module dimensions and roof form, not an architect’s concept render of a building that cannot actually be built to that envelope in modules
- A floor plan that reflects the real module grid and joins, so room counts, setbacks and site coverage calculations are correct from the first submission
- Height to the actual finished floor level, accounting for the factory and site interface, not a generic slab-on-ground assumption
- Any state or council overlay considerations specific to prefabricated or relocatable buildings, which some planning schemes treat differently from conventional construction
Getting these details wrong in the first submission is what produces a Request for Further Information, and a Request for Further Information is what turns a straightforward application into a six month one.
Where this sits in EcoPrestige’s ECI process
For a project engaged before planning, or still in planning, Stage 2 of our ECI service issues the preliminary drawings, plans, elevations, sections and module layout, built to the real module grid, ready for the client’s own town planner to lodge. Where a planning permit has already been issued against a non-modular design, Stage 2 instead revises that endorsed design into a modular layout for the planner to take back to Council, a different and more constrained job than starting from a blank page. Both pathways sit inside the same fee bands, set out in our ECI guide.
Common planning scheme considerations for modular buildings
Every state’s planning scheme is different and a builder or developer should always confirm the current overlay and zoning position with their own planner or council before lodging. What stays constant across jurisdictions is that a modular building is still assessed as a permanent structure under the relevant planning scheme, not under any separate category just because it is manufactured offsite. Treating it as anything other than a standard application invites exactly the kind of RFI that slows a modular project down.
FAQ
Does a modular building need a different planning permit process to a traditional build?
No, it is assessed under the same planning scheme as any permanent building in that location. What changes is the accuracy of the drawings needed to get a clean first submission.
Can EcoPrestige’s drawings be lodged directly with Council?
The drawings are issued to the client’s own town planner to lodge, built to the real module grid so the planner is submitting an accurate application rather than a concept.
What if the planning permit has already been issued for a non-modular design?
Our ECI Stage 2 revises the endorsed design into a modular layout for the planner to take back to Council, rather than restarting the planning process from scratch.
Who pays Council and planning application fees?
These are paid by the client direct, they sit outside the ECI design fee.
Get your project assessed
Builders and developers with a project in or approaching the planning stage: email our team to find out which ECI pathway applies, or download our technical brochures. Email info@ecoprestige.com.au.