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Granny flats and renovations in Bendigo

Dwellix builds two-bedroom granny flats and renovates homes in Greater Bendigo and the surrounding region. Local rules to know: the City’s guidance on covenants and building envelopes, private building surveyors, miners’ cottages newly in the Heritage Overlay, and fixed bushfire levels in the overlay schedules.

Key facts

  • Building permits: the City doesn’t issue them; owners engage a private building surveyor. (City of Greater Bendigo)
  • Tiny homes on wheels: not a habitable building, and can’t get a building permit. (City of Greater Bendigo)
  • Heritage: Amendment C275gben, gazetted 8 May 2026, added 142 individual places to the Heritage Overlay through miners’-housing serial listings. (City of Greater Bendigo)

Which councils surround Bendigo?

Regional Development Victoria’s Loddon Campaspe partnership covers Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Greater Bendigo, Loddon, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander. This page uses City of Greater Bendigo sources; in the other shires, check the council’s own planning information.

Source: Regional Development Victoria, “Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership”, checked 8 October 2026.

What does the City of Greater Bendigo say about granny flats?

Its guidance follows the state rules and adds title checks. A small second dwelling, formerly called a dependent person’s unit or granny flat, is a Class 1a building, one per lot, with a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry. It needs no car space and no gas, must have an access path from the front street, can’t be subdivided off, and anyone can live in it. The City’s guidance describes a 60m² limit, but since 15 October 2026, Amendment VC306 has raised the planning limit to 80m². Changes to the Building Regulations are due to follow, so check the current building rules with your building surveyor.

It must also comply with any covenants on the title and with building envelopes, and a building permit is required in every case. A planning permit is usually not needed on lots above 300m², is needed below 300m², and may be needed in other zones or overlays.

The City applies the 300m² test to “Residential or Rural” zones, while Planning Victoria frames it as residential zones other than the Low Density Residential Zone. Near 300m² or in a rural zone? Check with the council.

Sources: City of Greater Bendigo, “Tiny Homes & Small Second Dwellings”; Planning Victoria, “Small second homes”. Checked 8 October 2026.

Tiny home or small second dwelling?

They’re treated very differently. The City says a tiny home on wheels isn’t a habitable building and can’t get a building permit. Under local laws, it can’t be used for more than 21 days a year without a permit unless it’s in a registered caravan or holiday park, and council says it isn’t suitable as a permanent residence. A small second dwelling is a Class 1a building with a building permit.

Source: City of Greater Bendigo, “Tiny Homes & Small Second Dwellings”, checked 8 October 2026.

Who issues building permits in Bendigo?

Not the council. The City of Greater Bendigo doesn’t issue building permits, so owners engage a private building surveyor. Council consent may still be needed, for example for asset protection or to protect adjoining properties.

Source: City of Greater Bendigo, “Building”, checked 8 October 2026.

Is my miners’ cottage now heritage listed?

It may be. The City says its grander Victorian homes are mostly in the Heritage Overlay, but many modest miners’ and workers’ houses were not. Its study identified four types: Miners’ Cottages, Quartz Gold Boom Miners’ Houses, Workers and Mine Speculator’s Houses, and Quartz Reefer Houses.

Amendment C275gben, gazetted on 8 May 2026, put 142 individual heritage places into the Heritage Overlay through four serial listings (HO1000 to HO1003).

In the Heritage Overlay, a planning permit may be needed; check with your council. Most heritage places are covered by the Greater Bendigo Heritage Permit Exemptions Incorporated Plan, which exempts many minor works, including pools, fences, additions and alterations, if its conditions are met. A heritage advisor is available, and the Heritage Design Guidelines help owners identify their house’s era.

Watch item: Amendment C300gben is proposed, not yet in force. It would replace the 2020 guidelines with new Residential and Commercial Heritage Design Guidelines (May 2026), including guidance supporting energy-efficient systems, and add 7 properties in Bendigo and Golden Square to the Heritage Overlay. Council is scheduled to consider submissions on 14 December 2026.

Homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos.

Sources: City of Greater Bendigo, “Victorian Miners’ Housing Serial Listing Heritage Study”, “C275 Miners’ Housing Serial Listings”, “Heritage planning” and “C300 Heritage Design Guidelines”. Checked 8 October 2026.

Building in a Bendigo Bushfire Management Overlay

The City’s Municipal Fire Management Plan says Bendigo is surrounded by land in a Bushfire Management Overlay and Bushfire Prone Areas, which can add planning and building requirements; check with your council and building surveyor.

Sources: City of Greater Bendigo, “Bushfire Management Overlay” information sheet and Municipal Fire Management Plan; Planning Victoria, “Building in the bushfire management overlay”. Checked 8 October 2026.

Is your Bendigo property flood-affected?

Amendment C221, approved on 26 April 2018, applied the Bendigo Urban Flood Study (2013) through the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay, Schedules 1 and 2. The state’s “generally no planning permit” guidance for granny flats doesn’t cover land with flooding controls.

Source: Planning Panels Victoria, Greater Bendigo C248gben panel report (March 2025), checked 8 October 2026.

Which renovations suit Bendigo homes?

See all renovation services.

How Dwellix works in Bendigo

We take on projects across the Bendigo region. Send us your address and we’ll confirm whether we can take on your project.

  1. Feasibility. Our feasibility check reviews your zone, overlays and lot size.
  2. Design. You choose one of our three designs, each with two bedrooms and one bathroom.
  3. Permits. If your project needs a building permit, we handle the permit process for you. You formally appoint the building surveyor, and we can recommend one and manage everything with them. The engineer and energy rater are coordinated by Dwellix.
  4. Contract. Dwellix is registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (CDB-U 102264). Home Warranty applies to eligible work valued at more than $20,000 under contracts signed from 1 July 2026, subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions. Our cost guide explains what sets the price.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a granny flat in Bendigo?

A building permit, yes, from a private building surveyor, since the City doesn’t issue them. A planning permit is usually not needed on lots above 300m², is needed below 300m², and may be needed in other zones or overlays. The City also says the dwelling must comply with title covenants and building envelopes.

Can I live in a tiny home on wheels in Bendigo?

Not permanently. The City says a tiny home on wheels isn’t a habitable building and can’t get a building permit. Under local laws, it can’t be used for more than 21 days a year without a permit unless it’s in a registered caravan or holiday park.

Is my miners’ cottage in Bendigo heritage listed?

It may be. Amendment C275gben, gazetted on 8 May 2026, added 142 individual places to the Heritage Overlay through four miners’-housing serial listings. Many modest miners’ and workers’ houses weren’t listed before, so ask the City’s heritage advisor whether your home is now covered.

Start with your property

Building a granny flat? Check your block. Planning a renovation? Enquire. Prefer email? Write to sales@dwellix.com.au.

General information only, checked 8 October 2026. Rules change; confirm requirements for your property with your building surveyor or council.