Granny flat cost in Melbourne and regional Victoria
The cost of a granny flat depends on its design, its finish and your block. The price of a Dwellix granny flat depends on the design, the package you choose and your block, so we quote each project after assessing your site. Design and permit fees and any site-specific works are quoted separately. This guide explains what sets the price in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, and what to check in any quote.
Key facts
- Three designs: Dwellix 1, 2 and 3, each with two bedrooms and one bathroom. (Dwellix)
- Three packages: Bronze (Entry), Silver (Mid Range) and Gold (Premium). Each pairs a façade tier with an interior specification. (Dwellix)
- Building permit: always required for a small second dwelling. (Victorian Government)
- No mains gas, no car space: a small second dwelling must not be connected to reticulated natural gas, and it does not require a car parking space. (Victorian Government)
- Check the register: check a builder’s registration, its status and any conditions on the public register before you sign a contract. (Building and Plumbing Commission)
Sources: Dwellix design pages; Victorian Government, “Small second dwellings” (planning.vic.gov.au); Building and Plumbing Commission, “Find and check a practitioner”. All checked 8 October 2026.
How much does a granny flat cost in Melbourne?
It depends on the design, the package and your block. We don’t publish a set price, because every site is different. Instead, we quote your project once we’ve assessed your block. Our three packages are:
| Package | Interior specification |
|---|---|
| Bronze | Entry |
| Silver | Mid Range |
| Gold | Premium |
The build price is only part of the total project cost:
- Design and permit fees are quoted separately in a fee proposal. They cover the site investigation (soil test and survey), drawings, engineering, energy rating and the building permit.
- Site-specific works, such as service connections, retaining, access and footings for difficult soil, are priced for your block after the site investigation.
- A planning permit, if your block needs one, and any specialist reports your site needs are also separate.
Each of our three designs is available in all three packages:
| Design | Plan |
|---|---|
| Dwellix 1 | Linear plan |
| Dwellix 2 | A bedroom wing and a kitchen-living wing around a recessed entry |
| Dwellix 3 | Two pavilions joined by a glazed entry |
Your feasibility report indicates whether your project is likely to need a planning permit; council or your planner makes the final call.
Source: Dwellix (packages and design pages), checked 20 October 2026.
What determines the cost of a Dwellix granny flat?
Your package and your block. The design and package you choose, Bronze, Silver or Gold, set the build price. Your block sets the site-specific costs, which are priced after the site investigation.
The design
All three designs have two bedrooms and one bathroom, but each is a different shape: linear, courtyard or two pavilions. Different shapes suit different backyards. Compare them on our designs page.
The package: Bronze, Silver or Gold
Each package pairs a façade tier with an interior specification: Bronze with Entry, Silver with Mid Range, and Gold with Premium. The façade sets the external materials and detailing. The specification sets the fit-out inside: kitchen, appliances, flooring, bathroom and detailing. Our specifications page compares every item side by side, including the items set as supply allowances.
Your block: site-specific costs
These vary by block, so we price them after the site investigation (soil test and survey):
- Site access. Narrow or limited access changes how materials and machinery reach the back of the block.
- Slope and excavation. A sloping block may need cut and fill, retaining walls or a different floor system.
- Soil type and footings. The soil on your block affects the footing design the engineer specifies.
- Service connections. The cost of connecting sewer, stormwater, water and electricity depends on the distance to the existing connections and whether the supply has enough capacity.
- Demolition or tree removal. An old shed, a slab or trees in the way add work before the build can start.
- Permits and specialist reports. Every small second dwelling needs a building permit, and some blocks also need a planning permit (see the small second dwelling rules). Our fee proposal covers the survey, soil test, drawings, engineering, energy rating and building permit. Specialist reports, such as a bushfire attack level assessment or civil design, are added only where a site needs them.
Source: Victorian Government, “Small second dwellings”, checked 8 October 2026.
What should a turnkey granny flat include?
A turnkey granny flat should be finished and ready to live in at handover. Builders use the word differently, and a turnkey price doesn’t necessarily cover every site cost, so read each quote’s inclusions line by line. Look for:
- drawings, the building permit, and the consultant reports and engineering it needs;
- site preparation, footings and the full structure, including roof, windows and doors;
- the kitchen and bathroom fit-out, with appliances;
- floor coverings, painting and window coverings;
- heating and cooling, and hot water;
- connection of water, sewer, stormwater and electricity;
- a final clean and handover documents.
With Dwellix, the design and permit stages are quoted in a separate fee proposal before the build. Your building contract and its signed inclusions schedule then set out exactly what the build includes, and site-specific costs are priced for your block after the site investigation.
What should you check is excluded from a builder’s quote?
Exclusions are where two quotes that look alike can differ. Ask for them in writing, and check whether each quote covers:
- rock, fill, retaining walls or extra excavation;
- service connections beyond a set distance, and authority or connection fees;
- planning permit costs, if your block needs one;
- demolition, tree removal and rubbish removal;
- landscaping, fencing, paths and driveways;
- window coverings and floor coverings;
- allowances (prime cost items or provisional sums), and how they’re adjusted;
- separate electricity or water meters for the granny flat;
- upgrades to the main house’s electrical supply or switchboard.
Our fee proposal and building contract list our standard exclusions in writing.
How do we get to your price?
Site costs can’t be known from an address alone. Until the soil and the site are investigated, any price for the site work is an estimate. Here’s how we get to your price:
- Initial discussion. We talk through your goals, your block and what’s possible.
- Site feasibility. We assess your block and its council requirements, help you choose a design, and prepare a feasibility report.
- Site investigation. A soil test and a feature and level survey, followed by a review of the findings. This is the first stage of our fee proposal.
- Design and building permit. Drawings, engineering and energy rating, then the building permit, and a planning permit if your block needs one.
- Building contract. We confirm a site-specific price in your building contract before construction starts. The contract sets out the allowances, provisional sums and the limited cases where the price can change.
- Construction and handover. We build, then a final inspection and handover.
Questions to ask any granny flat builder
- Are you registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC)? In Victoria, domestic building work worth more than $10,000 needs a registered builder or building company (single-trade jobs, such as painting or glazing, are the exception). The BPC, which replaced the Victorian Building Authority on 1 July 2025, advises checking a builder’s registration, its status and any conditions on its public register (bams.vba.vic.gov.au) before you sign a contract or allow work to start. Dwellix Pty Ltd’s registration is CDB-U 102264.
- Is the work covered by Home Warranty? For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026, Home Warranty may apply to eligible domestic building work valued at more than $20,000, subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions.
- Will I get a written contract? A written major domestic building contract is needed for most domestic building work worth more than $10,000. Ask for a contract that sets out the price, inclusions, exclusions, allowances and payment stages. Rules on deposits and cooling-off apply to domestic building contracts. Ask us, or see Consumer Affairs Victoria.
- Who coordinates the permits and consultants? Ask who arranges the building permit, any planning permit and the consultant reports, and whether their fees are in the price.
Sources: Building and Plumbing Commission; Consumer Affairs Victoria; Victorian Government, “Building reform”; Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. All checked 8 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a granny flat cost in Melbourne?
It depends on the design, the package you choose and your block, so we quote each project after assessing your site. Design and permit fees are quoted separately, and site-specific costs such as access, slope, soil and service connections are priced for your block after the site investigation.
How much does a 2-bedroom granny flat cost in Victoria?
It depends on the design, the package and your block. We quote each project after assessing your site. Design and permit fees, any planning permit and site-specific works are separate from the build price.
Does a granny flat cost more in Geelong, Ballarat or Bendigo?
Our packages are the same in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. What differs is your block: access, slope, soil, service connections and any permits it needs. We price those after the site investigation.
Related
- Our three designs
- Specifications: Entry, Mid Range and Premium
- Small second dwellings in Victoria
- Building a granny flat to rent out
Check your block
Start a feasibility check and we’ll review which designs could fit your block and what your site may involve. 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.