Gingin Draftsman for Shire of Gingin Plans and Council Approval

On a residential lot under 600 square metres in the Shire of Gingin, the deemed-to-comply shed allowance is 70 square metres with a 3.0 metre wall. The R-Codes default is 60 square metres with a 2.4 metre wall.

Gingin is more generous than the state code on small lots, and it scales up from there to 160 square metres on anything over 4,000 square metres. It is also strict about two things most councils are not: reflective cladding, and building a shed before the house. This page covers both.

What a Gingin draftsman or Gingin drafter does for you

Gingin runs from the coastal settlements at Lancelin and Guilderton inland to the Gingin townsite and the rural land beyond, so lot sizes vary enormously.

For a Shire of Gingin project that means:

• Confirming the exact lot area, because Local Planning Policy 2.1 bands outbuildings across seven size brackets
• Confirming there is an existing or substantially commenced dwelling on the lot
• Checking the proposed cladding, because reflective material is discouraged and defined specifically
• Testing the design against Local Planning Scheme No. 9, the R-Codes and the policy’s supplementary standards
• Checking whether a local development plan applies, which is common in the coastal settlements
• Preparing documentation to the Shire’s lodgement standard

We draw architectural and planning documentation. We do not produce structural engineering drawings or electrical design.

What “Gingin council approval” actually means

People use “council approval” to cover two or three separate things. They are assessed by different people under different legislation, and most projects do not need all of them.

A building permit. The construction approval under the Building Act 2011, covering structural adequacy, fire separation, energy efficiency and compliance with the National Construction Code. You will almost always need this one.

Development approval, also called planning approval or a DA. The planning assessment against the R-Codes, the local planning scheme and the council’s own local planning policies, covering siting, setbacks, height, bulk, open space and streetscape.

Here is the part that saves people time and money. On most smaller residential jobs, development approval is only needed where the design does not meet the deemed-to-comply provisions of the R-Codes, or the equivalent standards in a local planning policy. Draw a shed, patio or carport inside the numbers and you generally go straight to a building permit. Step outside them and you are asking for a variation, and the variation is what triggers the planning application.

A deemed-to-comply check. This is the step most people have never heard of. Where no development approval is needed, your building surveyor still needs evidence of that before issuing a certificate of design compliance. Clause 61A of the deemed provisions lets you ask the council to confirm it in writing. Fees vary widely: the Town of Victoria Park charges $73, the Town of Cambridge charges $295 for a new single house and $100 for additions with a 14 day response, and some councils do not offer it at all. In the Shire of Gingin the policy does this work directly: development approval is not required where the R-Codes provisions, the supplementary table and the policy standards are all met.

One rule holds everywhere. Being exempt from development approval does not exempt you from a building permit.

Shire of Gingin building rules for residential outbuildings

Local Planning Policy 2.1 supplements the deemed-to-comply requirements of R-Codes clause 5.4.3. Development approval is not required for an outbuilding where the R-Codes deemed-to-comply provisions, the supplementary standards table, and the policy’s development standards are all complied with.

Where a proposal does not meet those requirements, it is considered under the design principle of clause 5.4.3 instead.

Gingin outbuilding size and height by lot size

Lot size	Maximum floor area	Maximum wall height	Maximum overall height
Under 600m2	70m2	3.0m	4.2m
601m2 to 800m2	90m2	3.6m	5.0m
801m2 to 1,000m2	100m2	3.8m	5.0m
1,001m2 to 2,000m2	120m2	3.8m	5.0m
2,001m2 to 3,000m2	130m2	3.8m	5.0m
3,001m2 to 4,000m2	140m2	4.0m	5.0m
Over 4,001m2	160m2	4.2m	5.5m

Three points on how that table works:

• Floor area means the total gross area of all outbuildings on the lot, not a per structure figure
• Wall height is measured from natural ground level as defined by the R-Codes
• Boundary and privacy setbacks are determined under Tables 1, 2a and 2b of the R-Codes, not by this policy

Even the smallest band beats the state default. On a sub-600m2 Gingin lot you get 70m2 and a 3.0m wall where the R-Codes give 60m2 and 2.4m.

The Gingin shed before house rule

The policy is explicit. For an outbuilding to be considered in the residential zone, the land must contain an existing dwelling approved by the Shire, or be associated with a substantially commenced dwelling, for example a house pad.

The reason is stated plainly: without a dwelling on the lot, an outbuilding by itself constitutes a warehouse or storage land use, which is not permitted in a residential zone under Local Planning Scheme No. 9.

Where an outbuilding forms part of a proposal that includes a dwelling, the Shire may impose conditions controlling construction timing to ensure the outbuilding is built in association with the dwelling and not before.

Materials, and the reflective cladding rule

This is where Gingin is stricter than most, and it catches people who have priced a standard shed kit.

• Outbuildings must be finished with new materials and a consistent colour
• Reflective material is discouraged and may only be permitted at the Shire’s discretion where the applicant demonstrates it cannot impact the amenity of the residential streetscape or adjoining properties
• Shipping containers are unacceptable material and require development approval under LPS 9 and Local Planning Policy 1.9 Sea Containers

The policy defines reflective roofing material specifically as any material with the potential to create specular glare or visual detraction of the scenic or landscape character of the Shire, and names Zincalume, including any zinc or zinc-aluminium coated sheet or polished metal, along with Light and Very Light building materials as classified under the Building Code on the basis of their solar absorption.

A standard Zincalume shed is therefore not a straightforward proposition in Gingin. Specify a Colorbond finish in a darker colour from the outset.

Variations in Gingin

There is a general presumption against reducing the open space requirements in Table 1 of the R-Codes to accommodate an outbuilding, unless the applicant provides sufficient justification on town planning grounds.

Proposals using recycled construction material must be accompanied by photographs clearly showing the condition and visual appearance is satisfactory.

Where a proposal exceeds the table, uses reflective or recycled material, or seeks assessment under the design principle, the Shire may require additional information addressing solar access and ventilation for adjoining sites, streetscape and visual amenity impacts, and reflective glare assessments.

Patios and fire separation in Gingin

Fire separation is decided separately at building permit stage. Western Australia adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026, introducing WA Part 9.6 for roofed outdoor areas. It gives two routes to the boundary: 900mm measured to the outermost structural projection and excluding the eave overhang, or 500mm measured to the outermost projection and including the eave overhang.

The 500mm route carries conditions including two or more sides open with at least one third of the perimeter open, a non-combustible supporting structure, a polycarbonate or non-combustible roof covering, a non-combustible floor, no direct vertical support to the house, and a solid non-combustible screen at least 1500mm high along every side facing a boundary. Where that does not suit the build, use the 900mm route.

An enclosed shed is assessed under Part 9.2 instead, which is a different rule set.

At the coastal settlements, wind classification also becomes a real design input at permit stage rather than a formality.

Gingin plans we prepare

Project type	What we prepare
Sheds, workshops and garages	Plans to the correct lot size band with the aggregate floor area calculation
New homes	Concept design through to submission documentation
Additions and extensions	Existing and proposed plans, demolition plan
Patios and alfrescos	Plans with the fire separation route identified
Coastal builds	Plans accounting for exposure and material selection
Ancillary dwellings	Plans and area calculations to the 70m2 limit
Carports, garages and front fences	Setback, frontage and truncation assessment
Variation applications	Documentation with the justification the policy calls for

Gingin projects and what they teach you

Council lodgement across the Shire of Gingin is part of our regional workload, including certificates of design compliance and building permits carried through to approval.

The lesson Gingin teaches is to check the cladding specification before pricing the shed. The size and height allowances here are generous, so most proposals clear those comfortably. What trips them is a Zincalume roof on a shed kit that was quoted before anyone read the policy definition of reflective roofing material.

The second lesson is sequence. No dwelling means no outbuilding, because the Shire treats a standalone shed on residential land as a warehouse use that the Scheme does not permit. A house pad counts as substantially commenced, so the trigger is achievable, but it has to come first.

What Shire of Gingin approval costs

Development application fees are set by state regulation and are the same at every WA council, calculated on the estimated cost of development:

Estimated cost of development	Application fee
Not more than $50,000	$147
$50,001 to $500,000	0.32% of the estimated cost
$500,001 to $2.5 million	$1,700 plus 0.257% of the amount above $500,000
Written planning advice	$73
Amending or cancelling an approval	$295

If the work has already been built, the fee is that figure plus a penalty of twice the fee, so three times the normal amount.

Where a variation is sought, budget for the additional assessment information the policy calls for, which can include a reflective glare assessment.

Our drafting fee is quoted per project rather than by a rate card, because a coastal lot at Lancelin and a rural block near Gingin are not the same job. As a rough guide only, a patio or shed submission sits at the lower end, an addition in the middle, and a new home at the upper end. You get a fixed figure before we start.

How long the drawings take

We are one of the quicker drafting practices in Perth, and we would rather tell you that plainly than quote a number we cannot stand behind.

Turnaround depends on what is being drawn. A patio or a shed is not a second storey addition, and a straightforward flat block is not a sloping site with an existing dwelling to survey and match into. Anyone quoting you a fixed timeframe before seeing the scope is guessing.

What we do is give you a realistic date once we have seen the project, and then keep to it. If we cannot hit something you need, we say so before you commit rather than after.

It is also worth knowing that on most jobs the drafting is not the long pole. The parts that usually set the overall timeline are:

• The council clock, which is set by regulation rather than by us
• Third party reports, such as a Bushfire Attack Level assessment, an arborist report or engineering certification, each of which has its own lead time
• Decisions, meaning how quickly changes come back once you have the first draft in front of you

Those are the things worth planning around, and we will tell you which of them apply to your project at the start.

Draftsman services by Gingin locality

The Shire of Gingin covers a large area from the coast north of Perth inland to the Gingin townsite and rural land beyond.

Locality	What tends to drive the design
Lancelin draftsman	Coastal settlement, wind classification and material selection matter, local development plans in parts
Guilderton draftsman	Coastal and river mouth, exposure and setbacks drive the design
Seabird and Ledge Point draftsman	Small coastal settlements, exposure and streetscape amenity
Gingin draftsman	Townsite lots, the smaller bands of the outbuilding table apply
Woodridge and Caraban draftsman	Coastal and semi rural, larger lots and larger shed allowances
Red Gully, Yeal and Muckenburra draftsman	Rural land, largest shed bands, bushfire assessment may be triggered

Gingin draftsman questions

How big a shed can I build in Gingin without approval?

It depends on lot size, across seven bands. Under 600m2 you get 70m2 with a 3.0m wall, which already beats the R-Codes default. Over 4,001m2 you get 160m2 with a 4.2m wall. Floor area is the total gross area of all outbuildings on the lot. You also have to meet the R-Codes deemed-to-comply provisions and the policy’s other standards, including setbacks under Tables 1, 2a and 2b.

Can I have a Zincalume shed in Gingin?

Not easily. The policy discourages reflective material and specifically names Zincalume, including any zinc or zinc-aluminium coated sheet or polished metal, as reflective roofing material. It may be permitted at the Shire’s discretion where you can demonstrate it will not affect streetscape or neighbouring amenity, and a reflective glare assessment may be required. Specifying a darker Colorbond finish avoids the issue.

Can I build a shed before the house in Gingin?

Not on residential land. The lot must contain an existing dwelling approved by the Shire, or a substantially commenced dwelling such as a house pad. Without a dwelling, the Shire treats a standalone outbuilding as a warehouse or storage land use, which is not permitted in a residential zone under Local Planning Scheme No. 9.

Can I use a shipping container as a shed in Gingin?

No, not as an outbuilding. The policy states shipping containers are unacceptable material and require development approval under LPS 9 and Local Planning Policy 1.9 Sea Containers.

What if I want a bigger shed than the Gingin table allows?

It is assessed under the design principle of R-Codes clause 5.4.3, and the Shire may require additional information covering solar access and ventilation for adjoining sites, streetscape and visual amenity impacts, and reflective glare. There is also a general presumption against reducing your Table 1 open space to fit the outbuilding in.