York Draftsman for Shire of York Plans and Council Approval
York is Western Australia’s oldest inland town, and it shows in the approval framework. In the Shire of York, development approval is required for an outbuilding if the site is heritage listed, in a heritage precinct, in the Avon River Flood Fringe, in the Regional Town Centre zone, or in a Residential or Rural Townsite zone.
That list covers most of the developed part of the Shire. This page explains what it means in practice.
What a York draftsman or York drafter does for you
York combines a nationally significant heritage townsite with substantial surrounding agricultural land, and the Avon River runs through the middle of it.
For a Shire of York project that means:
- Confirming heritage status, because if the property is listed or in a heritage precinct all works require planning approval and a building licence
- Checking whether the lot sits in the Avon River Flood Fringe, which triggers a development application on its own
- Confirming the zone, because Residential, Rural Townsite and Regional Town Centre all trigger approval for outbuildings
- Testing the design against Local Planning Scheme No. 3, gazetted 13 January 2021, and the Shire’s planning policies
- Checking the Shire’s heritage design guidance on materials and finishes where the property is in a heritage area
- 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 “York 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. Ask the Shire of York directly whether they run one and whether your building surveyor will want it before lodging.
One rule holds everywhere. Being exempt from development approval does not exempt you from a building permit.
Shire of York building rules for sheds and outbuildings
The small structure exemption
Approval is not required for sheds, gazebos or outbuildings with a floor area less than 10 square metres and a height less than 2.4 metres. That aligns with the Schedule 4 building permit exemption, so a genuinely small garden shed can proceed without either approval.
When development approval is required
Development approval is required for the construction of an outbuilding where the site is:
- On the heritage list, or in a heritage precinct
- Within the Avon River Flood Fringe
- In the Regional Town Centre zone
- In a Residential or Rural Townsite zone
Between them, those categories capture most of the built up part of the Shire. The practical implication is that in York you should assume a development application is required for an outbuilding unless you have specifically confirmed otherwise.
The Shire has separate policies covering outbuildings in R-Coded areas and outbuildings in residential zones, plus a policy dealing specifically with barn style shed houses, which is worth knowing about if that is the design direction you have in mind.
Heritage in the Shire of York
York’s heritage framework is more consequential than in most regional shires because of the town’s status.
If your property is heritage listed or within a heritage area, all works require planning approval and a building licence. There is no exemption route. The Shire’s Local Planning Policy on Heritage Conservation and Development sets out how listed places are assessed, including design guidance on materials and finishes in heritage areas.
On a York heritage project, the material and finish selections are part of the approval, not a detail to resolve later. Getting that guidance in front of the design early saves a round of amendments.
The Avon River Flood Fringe
The Avon River runs through the York townsite, and land within the flood fringe carries a development approval requirement for outbuildings regardless of size or compliance.
If your property is anywhere near the river, confirm the flood mapping position before designing. Floor levels, siting and sometimes construction type all follow from it, and it is not something that can be worked around after the fact.
Patios and fire separation in York
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.
Parts of the Shire are bushfire prone. Where a Bushfire Attack Level assessment is triggered, the AS 3959 construction requirements sit over the fire separation provisions and may be the binding constraint on materials.
York plans we prepare
| Project type | What we prepare |
| New homes | Concept design through to submission documentation |
| Sheds, workshops and garages | Plans with the zone and flood fringe position confirmed first |
| Renovations to heritage properties | Plans plus the heritage documentation the application requires |
| Additions and extensions | Existing and proposed plans, demolition plan |
| Patios and alfrescos | Plans with the fire separation route identified |
| Ancillary dwellings | Plans and area calculations to the 70m2 limit |
| Carports and garages | Setback and siting assessment |
| Development applications | Documentation with supporting justification |
York projects and what they teach you
Council lodgement in the Shire of York is part of our wheatbelt workload, including certificates of design compliance and building permits taken through to submission.
A York client described working with us:
> Kyle has been incredible throughout the entire process, he has gone above and beyond multiple times, his communication is second to none. Kyle is genuine, professional and incredible at what he does.
> Bron Williams, Google review
The lesson York teaches is that the default here is the opposite of the metropolitan default. In most councils a compliant outbuilding needs no development approval. In York, the triggers between them capture the heritage precinct, the flood fringe, the town centre and both the residential and rural townsite zones, so the safe assumption is that approval is required and the exception is that it is not.
The second lesson is that heritage and materials are one conversation. On a listed York property the finish selections are assessed, so raising them at concept stage rather than at documentation stage avoids rework.
What Shire of York 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.
On a heritage listed property, budget for the additional documentation the application requires. On bushfire prone land, budget for a Bushfire Attack Level assessment.
Our drafting fee is quoted per project rather than by a rate card, because a heritage townsite property and a rural shed are not the same job. As a rough guide only, a patio or small outbuilding sits at the lower end, a rural shed in the middle, and a new home or heritage project 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 York locality
The Shire of York covers the historic townsite and substantial surrounding agricultural land in the Avon Valley.
| Locality | What tends to drive the design |
| York draftsman | Heritage townsite, listed places and precincts throughout, expect a development application |
| Avon River frontage draftsman | Flood fringe triggers development approval regardless of compliance |
| Greenhills draftsman | Rural townsite, development approval required for outbuildings |
| Mount Hardey and Gwambygine draftsman | Rural land, larger sheds achievable, bushfire assessment may apply |
| Talbot draftsman | Rural and rural residential, siting and setbacks drive the design |
York draftsman questions
Do I need approval for a shed in York?
Approval is not required for sheds, gazebos or outbuildings with a floor area under 10 square metres and a height under 2.4 metres. Above that, development approval is required where the site is heritage listed, in a heritage precinct, in the Avon River Flood Fringe, in the Regional Town Centre zone, or in a Residential or Rural Townsite zone. Those categories cover most of the developed Shire.
What happens if my York property is heritage listed?
All works require planning approval and a building licence. There is no exemption route. The Shire’s Heritage Conservation and Development policy sets out how listed places are assessed, including guidance on materials and finishes in heritage areas.
What is the Avon River Flood Fringe?
It is mapped land adjoining the Avon River where flood risk affects development. A site within the flood fringe requires development approval for an outbuilding regardless of whether the design would otherwise be exempt, and floor levels and siting follow from the flood mapping.
Can I build a barn style shed house in York?
The Shire has a specific policy dealing with barn style shed houses, so it is a recognised proposition here rather than something ruled out. The detail sits in that policy, and it is worth reviewing before committing to the design direction.
