Would you need council permission to do this?

[streetie]

Take this picture for example, if I wanted to convert the garages into living space. Would I need permission from the council to take off the roller shutters and replace them with glass sliding doors for example and put in kitchen, bathroom etc..?

 

[DaveM]

If the ceiling height is at least 2400 then you can convert it under the affordable housing sepp. Will not be cheap due to fire separation of the two floors

 

[Ideo]

Do you want it as a separate unit or do you want it as additional living space?

The latter is going to be much cheaper than the former.

 

[streetie]

thanks dave.

Do you know is 2400 just a NSW regulation or would QLD be the same too?

Im after a 2 storey place that I can convert into 2 units, 1 unit per floor.

Do you know approx how much fire proofing would cost?

cheers

 

[handyandy]

Judging by the floor level of the second story and the front door height my guess would be that the bottom story is less than 2400mm in height

The 2.4 meter height is a standard building ceiling height requirement Aust wide.

For it to be 2400 internal it would have needed 300mm (odd) above the door and then the floor joist above that.

Cheers

 

[DaveM]

If its in QLD then the SEPP doesnt apply as its a NSW planning thing. For QLD you will need a council approval.

The 2400mm ceiling is australia wide under the BCA, and is for habitable rooms ie lounge/dining/bedrooms. Kitchens and bathrooms are excluded.

Fire proofing... well I looked at a similar conversion with Serge (Brazen from here) and it was going to cost about $60k for the fire proofing of two storeys from each other. Depends on what your council requires.

 

[Aaron Sice]

2400 is BCA minimum for a habitable room.

so australia wide.

 

[streetie]

If its in QLD then the SEPP doesnt apply as its a NSW planning thing. For QLD you will need a council approval.

The 2400mm ceiling is australia wide under the BCA, and is for habitable rooms ie lounge/dining/bedrooms. Kitchens and bathrooms are excluded.

Fire proofing... well I looked at a similar conversion with Serge (Brazen from here) and it was going to cost about $60k for the fire proofing of two storeys from each other. Depends on what your council requires.

Wow that is a lot of money, what are they actually doing to justify 60k of work. ?If the house is already double brick with a concrete slab seperating the floors. (None of which is flammable)

you would obviously have to put in all fire proof doors and smoke alarms etc, but what else are they doing??

 

[DaveM]

Wow that is a lot of money, what are they actually doing to justify 60k of work. ?If the house is already double brick with a concrete slab seperating the floors. (None of which is flammable)

you would obviously have to put in all fire proof doors and smoke alarms etc, but what else are they doing??

Concrete slab first floor in a residential house? Havent seen that before apart from unit complexes, it is a common building technique in QLD? Would have expected two storeys to be timber floorboards or yellow tongue.

 

[streetie]

Concrete slab first floor in a residential house? Havent seen that before apart from unit complexes, it is a common building technique in QLD? Would have expected two storeys to be timber floorboards or yellow tongue.

Yeah your probably right, I have seen slabs in houses before but only in modern homes.

I am looking to buy an older house in Brisbane area so it would more likely be timber .
So the 60k is to install fireproof gyprock over the timber joices?

 

[RPI]

Hi

In Qld, yes you would need council approval.

It is not just for firecheck, you have to separate wiring, plumbing onto different meters etc.

Still 60K seems very high

 

[DaveM]

So the 60k is to install fireproof gyprock over the timber joices?

The fire rating needs to be in 3 dimensions, ie anywhere the two dwellings meet. So the ceiling, entry way, plumbing and electrical riser cuffs etc. The one I had to do included a fire rated separating wall from the adjacent house which was a fair chunk of $.

If it was just the ceiling and the other walls were all brick, the fire proofing might cost you $10k and then another 25k for the kitchen and bathroom and flooring and interior walls, and then another few k for council, so 40k'ish all done?

 

[LJW]

Aside from the cost of fireproofing, unless the site is zoned to allow units, Council is unlikely to approve your proposed development.