Do I need a permit to extend my house in Tasmania?
Extending a single home in Tasmania can need no permit at all — or be the favourable 'Permitted' category — if it meets the single-dwelling Acceptable Solutions. What changes that is usually a code (bushfire, heritage) on your land. Here's what decides it, and how to check.
Tasmanian homeowners planning an extension, second storey or major renovation — who want to know whether a planning permit is needed before paying for design.
Single-dwelling extensions and the permit categories
Extending or altering a single home in a residential zone is assessed against the 'single dwelling' standards of the Tasmanian Planning Scheme. The scheme sorts the work into categories: genuinely minor work can be 'No Permit Required' (exempt), and an extension that meets every relevant Acceptable Solution — setbacks, site coverage, building height, frontage and privacy — falls into the favourable 'Permitted' category, where the council must grant the permit. Miss an Acceptable Solution and it becomes 'Discretionary', assessed on its merits.
A building permit is always required for the construction, separately from any planning permit — so even 'No Permit Required' planning work still needs building approval.
- Minor work can be No Permit Required (exempt) under the scheme
- An extension meeting the single-dwelling Acceptable Solutions is Permitted
- Missing an Acceptable Solution makes it Discretionary (merit assessment)
- Acceptable Solutions cover setbacks, site coverage, height, frontage and privacy
- A building permit is always required (separate to planning)
- Codes (bushfire, heritage, landslip, waterway) can require a permit and add controls
When a code requires a permit
The most common reason a Tasmanian extension needs a planning permit — and often Discretionary assessment — is a code overlay on the land. The heritage code requires a permit for works to or near a listed place; the bushfire-prone areas code can add construction and access requirements; and the landslip, waterway and coastal codes add their own controls. These sit on top of the zone standards.
Outside the codes, an extension that meets the single-dwelling Acceptable Solutions is typically Permitted or No Permit Required and is straightforward.
Second storeys and bigger additions
A second-storey addition makes the privacy and building-height Acceptable Solutions the key tests, and is more likely to tip into Discretionary if it can't meet them — but a well-designed upper level on an unconstrained site can still be Permitted. As always, a code on the land is the factor most likely to require a permit and merit assessment.
Check your property before you design
Whether your extension is No Permit Required, Permitted or Discretionary turns on the single-dwelling standards and any codes on your land. Our $39 Tasmanian planning report identifies your zone and the codes that apply, with a plain-English read on whether a permit is required.
Start free with the Property Snapshot to see your codes and overlays in seconds.
Worked example
A single-storey rear extension meeting the setback and site-coverage Acceptable Solutions on a General Residential Zone house with no codes is No Permit Required or Permitted — straight to a building permit. The same extension on a heritage-listed house, or in a bushfire-prone area, needs a planning permit and is assessed on its merits.
The statutory basis
Single-dwelling extensions in Tasmania are assessed under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 and the Tasmanian Planning Scheme, against the residential zone's single-dwelling Acceptable Solutions (with Performance Criteria for Discretionary applications). Codes (bushfire-prone areas, heritage, landslip, waterway and coastal) can require a permit and add controls. A building permit under the building regulatory framework is always required separately. Always confirm the standards and codes for your lot.
Tasmanian Planning Scheme
Single dwelling — Acceptable Solutions & Performance Criteria
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Permit categories (No Permit Required / Permitted / Discretionary)
Codes (bushfire, heritage, landslip, waterway)
Overlay controls that can trigger a permit
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to extend my house in Tasmania?
Do I need a permit for a second storey in Tasmania?
What does 'No Permit Required' mean?
How does the heritage or bushfire code affect my extension?
What's the difference between a planning permit and a building permit?
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$39 planning report — ready when you are
A plain-English read on exactly what your property allows — zone, overlays and the rules that decide your project.