Heritage Overlays: What You Can and Cannot Change
14 August 2026
A heritage overlay is not a ban on renovating. It is a set of rules about what is visible from the street — and the rear of your house is usually fair game.
Tight sites, heritage frontages and neighbours three metres away. Inner-city renovation work is as much about access and approvals as it is about the build, and we plan both before a truck arrives.
House extensions
Most inner-suburban extensions start with a Victorian or Edwardian frontage that has to stay exactly as it is, and a rear that needs to become a modern kitchen, living and outdoor space. We keep the facade and the streetscape intact and build the new work behind it.
Heritage advisers, structural engineers and the relevant council planner are engaged before we price the work, so the quote you sign reflects what will actually be approved.
Full renovations
Behind the plaster, inner-city houses are usually original: perished wiring, lead-jointed drains and floors that have dropped. A full renovation replaces what is behind the walls first, then reconfigures the plan, then the finishes.
Bathrooms, kitchens and laundries are done the same way whether they are part of a whole-house job or a single room on its own.
Yes. We prepare the heritage impact statement with a heritage adviser and lodge it with the planning application, then manage the council correspondence through to determination.
A traffic and access plan is prepared before site works, including permits for hoarding, skips and crane lifts. Neighbours get written notice of any day with restricted access.
Often, yes — boundary walls are common in these suburbs. It depends on the overlay, the neighbouring wall and the fire separation required, which we confirm before quoting.
Typically five to eight months on site once permits are issued, depending on the size of the addition and whether the existing home stays occupied.
A heritage overlay is not a ban on renovating. It is a set of rules about what is visible from the street — and the rear of your house is usually fair game.
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