Duplex Home Designs

Design + approvals typically 4–8 months; construction 8–12 months depending on scope, selections and site conditions.

See how our custom duplex building process works from feasibility through to handover.

Many can. Under the NSW Low-Rise Housing Diversity Code, one and two storey duplexes that meet every standard can be approved as complying development within 20 days.

If your block can't meet every standard, a development application (DA) is the alternative. We tell you which pathway suits your block.

It depends on your council and location. In NSW low and mid-rise housing areas, a duplex needs a minimum 450 square metre lot with a 12 metre frontage.

Elsewhere, your council's local rules apply, and minimum lot sizes are often larger. We check your block before recommending a design.

Often, yes, subject to council controls and services. We'll map the right pathway for your address.

It depends on whether you want to sell or hold the two dwellings separately in future.

We assess this early in the process alongside your approval pathway, so your title structure and your design decisions aren't working against each other later.

No. Most first time owners come to us with a rough idea, not a finished blueprint.

We develop the concept design and cost plan together, based on your block and goals, and only move to a fixed scope tender once that concept is settled.

You can absolutely bring a layout you like as a starting point for the conversation, but it will need to be adapted to your specific block, since setbacks, orientation and council controls rarely match a generic plan exactly.

Treat found plans as inspiration rather than a finished design.

Yes. Every duplex design can be tailored, from moving walls and adding a bedroom to changing the facade.

Our in-house designers check each change against your block and council rules.

Mostly, yes. "Duplex villa" usually refers to a single storey duplex, where two homes sit side by side on one level. See our single storey duplex designs.

In NSW, a duplex specifically means two dwellings sharing one wall, each with its own entry and services, classed as attached dual occupancy under planning rules. Overseas listings sometimes use "duplex villa" more loosely for any attached or semi-attached home, so it's worth confirming exactly what you're picturing before you start comparing plans.

No. Council generally cares about how the duplex presents as a whole rather than requiring identical facades, and subtle differences between the two sides can actually help each dwelling read as its own home.

The price of a duplex design in NSW depends on the design you choose, your block, site works and finishes.

See our dual occupancy cost guide, and we'll give you a detailed quote after reviewing your site.

This is possible on some blocks depending on services, access and council requirements, but it needs to be planned for from the initial design stage rather than decided partway through.

Worth raising at your first site assessment if staging matters to you.

This depends on your title structure. Separately titled dwellings are typically rated and insured individually, while a single title arrangement is usually treated as one property.

We recommend confirming the specifics with your insurer and council once your title structure is settled.

We specify National Construction Code compliant systems and detail the slab, ceiling and roof junctions between dwellings for long-term performance.

This matters both for day-to-day comfort and for compliance sign-off.

Most councils require at least one compliant off-street space per dwelling (often a garage). Corner sites can simplify this.