Granny Flats & Secondary Dwellings

A second home on the same block

Granny flats and secondary dwellings are among the most practical ways to get more out of land you already own — accommodation for family, a rental, or a separate home office.

Because they are small, they are often treated as simple. Structurally they usually are; the complications tend to sit around them rather than in them — existing services, boundary setbacks, established trees, sloping ground and access for whatever has to get in to build it.

How structural engineers help

We design the footing and floor system to suit the site classification, and the frame, bracing and tie-down for the wind classification the site attracts. Where the dwelling arrives as a module, the same transport, lifting and connection design applies as for a full modular home.

Where a secondary dwelling sits near existing services, we can also cover build over or near council services — a common constraint on suburban blocks and one that is far cheaper to design around than to discover during excavation.

What you receive

Footing and slab or subfloor design, framing and bracing documentation, structural drawings and calculations for approval, and compliance certification for the structural design.