The R-Codes provides planning and design provisions for residential development across Western Australia. The R-Codes aim to facilitate an appropriate standard of housing, encourage more diverse types of housing, promote sustainability and outline assessment pathways to facilitate better residential outcomes for occupants. They are also used for the assessment of residential subdivision proposals and should be read in conjunction with the applicable Western Australian Planning Commission Operational Policy for this purpose.
The R-Codes Explanatory Guidelines and Practice Notes provide assistance on operation and interpretation of provisions. The R-Codes Assessment Checklist streamlines residential development application compliance assessment to support a consistent, accurate and faster determination process. Previous versions of the R-Codes are available on the WA Legislation website.
The R-Codes are administered and applied by local government, so all enquiries relating to specific development proposals (including the application and interpretation of provisions of the R-Codes to specific development proposals) must be directed to the relevant local government where the development proposal is located.
Which R-Codes should I be using?
The R-Codes apply as follows:
| Residential Design Codes | Single houses | Grouped dwellings | Multiple dwellings (includes dwelling components of mixed-use developments) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 | All single house development | All grouped dwelling development | R60 and below Residential component of mixed use development |
| Volume 2 | N/A | N/A | R80 and above Residential component of mixed use development |
Residential Design Codes Review
The review is exploring opportunities to simplify and modernise the R-Codes, with an aim to make them easier to apply and to support more housing choice and supply.
R-Codes documents and guidelines
Show moreR-Codes templates
Show moreResidential Design Codes Vol. 1 – Part B Assessment Template (DOCX, 226.37KB)
Residential Design Codes Vol. 1 – Part C Assessment Template (DOCX, 211.78KB)
Residential Design Codes Vol.2 – Assessment Template (DOCX, 211.53KB)
Local Development Plan R-Code modifications template (DOCX, 53.28KB)
Local Planning Policy R-Code modifications template (DOCX, 45.79KB)
Frequently asked questions
Show moreHow are single-house and grouped dwelling developments affected by the expiry of the special transition arrangements for Part C of the R-Codes Volume 1 on 10 April 2026?
From 10 April 2026 in areas subject to a structure plan/or local development plan, the transitional provisions no longer apply and single-house developments in areas coded R50 and above must be assessed against Part C of the R-Codes Volume 1.
Exception: Clause C2.2.4 Solar Orientation remains exempt until 10 April 2030 for single houses in areas coded R50 and above within a structure plan or local development plan approved before 10 April 2024.
Single house and grouped dwelling developments subject to Part C will also no longer be assessed against the special transitional deemed-to-comply provisions in Part C, Section 5 in accordance with Table 4.1b, and must be assessed against Design Element 3.1 - Site Cover.
Local planning frameworks that modify provisions of the R-Codes Volume 1 (2024) should have reviewed these provisions and had any necessary amendments approved, before 10 April 2026. If this did not occur, the provisions within the R-Codes Volume 1 prevail from 10 April 2026.
How do changes to ancillary dwellings relate to Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA)?
Ancillary dwellings are located on the same title as the main dwelling and may be used for hosted STRA, where the owner or permanent resident (host) resides on the property.
Information on current STRA registration and operational requirements is available at: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-energy-mines-industry-regulation-and-safety/short-term-rental-accommodation-stra-initiatives.
Where can a granny flat now be proposed?
Granny flats, referred to as Ancillary Dwellings in the R-Codes, can be constructed on all residential zoned land, including grouped and multiple dwellings and strata lots (not just on lots with single houses). These may be integrated with or detached from the dwelling.
For more information please view the Granny Flat info sheet.
If you own land that has a zoning other than residential, contact your relevant local government to understand the provisions of that zoning relating to ancillary dwellings.
What assistance is available to help understand the R-Codes?
Any queries can be directed to the Residential Design Codes team via r-codes@dplh.wa.gov.au.
The R-Codes are administered and applied by local government, so all enquiries relating to specific development proposals (including the application and interpretation of provisions of the R-Codes to specific development proposals) must be directed to the relevant local government where the development proposal is located.
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