Site coverage
Site coverage is the share of a lot covered by building footprint, a density control distinct from FSR. It caps how much ground you build on, regardless of height.
Ask Chalkline about this →Site coverage is the proportion of a lot taken up by building footprint: the area of the ground-floor envelope (plus anything else that counts as covered, such as carports and roofed outbuildings) expressed as a percentage of the site area. It is a density and amenity control.
The key thing to understand is how it differs from floor space ratio (FSR). FSR limits total floor area across all storeys; site coverage limits how much of the ground you can build on, regardless of height. The two bite differently, and a design can clear one while failing the other:
- A sprawling single-storey house can blow the site-coverage cap while sitting comfortably under FSR.
- A tall, narrow house can exceed FSR while leaving plenty of uncovered ground.
A typical residential control caps coverage somewhere around 50 to 60 per cent, leaving the rest for setbacks, private open space, deep-soil landscaping, and permeable surface. It is a primary density control in Victorian, Queensland and South Australian residential zones; New South Wales more often leans on FSR plus setback and landscaped-area controls instead.
What actually counts toward coverage (eaves, pergolas, decks, a basement that projects above ground) varies between schemes, so read the definition in the controlling planning instrument before you assume. Check site coverage and FSR together at concept stage, not after the plans are drawn.
For the residential limits by state, exactly what is included, and how site coverage links to hard-surface and stormwater controls, see the deeper article on site coverage and hard surface.
Also known as: Building coverage, lot coverage.
Category: Planning / Density controls.
Related
See also
References
- Site coverage and hard surface (Chalkline) (verified 2026-06-01)
- Floor space ratio (Chalkline) (verified 2026-06-01)
Last updated: 2026-06-01. Verified: 2026-06-01. Quarterly review for currency.