Home builders in Malvern
City of Unley · Planning and Design Code · Eastern & Coastal Adelaide Knockdown rebuild
- Council
- City of Unley
- Planning scheme
- Planning and Design Code
- Overlays mapped here
- Hazards (Flooding — General) · Historic Area Overlay · Local Heritage Place · Regulated and Significant Tree
- Residential zones mapped
- Business Neighbourhood
Established Neighbourhood
General Neighbourhood
Urban Corridor (Living) - Bushfire-prone land
- None mapped
- Local Heritage Places
- 36
- Acid sulfate soils
- None mapped
- Minimum Frontage
- 12.5m to 16m
3 different values mapped across the suburb - Minimum Site Area
- 400 sqm to 750 sqm
3 different values mapped across the suburb - Maximum Building Height (Metres)
- 5.6m to 18.5m
5 different values mapped across the suburb - Maximum Building Height (Levels)
- 1 level to 5 levels
4 different values mapped across the suburb - Minimum Primary Street Setback
- 0m · 3m
- Minimum Side Boundary Setback
- Minimum side boundary setback is 1m for the first building level; 3m for any second building level or higher
- Site Coverage
- Maximum site coverage is 50 per cent
Planning data from Planning and Design Code via SAPPA (PlanSA) (CC BY 4.0), read 2026-09-14. Suburb-level, not a report on your block — check your address on the SA Property and Planning Atlas.
Builders serving Malvern
None yet — tell us what you're building and we'll go and find one.
What building in Malvern actually involves
Malvern is the smallest suburb we have published anywhere — 1.08 km² — and its Code numbers are unusually restrictive: maximum building heights of 5.6m and 6m mapped in parts of the suburb, alongside a Historic Area Overlay and 36 heritage records.
A 5.6 metre height limit is a single-storey limit
Most Adelaide residential land is mapped at 9m or above. Where 5.6m or 6m applies, a conventional two-storey house does not fit, and that is a deliberate character control rather than an oversight. It is the first number to check at the address.
Large minimum lots for an inner suburb
Minimum site area for a detached dwelling is mapped at 400, 700 and 750 sqm with frontages of 12.5m, 15m and 16m. On a suburb this small that means subdivision is tightly limited and the existing grain is intended to stay.
Heritage across the whole suburb
A Historic Area Overlay plus 36 Local Heritage Places in 1.08 km². The realistic assumption is that character controls apply, and that the design conversation starts with the streetscape rather than with a builder's range.
What to ask a builder
Ask what height limit applies at the address, in metres — not what is typical. Ask whether the block is in the Historic Area Overlay. And ask for a recent City of Unley approval on a comparable block.
Local landmarks in Malvern
- Concordia (Malvern Grammar School)
- Unley Primary School
- Concordia Chapel and Classrooms
- Cremorne Hotel
- Haslop Reserve
- Kyre College / House
Questions about building in Malvern
Can I build two storeys in Malvern?
Not everywhere. Maximum building heights of 5.6m and 6m are mapped in parts of the suburb, which is a single-storey limit. Other parts are mapped at 9m and above. Check the number at the address first.
What is the minimum block size in Malvern?
The Code maps 400, 700 and 750 sqm minimum site areas for a detached dwelling, with frontages of 12.5m, 15m and 16m. Subdivision is tightly limited by design.
Is Malvern heritage-controlled?
Substantially. A Historic Area Overlay applies and 36 heritage records intersect a 1.08 km² suburb. The design conversation starts with the streetscape rather than with a builder’s standard range.
What is the maximum site coverage?
50 per cent, with a minimum side boundary setback of 1m at the first building level and 3m above. Both are worth testing a design against early.
Is Malvern bushfire-prone?
No Hazards (Bushfire) overlay is mapped across Malvern. Hazards (Flooding — General) is mapped in parts of the suburb.