Home builders in Canterbury
City of Boroondara · Boroondara Planning Scheme · Inner East Melbourne Knockdown rebuild
- Council
- City of Boroondara
- Planning scheme
- Boroondara Planning Scheme
- Overlays mapped here
- Parking Overlay · Heritage Overlay · Design and Development Overlay · Development Plan Overlay · Environmental Audit Overlay · Special Building Overlay
- Residential zones mapped
- GRZ4 general residential zone - schedule 4
GRZ5 general residential zone - schedule 5
NRZ1 neighbourhood residential zone - schedule 1
NRZ3 neighbourhood residential zone - schedule 3 - Bushfire-prone land
- None mapped
- Heritage overlay schedules
- 86
Planning data from Vicmap Planning (DTP Victoria) (CC BY 4.0), read 2026-09-14. Suburb-level, not a report on your block — check your address on VicPlan.
Builders serving Canterbury
None yet — tell us what you're building and we'll go and find one.
What building in Canterbury actually involves
Canterbury is the least overlay-encumbered of the Boroondara suburbs we cover — six overlay families against Kew's eleven — but it still carries 86 Heritage Overlay schedules, and Maling Road is one of the most intact commercial heritage streetscapes in Melbourne.
Fewer controls, not few
Six families is relatively light for this part of Melbourne, and it means a Canterbury knockdown rebuild is often a more straightforward planning exercise than the same job in Kew. That is a genuine difference in timeline and cost, and it is worth knowing before you compare quotes across suburbs.
Where it gets harder
An Environmental Audit Overlay and a Special Building Overlay are both mapped in Canterbury. The first relates to potentially contaminated land, the second to overland flow. Neither is likely on a typical residential block, and both are expensive to discover after you have committed.
What this means for a builder
The heritage question still comes first. But if your block turns out to be clear of it, Canterbury is one of the more predictable places in Boroondara to rebuild.
Local landmarks in Canterbury
- East Camberwell
- Riversdale
- Chatham
- Balwyn Park
- Shrublands Creek Reserve
- Balwyn Community Centre Reserve
- Deepdene Park
- John August Reserve
Questions about building in Canterbury
Is Canterbury easier to build in than Kew?
Often, yes. Canterbury carries six overlay families against Kew's eleven, and 86 heritage schedules against 218. That usually translates into a shorter approval path — but only once you have confirmed your own block is clear.
Does the Maling Road heritage area affect residential blocks?
Heritage overlays in Canterbury cover both individual places and precincts, and they extend beyond the commercial strip. Check your address rather than assuming the controls stop at the shops.
What is the Special Building Overlay for?
Overland flow — it identifies land liable to flooding from the drainage system. Where it applies it can set a minimum floor level and restrict basements.
Can I build two dwellings on a Canterbury block?
It depends on the zone schedule on your address. Canterbury carries more than one general residential schedule and they differ. Test it before you budget for it.
Should I get a heritage adviser before an architect?
If your block is overlay-affected, it usually pays. Designing first and testing later is how projects get redrawn at the owner's expense.