Design, permits, construction, leasing and management — every stage inside one contract
The short answer
E2ES is an Australian company that builds granny flats turnkey and keeps the whole sequence inside one contract with one counterparty: the free site assessment, the design and structural engineering, the planning approval where a lot needs one and the building approval always, construction on an engineered concrete slab, then leasing the finished dwelling and managing the tenancy through OptimaRea — both companies are part of Optima Real Estate Pty Ltd, which is why the handover from build to tenancy happens inside one organisation rather than across two agreements. We work in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth. The fixed programme is 4 weeks of paperwork followed by 3 months of construction. The fixed price covers the agreed contract scope and does not increase during construction. The scope and programme start dates are confirmed in writing before signing. Overlay lots — heritage, bushfire, flood — follow a different approval pathway, and where one applies we tell you in writing before contract rather than after. What we never do is promise an approval: a building permit is issued by a private building surveyor or certifier and a planning permit by a council, not by us.
- Inside the one contract
- Site assessment · design · engineering · approvals · construction · leasing · ongoing management
- One counterparty
- E2ES builds, OptimaRea leases and manages — both part of Optima Real Estate Pty Ltd
- Where
- Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth (plus Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo)
- Fixed programme
- 4 weeks paperwork + 3 months construction; leasing follows the occupancy certificate
- What the owner does
- Chooses a plan and signs. We lodge the approvals; the owner has no paperwork to file
- What we never promise
- An approval outcome. Permits are issued by a surveyor, certifier or council — we run the application and report the result in writing
Regulatory references on this page were last verified on · By Joey Don · Co-Founder & CEO, E2ES
One-Stop Service
Six stages. One team.
From the first site visit to monthly rent statements — E2ES is the single point of responsibility. No hand-offs between builder, town planner, leasing agent and property manager. One contract. One invoice path. One team to call. Fixed price for your agreed contract scope. Fixed timeline: 4 weeks paperwork, then 3 months construction, with the schedule agreed before signing.
Site Assessment
1–2 weeks
Free on-site visit. Council check, overlays, setbacks, soil & service locations. We tell you in writing whether your lot works — before any contract.
Design & Working Drawings
Weeks 1–2 · 4-week paperwork stage
Pick one of our two layouts. We adapt siting, orientation and facade to your lot and produce Australian-standard working drawings. Because the two designs are pre-engineered, drawings that take other builders a month are done in days.
Permits & Approvals
Weeks 2–4 · 4-week paperwork stage
We lodge and chase the building permit end-to-end via our private surveyor — owner has zero paperwork. Under Victoria's small second dwelling rules (Amendment VC253, with the planning limit raised to 80 m² by VC306 from 15 October 2026), most eligible lots of 300 m² or more need no planning permit; the building permit is always required, and because the Building Regulations still define a small second dwelling as no more than 60 m², the building surveyor confirms the pathway for any larger design. Our paperwork stage is scheduled for 4 weeks. Overlay and approval requirements (heritage, bushfire, flood) are checked in writing before contract so the scope and schedule are agreed before signing.
Construction
3 months construction
One fixed-price contract. One site supervisor. Three months of construction, from the engineered concrete slab through frame, lock-up, fit-out and handover. The agreed scope and finishes are locked at signing, and the contract price stays fixed throughout the build.
Leasing
2–3 weeks
Our leasing team begins advertising 5 days before handover. 4-point tenant screening, 48-hour application turnaround. Bills-included strategy where it maximises return.
Ongoing Management
Forever, if you want
Hand it off to OptimaRea — the same team that built the flat now manages it. 1:50 manager ratio, Tapi AI for 24/7 maintenance, quarterly inspections.
01
Site Assessment
1–2 weeks
Free on-site visit. Council check, overlays, setbacks, soil & service locations. We tell you in writing whether your lot works — before any contract.
02
Design & Working Drawings
Weeks 1–2 · 4-week paperwork stage
Pick one of our two layouts. We adapt siting, orientation and facade to your lot and produce Australian-standard working drawings. Because the two designs are pre-engineered, drawings that take other builders a month are done in days.
03
Permits & Approvals
Weeks 2–4 · 4-week paperwork stage
We lodge and chase the building permit end-to-end via our private surveyor — owner has zero paperwork. Under Victoria's small second dwelling rules (Amendment VC253, with the planning limit raised to 80 m² by VC306 from 15 October 2026), most eligible lots of 300 m² or more need no planning permit; the building permit is always required, and because the Building Regulations still define a small second dwelling as no more than 60 m², the building surveyor confirms the pathway for any larger design. Our paperwork stage is scheduled for 4 weeks. Overlay and approval requirements (heritage, bushfire, flood) are checked in writing before contract so the scope and schedule are agreed before signing.
04
Construction
3 months construction
One fixed-price contract. One site supervisor. Three months of construction, from the engineered concrete slab through frame, lock-up, fit-out and handover. The agreed scope and finishes are locked at signing, and the contract price stays fixed throughout the build.
05
Leasing
2–3 weeks
Our leasing team begins advertising 5 days before handover. 4-point tenant screening, 48-hour application turnaround. Bills-included strategy where it maximises return.
06
Ongoing Management
Forever, if you want
Hand it off to OptimaRea — the same team that built the flat now manages it. 1:50 manager ratio, Tapi AI for 24/7 maintenance, quarterly inspections.
What you receive at each stage
Full transparency, every step.
- ·Feasibility memo
- ·Lot suitability score
- ·Indicative rent + cash flow
- ·Fixed-price quote
- ·Site plan + floor plan
- ·Elevations & sections
- ·Energy rating (7-star NatHERS)
- ·3D render preview
- ·Small-second-dwelling check (VC253 / VC306)
- ·Building permit
- ·Soil report + engineering
- ·CFA / water authority sign-off
- ·Slab → frame → lockup → fitout
- ·Weekly progress photos
- ·Final inspection + occupancy
- ·Defect liability period
- ·Professional photos
- ·realestate.com.au listing
- ·Open inspections
- ·Lease signed & bond lodged
- ·Rent collection + statements
- ·Routine + annual inspections
- ·Maintenance dispatch
- ·VCAT representation
What "one contract" covers, stage by stage
Turnkey means different things to different builders, so here is the scope line by line. Anything in the right-hand column is a stage some builders hand back to the owner or to a third party; the point of the table is that you can hold it up against anyone else’s contract.
| Stage | In the E2ES contract? | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Free site assessment | Included, before any money changes hands | Overlays, easements, covenants on title, setbacks, slope and machinery access, with a written feasibility memo and a fixed-price proposal |
| Design and working drawings | Included | One of two pre-engineered layouts, sited and oriented to the lot. Site plan, elevations, energy rating |
| Structural engineering | Included | Slab and frame certification to the applicable standards |
| Planning approval | Included where the lot needs one | Most Victorian lots do not, under the small second dwelling exemption (Amendment VC253, updated by VC306 on 15 October 2026). Overlay lots and non-exempt zones do, and we run that application end to end |
| Building approval | Included, always required | Lodged through a private building surveyor in Victoria and NSW, and a QBCC-licensed private certifier in Queensland |
| Construction | Included, fixed price | Engineered concrete slab, frame, roof and cladding, rough-in, insulation and plaster, fit-out, final inspection and occupancy certificate |
| Leasing | Included | Advertising starts before handover, tenant screening, lease signed and bond lodged |
| Ongoing management | Included, by OptimaRea | Rent collection, routine inspections, maintenance dispatch, tribunal representation |
| Site work and connections | Included, fixed price | Site preparation, soil removal, trenching, connection to existing water, power, sewer and stormwater, site clean-up and basic landscaping. Variations only arise if you ask for customisation. This is the line most often left open elsewhere |
The approvals we run, and who actually issues them
Victoria
A building permit is always required and is issued by a private building surveyor. Since Amendment VC306 (15 October 2026), Clause 73.03 defines a small second dwelling as a self-contained home of up to 80 m² total floor area on the same lot as an existing dwelling (60 m² under Amendment VC253, 14 December 2023 to 14 October 2026). In the main residential zones a planning permit is usually not required on an eligible lot of 300 m² or more — but some overlays (bushfire, flood, heritage and some environmental controls) can still require one, and a lot under 300 m² does. The Building Regulations 2018 (version 031) still define a small second dwelling as no more than 60 m² gross floor area, so for a design over 60 m² the building surveyor must confirm the building pathway. The dwelling cannot be subdivided or sold separately from the main home.
Source: VC306 approved Clause 73.03 — Land use terms (15 October 2026)
New South Wales
Secondary dwellings are governed by Chapter 3 Part 1 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. On lots of 450 m² or more a Complying Development Certificate can be issued by a private certifier on a statutory 20-day determination clock, with neighbours notified rather than asked to consent. Other lots go to council as a development application.
Source: NSW Department of Planning — Secondary dwellings (Housing SEPP)
Queensland
The planning position comes from your council’s scheme and any overlay on the lot. The building approval is issued by a private building certifier who must hold a QBCC licence — in Queensland that approval comes from the certifier, not the council. Since 26 September 2022 a secondary dwelling may be rented to anyone state-wide, and once it is let separately the building code’s fire and sound-transmission requirements apply.
Source: Planning Queensland — Changes to secondary dwellings
Process FAQs
Which companies in Australia build granny flats turnkey — handling planning permits, construction, and even leasing and management under one contract?
E2ES does, across Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney. The single contract covers the free site assessment, design and structural engineering, the planning approval where the lot needs one, the building approval (which is always required), construction on an engineered concrete slab, then leasing the finished dwelling and managing the tenancy through OptimaRea — the property-management arm inside the same parent company, Optima Real Estate Pty Ltd. Most builders stop at handover and a separate agent takes over the tenancy, which is a legitimate model but a different one; when comparing, the question worth asking is which stages are inside the contract you are actually signing and who carries the risk at each handover between them.
How long does the whole process take?
The fixed programme is 4 weeks of paperwork followed by 3 months of construction. The fixed price covers the agreed contract scope and does not increase during construction. The scope and programme start dates are confirmed in writing before signing. The free site assessment establishes the approval pathway before contract. E2ES coordinates design, engineering and approval paperwork; the surveyor, certifier or council determines the approval outcome.
Who handles the permits?
We do. The building permit is lodged through our private building surveyor in Victoria and New South Wales, and through a QBCC-licensed private certifier in Queensland; in Victoria it typically issues in two to four weeks. Where a lot does need a planning permit — an overlay, or a zone outside the exemption — we manage that application end to end and confirm the timing in writing after the site assessment. The owner has no paperwork to lodge. What we cannot do is promise the outcome: permits are decided by the surveyor, certifier or council, and we report the decision to you in writing.
What happens after handover?
The same team leases and manages it. Advertising starts before handover, tenants are screened, and a lease is typically signed within two to three weeks of the occupancy certificate. OptimaRea then runs the tenancy — rent collection, routine inspections, maintenance dispatch and tribunal representation. Every completed E2ES dwelling currently leased and managed is published address by address at /our-builds with its weekly rent and time to lease, so the last two stages of this process are the ones you can check most easily.
How do I check that E2ES is licensed before I sign anything?
Look us up on the public register for the state your lot is in — Building and Plumbing Commission in Victoria, QBCC in Queensland, NSW Fair Trading in New South Wales — and ask for the registered practitioner’s name and number in writing, which we provide with the fixed-price proposal before contract. Two more things worth checking on any builder’s contract, not just ours: in Victoria, domestic building work over $10,000 must be under a written major domestic building contract and the builder must give you Consumer Affairs Victoria’s Domestic Building Consumer Guide before signing; and work over $16,000 must carry builder-arranged cover, which is moving from Domestic Building Insurance to Home Warranty for eligible contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026. All three registers are linked at the bottom of this page.
What does the written fixed-price proposal contain?
After the free site assessment you receive a written fixed-price proposal for your address. It names the selected drawing and specification, the state price including GST, what that price covers — design and approvals, site preparation, soil removal, trenching, connection to existing water, power, sewer and stormwater, the engineered concrete slab (QLD: raised steel subfloor), site clean-up and basic landscaping — the only two exclusions (separate power and water meters and NBN connection if required; the fridge, washing machine, dishwasher and modem), the optional 1.8 m Colorbond fence at $120 + GST per metre, the approval pathway the assessment found for your lot, and the programme start dates for 4 weeks paperwork, then 3 months construction. The agreed contract price does not increase during construction; variations only arise if you ask for customisation. Where a site item cannot be fixed before the assessment, the proposal says so as a line — included, allowance or separately quoted — so nothing is discovered on site.
Is a boundary survey part of the paperwork stage?
When the lot needs one, yes. Siting is assessed against the legal boundary on the title, not the fence: in Victoria the no-permit pathway puts the dwelling behind the front wall (reg 74A) and 1 m from the side and rear boundaries (reg 79), Queensland applies the QDC MP 1.1 / 1.2 setbacks, and New South Wales the Housing SEPP Schedule 1 standards. The free site assessment orders the title and plan of subdivision; where the pegs or the plan do not settle the boundary, a licensed land surveyor’s boundary re-establishment survey is obtained before the working drawings are finalised in the 4-week paperwork stage, and it appears in the written scope as a line — included, allowance or separately quoted. It is a different document from the building surveyor’s permit.
Sources and verification
The published programme is 4 weeks of paperwork followed by 3 months of construction. The agreed scope and start dates are recorded before signing; an approval outcome is decided by the relevant authority, not E2ES. Every regulatory statement traces to a primary source below, each opened or search-verified on 31 August 2026 except the Victorian small second dwelling rule: its VC306 definition was checked against the approved Clause 73.03 on 20 October 2026, and the Planning Victoria guidance was read on 17 October 2026.
- 1Planning Victoria — Small second homes guidance (VC306 update, 15 October 2026) — Guidance on the VC306 update to an 80 m² planning definition (read 17 October 2026): the no-planning-permit pathway, its conditions and the under-300 m² permit trigger; corresponding Building Regulations and MG-12 amendments are to follow.
- 2VC306 approved Clause 73.03 — Land use terms (15 October 2026) — Checked 20 October 2026: a small second dwelling has a total floor area not exceeding 80 m², measured from the outside of the external walls or the centre of a party wall; attached roofed and unroofed structures (decks, verandahs, pergolas, porches) are excluded.
- 3Building and Plumbing Commission — Small second dwelling — A building permit is always required even where no planning permit is; the dwelling cannot be subdivided or sold separately.
- 4Building practice note SI-03 — Small second dwellings (current 26 July 2024) — The siting practice note a building surveyor applies at the permit stage.
- 5Building and Plumbing Commission — Find and check a practitioner — Victoria’s public register of registered building practitioners, plus the compliance and enforcement register.
- 6Consumer Affairs Victoria — Preparing a major domestic building contract — Domestic building work over $10,000 requires a written major domestic building contract, and the Domestic Building Consumer Guide must be given to the owner before signing.
- 7Building and Plumbing Commission — Domestic Building Insurance and Home Warranty — Cover is required on domestic building work over $16,000; Home Warranty replaces Domestic Building Insurance for eligible contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026.
- 8NSW Department of Planning — Secondary dwellings (Housing SEPP) — The instrument governing NSW secondary dwellings and the complying-development pathway.
- 9NSW Department of Planning — Complying development — The complying-development pathway and its statutory 20-day determination period.
- 10NSW Fair Trading — Home building licence check — NSW’s public licence register: current, expired and cancelled licences, conditions and public warnings.
- 11Planning Queensland — Changes to secondary dwellings — The 26 September 2022 change removing the restriction on who may occupy a Queensland secondary dwelling, and the note that development, building and fire-safety requirements still apply.
- 12QBCC — Building approvals and certification — In Queensland building approvals are issued by private building certifiers, who must themselves hold a QBCC licence.
- 13QBCC — Search a register — Queensland’s public licensee register for builders and certifiers.
- 14National Construction Code — Building classifications — Class 1a is a single dwelling — the classification the building permit is issued against.
Free Site Assessment
Start with a
30-minute site visit.
Tell us your address and the layout you have in mind. We’ll review council overlays and site requirements, then discuss your design, scope and quote. No obligation.
Sales & Feasibility
+61 480 099 909
enquiries@e2es.com.au
Office
Suite 631, Waterman Workspace, 44 Lakeview Drive, Scoresby VIC 3179
Granny flat design decisions in Victoria
Practical granny flat questions about site evidence, design documents, access, utilities and handover, with official sources and owner checklists.