GFA (Gross Floor Area)
What GFA means in NSW planning: how gross floor area is measured under the Housing Code, what counts, and how it caps dwelling size under CDC.
Ask Chalkline about this →GFA (Gross Floor Area) is the total floor area of a building measured from the internal face of external walls at a height of 1.4 m above the floor level. Under the NSW Housing Code, GFA includes habitable rooms in basements and attics but excludes car parking areas, storage basements, vehicular access ramps, and balconies enclosed to less than 1.4 m. The Housing Code sets maximum GFA as a percentage of lot area (clause 3.9 of the SEPP Exempt and Complying Development Codes 2008): 78% for lots of 200-250 m2, reducing on a sliding scale for larger lots. A design that exceeds the table value fails the Housing Code and cannot proceed as CDC.
Also known as: Gross Floor Area.
Category: Approvals.
Related
See also
- NSW Complying Development Certificate (CDC): step-by-step
- SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy)
Last updated: 2026-05-08. Verified: 2026-05-08.