Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second | Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second |
Suburb planning guide · Updated 2026-04-27

Balmain, NSW 2041 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

General Residential dominant. Median sale $2.27M over the last 24 months. 81% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R1
General Residential
Median sale (24m)
$2.27M
384 sales
DA approval rate
81%
312 of 384 approved
Total lots
3,367
Marketplace

Need a builder, surveyor or planner near Balmain? See local experts ↓

Zoning

What you can build in Balmain

Balmain is dominated by R1General Residential. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

R1
Dominant
R1 General Residential 91.4%
E1 Local Centre 6.5%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.1%
SP2 Infrastructure 0.8%
W4 W4 0.1%
Avg max height
m

Limit varies by lot — check your address for the exact figure.

Avg max FSR
0.54:1

Floor Space Ratio — total floor area as a multiple of lot area.

Use mix
Residential91%
Commercial7%

Location

Where Balmain sits

Balmain 2041 covers an undefined area within Inner West Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Inner West Council
Postcode
2041
Area
Total lots
3,367

Drill into any lot in Balmain

Open the interactive map — click any address to see its zone, height, FSR, overlays, and approval likelihood.

Open interactive map

Development potential

Where the upside is in Balmain

We score every lot for development signal — under-built relative to the controls, eligible for a granny flat, or sized for subdivision.

Underdeveloped
433

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
509

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
698

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
128

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
3,251 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
43.8 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 80 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 8,907 dwellings, with 376,950 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Balmain?

Check your lot's exact development potential — height, FSR, granny flat, subdivision, dual-occ.

Run a report on your address

Constraints & risks

What could stop you in Balmain

100% of lots have a heritage listing or sit in a Heritage Conservation Area — expect controls on demolition, alterations, and additions.

Suburb-wide percentages — your specific lot may have all, some, or none of these.

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone None

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 99.9%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) None

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Ace Body Corporate Management (Balmain)

Property management company · serves Balmain, NSW

2/442 Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041

View profile

Market

Balmain property market

Sales, rent, and yield data drawn from NSW Property Sales Information and rental bond data over the past 24 months.

Median sale price (24m)
$2,267,500
384 sales · land value $1.73M
Median rent (house)
$963 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
2.0%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Balmain

384 development applications for Balmain addresses were decided by Inner West Council over the past 24 months. 312 approved — a 81% approval rate.

81%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
384
Approved
312
New dwelling DAs
298
Building approvals (12m)
5

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Balmain

ABS Census 2021 population data combined with lot-level amenity, healthcare, lifestyle, and crime indices.

Population
15,579
Median age
43
Household income
$163.75K
Owner-occupied
60%
Renting
39%
Green cover
30%
Amenity score
98.1 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
97.7 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
98.7 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Balmain

What's the zoning in Balmain 2041?

Balmain is dominated by the R1 (General Residential) zone, which covers 3,075 of 3,367 lots (91%). The full mix is: R1 General Residential (91%), E1 Local Centre (7%), RE1 Public Recreation (1%), SP2 Infrastructure (1%), W4 W4 (0%).

Can I build a granny flat in Balmain?

Yes — 509 lots in Balmain appear eligible for a granny flat under SEPP (Housing) 2021, based on lot size, zoning, and frontage. Eligibility is lot-specific: get a planning report on your address to confirm.

What's the median property price in Balmain?

The median sale price in Balmain over the past 24 months is $2,267,500, across 384 sales. Median unimproved land value is $1,730,000.

What's the median rent in Balmain?

Median weekly rent for a house in Balmain is $963. Gross rental yield works out to 2.0%.

What's the development application approval rate in Inner West Council?

Inner West Council decided 384 development applications for Balmain addresses over the past 24 months, with 312 approved (81% approval rate). Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Balmain?

Across Balmain, 100% with heritage controls. These are suburb-wide percentages — every lot has its own combination. A planning report on a specific address shows exactly which controls apply.

What's the development potential of Balmain?

3,251 of 3,367 lots in Balmain show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 43.8 / 100.

Alternative Conveyancing

Conveyancer · serves Balmain, NSW

45 Evans St, Balmain NSW 2041

View profile

Get a planning report for any address in Balmain

Suburb-wide stats are useful for context. For a buy-or-walk decision on a specific lot, you need every control, every constraint, and every clause cited to source.

Run a report — from A$29

14-section report · LEP + SEPP + DCP cross-referenced · cited to source

Methodology & sources

Zoning, height, FSR, and overlays parsed from the Inner West Council Local Environmental Plan, applicable State Environmental Planning Policies, and the Development Control Plan. Property sales drawn from NSW Property Sales Information. DA history aggregated from the NSW Planning Portal. Heritage, flood, bushfire, contaminated land, TEC, sea-level rise, and aircraft noise overlays from the NSW Spatial Services and EPA registers. Population, age, income, and tenure from ABS Census 2021. Aggregated by ZoneDSS · last updated 2026-04-27.

Suburb-wide statistics — your specific lot may vary. Always run a planning report on the actual address before making a decision. How ZoneDSS works →