---
title: "Cost to Subdivide Land in Brisbane: 2026-27 Council Fees"
description: "The cost to subdivide land in Brisbane: council and State fees for a two-lot split total about $28,551 in 2026-27, before water, sewer, power and consultants."
canonical_url: "https://townplannerbne.com.au/cost-to-subdivide-land-brisbane/"
last_updated: "2026-11-13"
# last_updated_source: sitemap-lastmod
---
[Blog](/blog/) / Subdivision costs

# How Much Does It Cost to Subdivide Land in Brisbane? The 2026-27 Council Fees

The council and State fees on a two-lot split, when each one falls due, and the site costs that decide whether a split pays.

By Town Planner Brisbane · Published 13 November 2026 · Fees from 2026-27 council and State schedules

Site plan of a Brisbane block split into Lot 1 and Lot 2 along a dashed new boundary, beside the figure $28,551 for council and State fees on a two-lot split in 2026-27.

## Listen to this guide

The transcript below follows the audio.

[Download the audio](/audio/blog/cost-to-subdivide-land-brisbane.mp3)

**Read the transcript**

For a simple two-lot split in Brisbane, the fees set by Brisbane City Council and the State add up to about **$28,551** in the 2026-27 financial year. They cover the application fee, council's infrastructure charge for the new lot, compliance and inspection fees, plan sealing, and Titles Queensland's plan and new title fees. They do not include Urban Utilities' water and sewerage charges, power, or the surveyor, town planner and engineer. On some blocks, those costs together can be larger than council's share.

Council's application fee is a small part of the bill. The infrastructure charge is the biggest single council cost, and the services work your particular block needs decides whether the split pays.

**Key takeaways**

- Council's 2026-27 application fee for a two-lot reconfiguration is **$4,500** (30 points at $150 a point).
- Council's infrastructure charge is **$18,793.33 per new lot** under Brisbane Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No. 15) 2026. The existing lot normally earns a credit, so splitting one lot into two pays for one new lot.
- Urban Utilities levies its own water and sewerage charge on top. Council does not collect it.
- Most of the money is paid late: the infrastructure charge falls due when council approves the survey plan, not when you lodge.
- Survey, planning, engineering and services costs are quoted for each site. A sewer main or an overlay on the block can change them more than any council fee.

This guide covers Brisbane City Council's fees and charges only. Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland, Ipswich and Gold Coast each set their own. Whether your block can be split at all is a separate question: start with [checking whether your block can be split](/subdivide-my-block-in-brisbane/), and for the lot sizes that changed on 18 September 2026, see [Brisbane's new lot rules](/brisbane-city-plan-changes-2026/).

## The fixed costs: council and State fees for a two-lot split

These are the costs you can price today from published schedules. The table assumes a straightforward split of one existing lot into two under code assessment. Council charges compliance and inspection fees per lot on every reconfiguration other than a boundary realignment or an access easement.

| Cost | Who charges it | 2026-27 amount | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Development application fee (up to 2 lots) | Brisbane City Council | $4,500 | [Council fees brochure 2026-27](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/development-assessment-and-compliance-fees-2026-27.pdf) |
| Compliance and inspection fees ($1,500 per lot) | Brisbane City Council | $3,000 | Council fees brochure 2026-27 |
| Infrastructure charge, one new lot | Brisbane City Council | $18,793.33 | [Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No. 15) 2026](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/brisbane-infrastructure-charges-resolution-no-15-2026.pdf), Table A |
| Plan sealing ($600 plus $450 per lot) | Brisbane City Council | $1,500 | Council fees brochure 2026-27 |
| Plan of survey ($496.12 plus $36.49 per lot) and two new titles ($94.42 each) | Titles Queensland | $757.94 | [Titles Registry Fees FY 2026 to 2027](https://www.titlesqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Titles-Registry-Fees_FY-2026-to-2027.pdf) |
| **Total of these published fees** | **$28,551.27** |  |  |

Bar chart of council and State fees for a two-lot Brisbane subdivision in 2026-27. The infrastructure charge of $18,793 is the largest bar, followed by the application fee of $4,500, compliance fees of $3,000, plan sealing of $1,500 and title fees of $758.

What the total leaves out:

- Urban Utilities' water supply and sewerage infrastructure charges, and the cost of any water or sewer works it requires.
- Council fees that depend on your approval's conditions. For example, operational work for stormwater drainage is a standard plan at $2,250 for a development of up to 5 lots, minor plans such as erosion and sediment control on a site up to 2,000 m² are $1,350, and asking council to accept a bond for unfinished works is $3,000 per bond component (including GST).
- Electricity connection works with Energex.
- The surveyor, town planner and civil engineer, and any specialist reports.
- Building or demolition work on the existing house, and legal and conveyancing costs.

Council's brochure states that its fees do not include GST unless marked, and do not include infrastructure charges. Fees are worked out in points, and the value of a point for 2026-27 is $150.

## The council application fee

Brisbane City Council calls subdivision "reconfiguring a lot". Its 2026-27 schedule charges a base fee of **30 points ($4,500)**, which covers an application creating up to two lots. Each extra lot from 3 to 30 lots adds **6 points ($900)**. A three-lot split is therefore $5,400 and a four-lot split $6,300.

Two things can add council fees at the application stage:

- **Impact assessment.** If any part of the application is impact assessable, council adds a separate assessment fee based on the development type. Reconfiguration is not listed as domestic, multiple dwelling, minor or demolition development, so it would normally fall in council's "Other" row: 26 points ($3,900). Council decides which row applies, so confirm it before you lodge.
- **Demolition that needs approval.** If removing all or part of the existing house needs council approval, for example under the traditional building character overlay, council charges a demolition fee as well. Partial demolition is 8 points ($1,200) and full demolition 24 points ($3,600).

Council also offers a pre-lodgement meeting at 8 points ($1,200, including GST). It is optional. It is useful when the block has an overlay or an access question that could change the design.

## Infrastructure charges: usually the biggest single cost

An infrastructure charge pays toward the trunk networks a new lot will use. In Brisbane two bodies levy them:

- **Brisbane City Council** charges **$18,793.33 for each new lot** under the [Brisbane Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No. 15) 2026](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/brisbane-infrastructure-charges-resolution-no-15-2026.pdf), which took effect on 1 July 2026. Council's charge covers transport, parks, community facilities and stormwater.
- **Urban Utilities** levies the charge for water supply and sewerage. Council's resolution splits the State's prescribed amount for a lot equally between council and Urban Utilities, and Urban Utilities publishes its own figure in the charges schedule of its Water Netserv Plan. Treat it as a major cost, not a small add-on, and check the current amount for your address with Urban Utilities on 13 26 57 before you budget.

### Why a two-lot split usually pays for one lot

The resolution gives a **demand credit** for the demand of each existing lot (section 16(3)(c)). Your block already counts as one lot, so splitting it into two adds one lot of demand. That is why the table above shows one charge, not two. Where an existing lawful use generates more demand than the lot, council uses the larger figure instead. To get the credit, give council evidence for it with your application; council decides the credit before it issues the infrastructure charges notice.

### The charge grows until you pay it

Council issues the charge in an infrastructure charges notice with the approval. Under section 18 of the resolution the levied amount then rises in line with the index the Planning Act sets, from the day it is levied to the day it is paid, and never by more than section 114 of the Planning Act allows. A split that sits for a year between approval and plan sealing will usually pay more than the figure on the notice.

## Plan sealing and the new title

Before Titles Queensland can issue new titles, council has to endorse the survey plan. This is called **plan sealing**. Council's 2026-27 fee is **$600 per request plus $450 for each lot on the survey plan**, so $1,500 for a two-lot plan. A re-submission of a plan costs another $600.

Council only seals the plan once the subdivision is complete, every condition of the approval has been met and all charges are paid, including the infrastructure charges and any outstanding rates. Council's plan sealing page says it responds to a request within 20 business days. If some works are not finished, council may accept an uncompleted works bond where the outstanding work is worth more than $25,000, but a bond cannot be used to defer the infrastructure charges.

The sealed plan then goes to Titles Queensland. Council's plan sealing page notes that, under the [Land Title Act 1994](https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1994-011), the endorsed plan must be lodged within 6 months. Titles Queensland's 2026-27 fee to lodge a plan of survey is **$496.12 for the plan plus $36.49 for each lot or interest on it**, such as an easement. Its schedule also charges **$94.42** for each new title created, and its fee calculator adds a new titles fee for each new lot on a survey plan, so a simple two-lot plan comes to $757.94.

## Costs set by your block, not by council

The fees in the table come from fixed schedules. The rest of the budget does not, because it depends on the site:

| Cost | What decides it |
| --- | --- |
| Surveyor | Identification survey, the proposed layout, pegging and the final survey plan. A sloping or irregular block takes more work. |
| Town planner | Whether the split is code or impact assessable, how many City Plan provisions it relies on, and whether council issues an information request. |
| Civil engineer | Stormwater discharge, driveway grades and any works council conditions. |
| Water and sewer works | Where the existing sewer main and water meter sit, and whether a new connection or a main relocation is needed. Urban Utilities approves this work. |
| Power | Whether Energex needs a new pit, a pole or an underground connection for the new lot. |
| Specialist reports | Overlays on the lot, such as flood, waterway corridor, biodiversity or character, can each call for a report. |

These are priced by quote for the particular lot. We do not publish a single figure for them, because two blocks on the same street can need very different work once the sewer and stormwater are known.

## When each cost falls due

Most of the money goes out late in the process.

| Stage | What you pay |
| --- | --- |
| Before lodgement | Surveyor and planner fees for the layout and application. Optional council pre-lodgement meeting ($1,200). |
| Application | Council application fee ($4,500 for two lots), plus the impact assessment fee if it applies. Depending on the form, you pay at lodgement or council issues a fee quote. |
| Approval | Council issues the infrastructure charges notice. Nothing is payable yet, but the amount starts to index. |
| Before works start | Compliance and inspection fees ($1,500 per lot), paid before the pre-start meeting or, if none is needed, before site work begins. |
| Works | Civil, water, sewer and power works, at the cost quoted for your site. |
| Plan sealing | Plan sealing fee ($1,500 for two lots), the infrastructure charges and any outstanding rates. Under section 122 of the Planning Act 2016 a charge for reconfiguring a lot becomes payable when council approves the plan. |
| Titles | Titles Queensland plan and title fees ($757.94 for two lots), then the new titles issue. |

## Where subdivision budgets blow out

Three situations can add costs the table above does not show:

- **A sewer main through the new lot.** If the main runs where the new house or boundary needs to go, it may need to be relocated or built over with Urban Utilities' approval. It can be the largest variable cost.
- **The existing house sits across the new boundary.** Part of the house, a carport or a pool may need to be removed or the layout changed. That brings building work, and sometimes a demolition approval, into the budget. Our guide to [choosing a subdivision layout](/choosing-a-subdivision-layout/) covers the common options.
- **An overlay turns a simple split into a technical one.** A flood or waterway overlay can require a report, a different lot shape or impact assessment, which can bring council's impact assessment fee and more time. Check the overlays in City Plan online before you commit money to drawings; our [guide to reading Brisbane City Plan](/brisbane-city-plan-explained/) shows how.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does it cost to subdivide a block in Brisbane?

For a simple two-lot split, Brisbane City Council and Titles Queensland fees come to about $28,551 in 2026-27. Urban Utilities' water and sewerage charges, power, survey, planning and engineering are on top and depend on the block.

### Do I pay infrastructure charges on both lots?

Usually not. Council's resolution credits the demand of each existing lot, so splitting one lot into two normally attracts a charge for one new lot. Give council evidence for the credit with your application; council decides it before it issues the infrastructure charges notice.

### When do I pay the infrastructure charge?

For reconfiguring a lot, section 122 of the Planning Act 2016 makes the charge payable when council approves the plan of subdivision, which is the plan sealing stage. The amount is indexed from the day it is levied to the day it is paid.

### Are council's subdivision fees the same in Logan or Moreton Bay?

No. Each council sets its own development fees and infrastructure charges. This guide uses Brisbane City Council's 2026-27 schedule and Resolution No. 15 only.

### Can I subdivide my block at all?

That depends on the zone, the lot size and frontage, access and overlays under Brisbane City Plan 2014, as amended from 18 September 2026. See [checking whether your block can be split](/subdivide-my-block-in-brisbane/), or send us the address.

### Do I pay tax when I subdivide?

Possibly, through GST, income tax or capital gains tax on a later sale, depending on your circumstances. That is a question for your accountant before you lodge, not for a planner.

## Sources and method

Fees and charges were read from the published documents on 13 November 2026: Brisbane City Council's [development assessment and compliance fees 2026-27](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/development-assessment-and-compliance-fees-2026-27.pdf), the [Brisbane Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No. 15) 2026](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/brisbane-infrastructure-charges-resolution-no-15-2026.pdf), council's infrastructure charges and plan sealing pages and its [subdividing land guide](https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/getting-started-on-your-project/subdividing-land), Titles Queensland's [Titles Registry Fees FY 2026 to 2027](https://www.titlesqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Titles-Registry-Fees_FY-2026-to-2027.pdf), Titles Queensland's fee calculator, the [Planning Act 2016](https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2016-025) (current as at 3 September 2026) and the Land Title Act 1994. The $28,551.27 total is the sum of those published amounts for one existing lot split into two under code assessment, with compliance fees on two lots and two new titles. It is a model for comparison, not a quote. Fees change each financial year, so check the schedules on the day you lodge.

## GET PRELIMINARY ADVICE ON YOUR BLOCK

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