Solar access & built form
For planning permits & development applications in Victoria and South Australia.
Understand how your proposal affects sunlight to neighbouring properties. We prepare clear shadow diagrams and solar access studies to support your design and planning submission.
From $550 · Scope and final fee confirmed after review.
A change in height. A change in shadow.
Noon · Proposed
Explore your own plan
Load a PDF, mark the scale and trace your building in Shadow Studio. Explore building height, roof forms and ground shadows through the day, directly in your browser. See how Shadow Studio works.
What we prepare
From a house extension to a multi-dwelling or commercial proposal, we agree the level of detail your project needs. Shadow diagrams can be commissioned separately or alongside our planning and design services.
Scaled plan drawings showing the shadow cast by existing and proposed development at the assessment dates and times agreed for your application.
Investigate how a proposal affects neighbouring open space and buildings. The scope can include affected windows and vertical shadow diagrams where needed.
Explore the effect of height, setbacks and building envelopes before the design is finalised. Use the study to understand where a change could improve solar access.
Prepared for the assessment
The relevant planning controls determine what needs to be assessed. We review the project location, proposal and council request before setting up the study.
Dates, time intervals and the areas to be assessed vary between projects. We confirm these for your application.
Equinox, winter solstice or other nominated assessment periods, with additional intervals where the planning question requires them.
Survey information, building heights, site levels and orientation, together with the relevant neighbouring structures.
Identify the existing condition and the change caused by the proposal, with legends and annotations that help the assessor follow the drawings.
How it works
Share the property address, survey and current plans. Include any council request so we can understand the information needed.
We review the available information and confirm the deliverables, fee and timing before starting. We flag any missing survey or design information.
We prepare the agreed drawings as a PDF set for your application team. Design changes, further comparisons and revisions are coordinated against the agreed scope.
Send us your project
Send your drawings and tell us what the council or project team needs. We’ll review the information and confirm a suitable scope.
From $550 AUD
Indicative starting allowance, not a formal quote. The final fee, GST treatment, turnaround and any additional services are confirmed in writing against the agreed scope.
contact@shelterscape.com.auPDF drawings are a useful starting point. Let us know if you also have CAD files or a 3D model. If something is missing, send what you have and we can identify the next step.
Common questions
Yes. We can work from drawings prepared by your architect, building designer or project team. You can also combine the study with Shelterscape’s development application drawings, planning reports or design advice.
That depends on the planning controls and the particular assessment. Send the project address and any council correspondence. We confirm the required dates, times and outputs before preparing the study.
Send the request and the latest drawing set. We can scope the additional shadow diagrams or comparisons needed to address the request, and identify where a planning response or design change may also be required.
The study helps identify where and when the impact occurs. We can separately scope height, setback or layout options and coordinate the findings with the planning assessment. A shadow diagram documents the impact; approval remains a decision for the relevant authority.
Our current service focus is Victoria and South Australia. Enquiries from elsewhere in Australia are welcome. We confirm the scope, local requirements and any additional information needed for each project.