Do I need a town planner to subdivide a block?

Legally, the Queensland Planning Act doesn't require you to engage a registered town planner for a Reconfiguration of a Lot (RoL) application. Anyone can lodge.

Practically, the answer depends on the application type:

You can DIY a Code Assessable RoL in a well-precedented zone (Brisbane LMR, Logan SN, Moreton Bay LDR) where: - The lot dimensions clearly meet the minimum lot size and frontage rules. - No binding overlays complicate the design. - Your subdivision pattern matches dozens of recently-approved comparables. - You're prepared to handle the council's Information Request cycle.

The reality of a DIY Code Assessable RoL: you'll still need a surveyor, a civil engineer for the operational works, and a builder/contractor for the construction. The town planner role you're skipping is the planning report and lodgement coordination — which Casa AI can substantially assist with via the document-checker tool.

You should engage a planner for: - Any Impact Assessable application (public notification adds risk you don't want to manage solo). - Any application in a Character Residential or heritage precinct (TBC interpretation is genuinely hard). - Any application that needs reduced minimum lot size, lot configuration variation, or boundary realignment with neighbours. - Any application where multiple specialist reports (acoustic, ecological, traffic) are likely.

Cost-benefit. A planner charges $8,000–$15,000 for a typical 1→2 Code Assessable RoL. On a $200,000 all-in subdivision, that's 4-7% of cost — real money. On an $80,000 margin, it's 10-19% of profit. For a single-lot first-time developer who values their weekends, hire one. For a developer doing 3+ subdivisions a year and prepared to learn, DIY (with Casa Daily) is increasingly viable.