One Adelaide surveying firm puts a standard one-into-two split at “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000”, and the surveyor’s fee is only one line on that bill. So how much does it cost to subdivide land in your case? The honest answer is a range with several moving parts, and most of those parts are not the survey. This article covers what’s published, what isn’t, and what to ask before you sign anything.
If you already know you want to split a block, tell us what the survey is for and we’ll put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes and contracts with you directly.
The one whole-project figure, and what it leaves out
Sawley Lock O’Callaghan, an Adelaide surveying firm, says on a page last modified 12 May 2025 that a standard one-into-two land division in the Adelaide metropolitan area costs “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000”. The page doesn’t say whether GST is included. That figure bundles state and council fees (lodgement, open space contribution, land division certificate), Land Services SA plan fees, surveyor and consultancy fees, conveyancer or solicitor fees, and SA Water water and sewer fees.
Two limits apply. It’s one firm’s estimate for a standard job, and it predates the 1 July 2026 fee changes. It also carries its own warning: SA Water may charge non-standard costs for water and sewer extensions, deeper connection pits or dewatering, and “this could increase the costs significantly”. Power and NBN connections are extra.
Treat the range as a rough sizing of the project, not a quote. Nobody can quote your block without seeing the title, the site and the services. And it stops well short of building anything on the new lot.
What does it cost to subdivide land? The 2026-27 fees, line by line
Government and plan fees are the part of the bill you can look up. They change every 1 July, so the figures below are the 2026-27 ones. Which lines apply depends on the application, so don’t add the table up into a total. It’s a map of where the money goes, not a bill.
| Item | 2026-27 amount | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Open space contribution, Greater Adelaide | $10,166.00 per new allotment (not exceeding 1 ha) | A two-lot Torrens division creates one new allotment. The Commission “may” require it for divisions of 20 allotments or fewer |
| Land division authorisation (s 102(1)(c)/(d)) | $210.00 | No more than 4 additional allotments and no public road |
| Commission advice (r 76) | $240.00 | |
| Section 138 Certificate of Approval | $1,229.00 | |
| SA Water assessment | $480.00 | Valid for 60 business days; the fee is credited against SA Water’s charges |
| Land Services SA plan examination (surveyed plan) | $1,231.00 | |
| Deposit of plan | $189.00 | |
| Each new title | $112.00 | |
| Survey Act levy | $188.00 | Plus a document fee |
| Conveyancer to prepare and lodge the division forms | $660.00 incl. GST | One firm’s published charge (Conveyancing Centre SA), plus $88 incl. GST for each consent arranged |
Sources: the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Fees) Notice 2026, in the South Australian Government Gazette of 12 June 2026, and the Land Services SA fees schedule. The government schedule has more lines than this table, including planning consent and lodgement fees. The open space amount is the one in force when the application was made. Read how the open space contribution works before you assume it applies to you.
Land Services SA charges differently for a community plan: examination is $618.00 for five lots or fewer and $1,231.00 for six or more, with the same $189.00 deposit, $112.00 per lot title and $188.00 levy. That’s a plan fee only, not a cheaper project. Note too that “it is no longer possible to create new strata divisions”, so the choice is Torrens or community title. The Torrens versus community title comparison covers the difference.
Where the surveyor’s fee sits
Adelaide survey firms don’t publish prices for boundary, feature and level, contour or set-out surveys. Every firm page we checked on 30 September 2026 says to ask for a quote. Surveyors quote each job, and the price depends on the block, the evidence on site and the survey type.
For scale only, Trade Heroes, a national cost guide updated 6 March 2026, lists a boundary survey at $900 to $2,500, with GST not stated. That’s a national figure for a single survey, not an Adelaide price, and a land division plan is a bigger job than a standalone boundary survey. An Adelaide surveyor quotes your block.
The law explains why the surveyor isn’t optional. In South Australia, only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary, according to the Surveyors Board SA. Plans must be certified by a surveyor who is a natural person (Survey Act 1992, s 47), and the surveyor lodges the plan through the Electronic Plan Lodgement system. A registered conveyancer or solicitor prepares the application itself. Land Services SA “strongly recommended” you get both a professional licensed surveyor and a conveyancer or solicitor.
In some simple deemed-to-satisfy divisions, an accredited professional surveyor can act as the relevant authority (General Regulations, r 22). Whether yours is simple enough is a question for the surveyor, not something to assume.
To check any surveyor’s licence, contact the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au or (08) 8212 0343, or use the Gazette list of Licensed and Registered Surveyors, updated each July and January. There is no searchable online register. Our land division surveys page explains what that survey involves, and the land surveying cost page explains how surveyors price. If you want a written quote, call (08) 5550 3814 or send the form, tell us what the survey is for, and we’ll put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor.
Three blocks, three different bills
These are anonymised field scenarios, built from the published fees above. They’re not client stories, and none of them predicts what your block will cost.
A 1960s brick home on a 900 m2 block in Campbelltown. The owners want to split off the back and keep the house. The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan notes that some infill has occurred in Campbelltown, generally as townhouses, so the idea isn’t far-fetched. Whether this block can be divided at all comes down to the zone and any overlays in the Planning and Design Code, which the surveyor or council checks. Suppose it can. The fixed lines then include the open space contribution of $10,166.00 for the one new allotment (if the Commission requires it), the $1,229.00 section 138 certificate, $1,231.00 for plan examination and $480.00 for the SA Water assessment. The surveyor’s fee and the conveyancer’s fee come on top of those.
A small block in Findon with an old sewer connection. The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan says most new dwelling supply in the western suburbs has come from small-scale infill in suburbs such as Findon, Plympton and Kurralta Park. A quote arrives that assumes standard water and sewer connections. Only SA Water’s assessment can say whether a deeper connection pit or other non-standard work is needed, and the assessment is valid for 60 business days. That’s the line to buy early, because non-standard costs “could increase the costs significantly” and no published figure caps them. The $480.00 assessment fee is credited against SA Water’s charges, so it isn’t money wasted if you go ahead.
A Mount Barker block with a mortgage over it. The owner assumes the bank is a formality. It isn’t: registered interests on the title, such as a mortgagee, must consent to the division. At the Conveyancing Centre (SA)‘s published rates, preparing and lodging the forms is $660.00 including GST, plus $88 including GST for each consent arranged. A lender and one other registered interest would mean $660 plus two consents at $88 each, which is $836 at that firm’s rates. Another conveyancer will charge differently, so ask for the quote in writing.
The cost nobody puts on the invoice: time
The official wording on timing is short. Land Services SA says “the division of land can take many months, sometimes even years”. No official month figure exists, and we haven’t put one in this article. Anything more precise than that is an advertiser’s claim.
The steps explain the delay. Land Services SA lists them as a preliminary enquiry at council, contacting a land surveyor and a conveyancer or solicitor, lodgement and approval through the State Commission Assessment Panel, lodgement with Land Services SA, examination of the plan, examination of the dealings, deposit of the plan and issue of title. Each step can hold up the next one.
Time costs money in ordinary ways. Your mortgage and rates keep running on the whole block while you wait. The SA Water assessment expires after 60 business days. Fees reset every 1 July, and the open space amount is the one in force when you apply. Most lenders need the plan deposited before a sale of a new lot can settle, so you can’t sell the back block before the paperwork is finished.
How to get a quote for the cost of subdividing a block that you can compare
Two quotes for “a subdivision” are rarely the same job. One may cover the survey and the plan only. Another may include the application, lodgement and liaison with the council. Before you compare prices, ask each firm the same short list:
- What does the quote cover: the survey, the plan, lodgement, or all three?
- Which fees are excluded: Commission, Land Services SA, SA Water, and the conveyancer?
- Does it assume standard water and sewer connections, and who tells you if that changes?
- Is a feature and level survey needed first, and is it priced separately?
- What happens to the price if the council asks for changes to the proposal?
- Is the quote in writing, and does it say GST included or excluded?
Our land survey quote checklist goes through the same questions, and the step-by-step subdivision guide shows where each cost lands in the process.
We advertise for independent Licensed Surveyors and don’t do the survey ourselves. The next step is simple. Tell us what the survey is for, and we’ll put you in touch with a Licensed Surveyor who quotes and contracts with you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to subdivide land in Adelaide?
One Adelaide surveying firm, Sawley Lock O’Callaghan, said on a page modified 12 May 2025 that a standard one-into-two division in metropolitan Adelaide costs “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000”, including government, plan, surveyor, conveyancer and SA Water fees. GST was not stated. SA Water charges for non-standard connections could push it well higher.
Do I have to pay the open space contribution?
The Commission “may” require it for divisions of 20 allotments or fewer. In Greater Adelaide the 2026-27 amount is $10,166.00 per new allotment not exceeding 1 ha, and a two-lot Torrens division creates one new allotment. The amount is the one in force when the application was made. Ask the surveyor or council whether it applies to your division.
Can anyone survey the block for a subdivision?
No. In South Australia, only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary. Check a surveyor’s licence with the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au or (08) 8212 0343, because there is no searchable online register.
How long does it take to subdivide land?
The official wording from Land Services SA is that “the division of land can take many months, sometimes even years”. No official month figure exists. The timing depends on the council, the State Commission Assessment Panel, SA Water, Land Services SA and any registered interests that must consent.