Placing your design on the block
Once your property's boundary is confirmed (Step 3, Siting), Draftly can position your structure for you — and check it against the planning rules found in your site research.
Auto-place for me
The "Auto-place for me" button (in the Place & setbacks area) tries many possible positions and rotations on your block and picks the best one that:
- keeps the required distance (setback) from every boundary,
- avoids easements and existing buildings, and
- stays within site-coverage limits.
It prefers the rear of the block (the usual spot for sheds and secondary structures). The result is a suggestion — drag or rotate it afterwards and the rule warnings stay live as you move it.
Read the banner. It always tells you which rules were applied and where they came from (your council documents, standard building rules, or defaults). If it says "Placed to default offsets — confirm with council", the position used typical default distances because the exact ones for your address aren't published anywhere we can read — treat the placement as a starting point and confirm the real setbacks with your council before you build.
If nothing fits, Draftly tells you why (for example "the structure plus the required side setbacks is wider than the block") instead of forcing a non-compliant spot.
Use a design from another job
If you've sited a structure in a previous Draftly project, "Use a design from another job" lists those designs (with their size and roof type) and drops a copy onto the current block — auto-placed the same way. Handy when the same design goes on a different property.
Upload a DXF from your designer or builder
If your builder or draftsperson works in CAD, ask them for a DXF of the floor plan or site plan (every CAD program can export one). Upload it and Draftly will:
- find the closed outlines in the file (largest first),
- show you the dimensions it detected — check these against the plan before continuing, and
- place the outline on your block with auto-place.
DWG files can't be read directly — ask for a DXF or PDF export instead.
What Draftly doesn't do here
Auto-placement follows the rules we can verify, but it doesn't replace council's assessment, a surveyor, or your own judgement about how you want to use your land. If something matters — a tree, a view, a future pool — move the structure; the rule checks follow you.