Beer gardens, courtyards and rooftops on a Victorian red line plan

A beer garden, courtyard or rooftop is still part of the licensed area if customers drink there. Liquor Control Victoria (LCV) needs that area drawn on the red line plan with the same care as the indoor rooms: boundary, area in square metres, entries, and how it connects to the rest of the venue. A courtyard on your own land is not the same as a council footpath trading zone. Footpath and kerbside rules sit in Outdoor Dining and Kerbside Areas on a Red Line Plan in Victoria. This page is for outdoor space on the property, including beer gardens and rooftops.

When usable existing plans exist, redline plans Melbourne for a standard liquor licence redline are $499 flat, with a 48-hour turnaround, issued as DWG and PDF. Architectural and council redlines are a free quote. If the outdoor area was never measured, or the fitout moved, site measurement and as-built drawings in Melbourne come first as a free quote. A call-out fee may apply to the visit. Laser scanning is available when the roof plate or multi-level outdoor area needs it, quoted with no published scan price.

What LCV expects for an outdoor licensed area

• A clear red boundary around every area where liquor may be supplied or consumed, including the beer garden, courtyard or rooftop.
• Dimensions and the area in m² for that outdoor zone, not only the indoor total.
• Entries and how patrons move between indoor and outdoor parts of the licence.
• North point and a readable scale.
• Labels that match the licence type and any authorised area conditions you already hold.

LCV's published red line plan guidance is the source of truth for what the drawing must show. We draw what you instruct for the licence variation or new application; we do not lodge the licence for you.

Beer garden or courtyard on your land

If the outdoor area sits inside the property boundary, it is usually drawn as part of the same red line as the indoor rooms, or as a clearly labelled connected area. Show fences, low walls or other edges that form the licensed perimeter. If only part of a courtyard is licensed, the red line must stop at that edge. A hand sketch that "includes the yard" is not enough for LCV. Internal layout changes that do not change size or perimeter are a different question; see How to Change an Existing Red Line Plan in Victoria.

Rooftops and upper-level terraces

A rooftop bar or terrace needs the same licensed boundary treatment, plus a clear note of the level. Stairs, lifts and the point where the licensed area starts on that level should be obvious on the plan. If the rooftop was added after the original licence, size or perimeter has usually changed, so LCV will expect a variation with an updated red line plan. Where the only drawings are old shell plans, measure the rooftop as built before the red line is drawn.

When the $499 flat fee applies

The $499 flat liquor redline applies when usable existing plans already show the outdoor area accurately. You receive DWG and PDF. If the beer garden was extended, the rooftop was built later, or the only PDF is a marketing plan, the site measure is quoted first. A call-out fee may apply. Laser scan is optional for complex roof plates and is quoted with no published price. After a usable base exists, the liquor redline step is the $499 job with a 48-hour turnaround when the brief is standard.

What to send for a quote

• Address and venue type (hotel, bar, restaurant, club).
• Whether the outdoor area is existing or proposed.
• Any current red line plan or licence extract you hold.
• Rough size of the beer garden, courtyard or rooftop, and which level it is on.
• Access notes if a measure is needed (trading hours, roof access).

If the brief says redline but means a builder markup or a council request for information, that is a different drawing: what is a redline plan.

Ask for the drawing on redline plans. The Fixed Pricing · No Surprises strip on that page is the commercial frame: liquor redline $499 when plans are usable; everything else a free quote.