This paper highlights that, building standards sometimes impact negatively on the development of sustainable low-cost housing in Zimbabwe. Building standards are administered by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing through local authorities in Zimbabwe, formulated to help acquire, maintain and regulate a certain set of laid down principles and/ or procedures. The building industry has urban planning and building standards in use in order to achieve the above. These standards have been assessed in this paper with the aim of demonstrating the negative impacts and influences they have on the sustainable development of low-cost housing.