What is BCA?
BCA stands for Building Code of Australia, and it is a manual that is part of the National Building Code (NCC). It includes technical requirements for the design and construction of buildings and other structures throughout Australia.
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) is Volume One and Volume Two of the NCC (National Construction Code). All building work must comply with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
The BCA addresses the following matters:
- Structural adequacy
- Fire resistance
- Access and egress
- Services and equipment
- Energy efficiency and sustainability
- Provisions for the health and amenity of occupants.
The BCA refers to a number of technical manuals, including Australian Standards, as part of its provisions. The Building Code of Australia (BCA) changes every year, so it is important to stay updated on the requirements for new homes and renovations.
Who produces the BCA and how it is different than NCC?
The Australian Building Codes Board produces and maintains the BCA on behalf of the Australian government, state and territory governments. Building regulatory laws in each state and territory gives it legal effect.
The mission of the Australian Building Codes Board is to resolve issues relating to safety, health, amenity, and sustainability in the design and performance of buildings by developing effective regulatory frameworks and suitable non-regulatory solutions through the National Construction Code (NCC) Series.
The National Construction Code (NCC) is a collection of technical requirements for building work, plumbing, and drainage installations across Australia that takes into account climate and geological or geographic conditions.
The NCC is an initiative of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) developed to incorporate all on-site construction requirements into a single code. The NCC is comprised of the Building Code of Australia (BCA), Volumes One and Two, and the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA), Volume Three:
- NCC Volume One primarily applies to Class 2 to 9 (multi-residential, commercial, industrial, and public) buildings and structures.
- NCC Volume Two primarily applies to Class 1 (residential) and 10 (non-habitable) buildings and structures.
- NCC Volume Three applies to plumbing and drainage for all classes of buildings.
Building and plumbing regulations have long been inseparably related, as both provide standards for on-site building construction. However, they have traditionally been governed by separate legislative and administrative structures.
The primary users of the NCC include architects, builders, plumbers, building surveyors, hydraulic consultants, designers, and engineers. In addition, it is given legal effect through state and territory building control and plumbing legislation.
BCA Classes of buildings
The definitions of Building Classes as defined by the Australian Building Code are provided in this list.
| Classes of Building | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Class 1a | A single dwelling being a detached house, or one or more attached dwellings, each being a building, separated by a fire-resisting wall, including a row house, terrace house, town house or villa unit. |
| | Class 1b | A boarding house, guest house, hostel, or the like with a total area of all floors not exceeding 300m2, and where not more than 12 reside, and is not located above or below another dwelling or another Class of building other than a private garage. |
| Class 2 | A building containing 2 or more sole-occupancy units each being a separate dwelling. | |
| Class 3 | A residential building, other than a Class 1 or 2 building, which is a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated persons. Example: boarding-house, hostel, backpacker’s accommodation or residential part of a hotel, motel, school or detention centre. | |
| Class 4 | A dwelling in a building that is Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 if it is the only dwelling in the building. | |
| Class 5 | An office building used for professional or commercial purposes, excluding buildings of Class 6, 7, 8 or 9. | |
| Class 6 | A shop or other building for the sale of goods by retail or the supply of services direct to the public. Example: café, restaurant, kiosk, hairdressers, showroom or service station. | |
| Class 7 | Class 7a | A building which is a car park. |
| | Class 7b | A building which is for storage or display of goods or produce for sale by wholesale. |
| Class 8 | A laboratory, or a building in which a handicraft or process for the production, assembling, altering, repairing, packing, finishing or cleaning of goods or produce is carried on for trade, sale or gain. | |
| Class 9 | A building of a public nature. | |
| | Class 9a | A health care building, including those parts of the building set aside as a laboratory. |
| | Class 9b | An assembly building, including a trade workshop, laboratory or the like, in a primary or secondary school, but excluding any other parts of the building that are of another class. |
| | Class 9c | An aged care building. |
| Class 10 | A non-habitable building or structure. | |
| | Class 10a | A private garage, carport, shed or the like. |
| | Class 10b | A structure being a fence, mast, antenna, retaining or free standing wall, swimming pool or the like. |
| | Class 10c | A private bushfire shelter. |
| Type of Construction | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rise in storeys | Class of building 2, 3, 9 | Class of building 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| 4 or more | A | A |
| 3 | A | B |
| 2 | B | C |
| 1 | C | C |
Note: Building classification and construction type may differ from the standard model depicted in the tables. Concessions that alter the type of construction may be offered. Concessions may be related to the structure’s design, size, and number of escapes.