BCA reports for Sydney and New South Wales

How approval works in New South Wales

Planning comes first: development consent from council under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, or a complying development certificate under the Codes SEPP where the work qualifies. Building approval is separate: a construction certificate or complying development certificate issued by a registered certifier, then the occupation certificate, under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018.

The registered certifier (principal certifier) decides whether the drawings meet the NCC. A BCA report answers those questions before the application is lodged, with every non-compliance identified, the drawing reference and a practical fix, so the approval is not a round of requests for information.

What we assess in Sydney and across NSW

• Houses, dual occupancies and up to three townhouses (Class 1a), including secondary dwellings
• Sheds, garages and carports (Class 10a)
• Shops, offices, cafés, warehouses, factories and childcare centres under 2,000 m² (Class 5 to 9b)
• Apartments (Class 2), boarding houses and hotels (Class 3) and aged care (Class 9c), quoted by a certifier
• Access reports to NCC Part D4 and AS 1428.1
• Performance solutions for light and ventilation, stairs, handrails, tactile indicators and weep holes

Livable housing in New South Wales

New South Wales did not adopt the NCC livable housing provisions, so the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard is not a building-approval requirement for houses in NSW.

Livable housing still comes up at planning. The Apartment Design Guide sets a benchmark of 20 per cent of apartments at the Livable Housing Guidelines silver level, and many council DCPs set universal design or adaptable housing requirements. The assessment checks the drawings against whichever of those applies to your site and says which one it used.

Fees

• BCA report, Class 1a: $3,300 inc GST ($3,000 + GST); Class 10a: $3,300 inc GST ($3,000 + GST)
• BCA report, Class 5 to 9b under 300 m²: $3,300 inc GST ($3,000 + GST); 300 to 2,000 m²: $5,500 inc GST ($5,000 + GST)
• Access report $3,300 inc GST ($3,000 + GST), or $1,650 inc GST ($1,500 + GST) with a BCA report
• 72-hour delivery from a complete drawing set; 24 hours at +50%