Handrails performance solution in Victoria
When the drawings cannot meet the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for handrails, a performance solution shows the design still meets the Performance Requirement. Fixed fee, 72 hours, one revision included.
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A certifier replies within one business day with what the job needs and a fixed fee, GST shown.
The requirement
NCC 2022 Volume One D3D22 (handrails) under Performance Requirement D1P2, with AS 1428.1 where the stair or ramp is on an accessway, and the ABCB Housing Provisions Part 11.3 for houses.
The Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions set where handrails are required, their height, continuity, extensions at the top and bottom, the fixing side, the profile the hand grips, and the 30 to 50 mm clearance to the wall.
When the drawings need a performance solution
Heritage balustrades that cannot be altered, glass or feature balustrades without a graspable rail, handrails that cannot extend at a landing because of a door or a wall, a single rail where two are required on an accessway, or a rail height that sits outside the range on an existing stair.
What we write
We assess what the handrail has to do for the people using the stair: support, guidance and a graspable profile through the whole flight. Where an extension, height or profile departs from the tables, we show how the design still meets D1P2, usually with the rest of the stair (lighting, nosings, dimensions) and any additional rail doing the work.
The solution follows the NCC's own process for a Performance Solution (A2G2): the Performance Requirement identified, the Assessment Method stated, the evidence set out, and a conclusion a certifier can adopt. One revision is included when the assessor or the authority asks for more.
What the certifier needs to see
- Handrail elevations and sections showing height, profile, clearance and the extensions
- The balustrade or wall the rail fixes to, and its structural adequacy
- Whether the stair is on an accessway (then AS 1428.1 applies as well)
- The assessment against D1P2 with the compensating measures shown on the drawings
Who accepts it in Victoria
In Victoria a performance solution is accepted as part of a building permit issued by the relevant building surveyor, then the occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection, under the Building Act 1993 and the Building Regulations 2018. The NCC is adopted in full, so the solution is written to the NCC's Assessment Methods and it is the relevant building surveyor who adopts it. We write it so the certifier can adopt it as it stands.
Fee
- $4,400 inc GST ($4,000 + GST) per performance solution, one revision included
- Delivered in 72 hours from a complete drawing set; 24 hours at +50%
- Further revisions $1,100 inc GST ($1,000 + GST); a redesigned element is a new solution
- Fire-engineered solutions are scoped and quoted separately
Get an instant quote now
Answer a few questions and the fee is on the screen, GST shown, before you give us your name. Accept it and send the drawings.
Something larger, or Class 2, 3, 4 or 9c? Send it through and a certifier replies with a fixed price inside a business day.
Questions
Does a glass balustrade need a separate handrail?
On a required stair in a Class 2 to 9 building, yes: the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions want a graspable handrail. Where a feature balustrade is fixed by the design, a performance solution assesses whether an alternative rail or profile still meets the requirement.
Can the handrail stop at the landing?
The tables require extensions at the top and bottom. Where a door or wall makes that impossible, a performance solution shows how the stair still gives adequate support at the landing.
What is the difference between a performance solution and a BCA report?
A BCA report assesses the whole design against the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions and lists the non-compliances. A performance solution resolves one of those non-compliances by showing the design meets the Performance Requirement another way.
How long does it take?
72 hours from a complete drawing set, or 24 hours at +50%. The clock starts when we confirm the set is complete.