Special building conditions have been introduced for Bush Fire Prone Areas which are listed on the Department of Fire & Emergency Services (link provided)

A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) is a means of measuring the severity of a building’s exposure to bushfire risks including ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame exposure. By improving the ability of buildings in these areas to withstand attacks from bushfire, there is an increase in the protection afforded to the occupants as well as to the building itself.

These additional building requirements usually come at an extra cost to the consumer on new construction to satisfy the requirements of the Australian Standard.

Typically the BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) zones are rated according to the level of risk assessed which is part of the planning application process. These include: BAL 12.5, BAL 19, BAL 29 and BAL 40.

During our Construction Progress and Practical Completion Inspections we verify if the BAL requirements have been met and where these haven’t been fulfilled list the appropriate Australian Standard clause to clarify the error. Often BAL omissions and or errors can be difficult to fix at the end of a project and cause avoidable delays so it’s beneficial to fully satisfy the BAL requirements as work proceeds. If required we can visit site to specially review the BAL requirements at certain stages to ensure the Australian Standard has been fully satisfied.

If you’d like a quote for such an inspection(s) email us your building plans indicating the BAL level on plans to [email protected] to enable us to provide a no obligation quote. Alternatively we would make additional allowance to review the BAL requirements at Practical Completion Stage.