BCA Consultant in Sydney
When a design does not meet every deemed to satisfy provision of the National Construction Code, you need someone who can build a performance solution that still gets approved, not just a report that lists the gaps. Vast Consulting Group works as a BCA consultant across Sydney, and because our team has worked in construction as well as compliance, we look for a workable design outcome rather than a dead end. You dream it, we approve it.
How it works in New South Wales
The National Construction Code, still widely known by its earlier name the Building Code of Australia (BCA), sets the technical requirements a building must meet: structure, fire safety, access, health and amenity, and energy efficiency, among others. Most projects meet these requirements through the deemed to satisfy provisions, which are prescriptive rules for things like fire ratings, exit widths and accessible paths of travel.
Where a design cannot meet a deemed to satisfy provision, for example an atrium, an unusual egress arrangement, or a heritage building with non-standard geometry, the alternative is a performance solution. This involves demonstrating, often with input from a fire engineer or other specialist, that the design still meets the relevant performance requirement of the National Construction Code even though it departs from the standard rule. A registered certifier still needs to assess and accept the performance solution before issuing a Construction Certificate, Complying Development Certificate or Occupation Certificate, so early input from a certifier saves time later.
The process with Vast
Send us the design
Share the architectural drawings and tell us which parts of the design you are concerned about, or where an initial review has flagged a departure from the deemed to satisfy provisions.
NCC assessment
We review the design against the National Construction Code and identify exactly which provisions need a performance solution, rather than treating the whole design as non-compliant.
Performance solution coordination
We work with your architect, fire engineer or other specialist consultants to build a performance solution that addresses the relevant performance requirements and is realistic to build.
Certification
As registered certifier, we assess the performance solution and, once satisfied, incorporate it into the Construction Certificate, Complying Development Certificate or Occupation Certificate as relevant.
What we check
Areas we cover
We provide BCA and National Construction Code consulting for projects across the Sydney metropolitan area, including Bayside, Randwick, Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Sutherland, Liverpool and Parramatta council areas, and Sydney-wide. We can review drawings remotely for most projects, wherever the site is located.
FAQs
What is the difference between the BCA and the NCC?
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) is the earlier name for what is now Volume One and Two of the National Construction Code (NCC). Many people in the industry still say BCA out of habit, and it generally refers to the same requirements.
When do I actually need a performance solution?
You need a performance solution when your design cannot meet one or more of the deemed to satisfy provisions in the National Construction Code, but you still want to proceed with that design. A BCA assessment early in the design process tells you exactly which provisions are affected before you spend money on a fire engineering report.
Can you assess my design before I lodge for a Construction Certificate or CDC?
Yes. Early BCA input is often the most useful time to get it, since it can change the design before drawings are finalised, rather than after a certifier raises issues at the certificate stage.
Do I still need a fire engineer if I use a BCA consultant?
For some performance solutions, yes. A BCA consultant identifies where the design departs from the deemed to satisfy provisions and coordinates the response, but complex fire safety performance solutions typically need a qualified fire engineer's input as well.
Call our Sydney office on (02) 9821 2062 to discuss a National Construction Code assessment or performance solution, or use our Get a free quote page. For Brisbane projects, see our NCC and BCA consultancy page.
Send us the drawings. We'll tell you what it takes to get approved.
Unrestricted building surveyors and certifiers. Residential, commercial and industrial. Brisbane and Sydney.
Woolloongabba QLD 4102 (07) 3112 7689 Also serving the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast