What are building Classifications?

Welcome to our "Building Design Services" Blog where our aim is to help you gain a better understanding of the planning approval process.

We are based on the Central Coast, NSW, and help locals with the daunting task of preparing building plans & documentation to submit to the relevant Certifying Authority.

Buildings or structures are defined in the Building Code (BCA) as shown below:

A Class 2, 3 or 9c Building must be designed by a Design Practitioner who is registered with NSW Fair Trade

Not all Dual Occupancies are Class 2 Buildings. A Dual Occupancy could be a Class 1 Building or Class 2 building depending on how it is configured.

A Building Designer working on a Dual Occupancy must be a member of the BDAA (Building Designers Association of Australia)

Class 1a

One or more building, which together form a single dwelling including the following: A detached house, one of a group of two 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

That would ordinarily accommodate not more than 12 people and have a total are of all floors not more than 300m2 OR four or more single dwellings located on one allotment and used for short term holiday accommodation.

Class 2  

A building containing two or more sole-occupancy units. Each sole-occupancy unit in a class 2 building being a separate dwelling.

Class 3  

A residential building providing long-term or transient accommodation for a number of unrelated persons and includes buildings such as: A boarding house, guest house, hostel, lodging house or backpacker accommodation, a residential part of a hotel or motel, a  residential part of a school, accommodation for the aged, children, or people with disability, a  residential part of a health-care building which accommodates members of staff, a residential part of a detention centre, a residential care building.

 Class 4  

Is a dwelling in a Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building if it is the only dwelling in the building.

Class 5  

An office building used for professional or commercial purposes.

Class 6  

A shop or other building used for the sale of goods by retail or the supply of services direct to the public. Class 6 buildings include the following: An eating room, cafe, restaurant, milk or soft-drink bar. A dining room, bar area that is not an assembly building, shop or kiosk part of a hotel or motel. A hairdresser’s or barber’s shop, public laundry, or undertaker’s establishment. A supermarket or sale room, showroom, or service station.

Class 7  

Is a storage-type building and includes the following sub-classifications:

Class 7a

A carpark.

Class 7b

A building that is used for storage or display of goods or produce for sale by wholesale.

Class 8  

Is a process-type building and include the following:

A laboratory.  A building in which the production, assembling, altering, repairing, packing, finishing, or cleaning of goods or produce for sale takes place.

Class 9  

A building of a public nature and includes the following sub-classifications:

Class 9a

A health-care building including any parts of the building set aside as laboratories and includes a health-care building used as a residential care building.

Class 9b

Assembly building including a trade workshop or laboratory in a primary or secondary school.

Class 9c

Residential care building.

Class 10a

A non-habitable building or structure: private garage, carport, shed or the like.

Class 10b

A non-habitable structure: fence, mast, antenna, retaining wall or free-standing wall or swimming pool or the like.

Class 10c

 A non-habitable structure: Private bushfire shelter.

Please read in conjunction with the National Construction Code (NCC) to keep up with the latest information.

Disclaimer

* This is general information and each building site is unique and planning controls change from time to time. It is also important to note that there is criteria associated with all the above-mentioned methods, so be sure to check the latest information and stay tuned for updates.

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