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Building Classification

Building Classification

A building classification is a method of classifying the requirements for different intended purposes of a building, structure or parts of a building or structure and is defined within the National Construction Code ("NCC").

NCC National Construction Code, BCA Building Code of Australia - Building Classifications Australia

Building Classifications

Building Code of Australia Building Classifications
Class Description
Class 1 Class 1a A single dwelling being a detached house, or one or more attached dwellings, each being a building, separated by a fire-resisting wall, including a row house, terrace house, townhouse or villa unit.
Class 1b A boarding house, guest house, hostel or the like with a total area of all floors not exceeding 300m2, and where not more than 12 reside, and is not located above or below another dwelling or another Class of building other than a private garage.
Class 2 A building containing 2 or more sole-occupancy units each being a separate dwelling.
Class 3 A residential building, other than a Class 1 or 2 building, which is a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated persons. Example: boarding-house, hostel, backpackers accommodation or residential part of a hotel, motel, school or detention centre.
Class 4 A dwelling in a building that is Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 if it is the only dwelling in the building.
Class 5 An office building used for professional or commercial purposes, excluding buildings of Class 6, 7, 8 or 9.
Class 6 A shop or other building for the sale of goods by retail or the supply of services direct to the public. Example: café, restaurant, kiosk, hairdressers, showroom or service station.
Class 7 Class 7a A building which is a car park.
Class 7b A building which is for storage or display of goods or produce for sale by wholesale.
Class 8 A laboratory, or a building in which a handicraft or process for the production, assembling, altering, repairing, packing, finishing or cleaning of goods or produce is carried on for trade, sale or gain.
Class 9 A building of a public nature.
Class 9a A health care building, including those parts of the building set aside as a laboratory.
Class 9b An assembly building, including a trade workshop, laboratory or the like, in a primary or secondary school, but excluding any other parts of the building that are of another class.
Class 9c An aged care building.
Class 10 A non-habitable building or structure.
Class 10a A private garage, carport, shed or the like.
Class 10b A structure being a fence, mast, antenna, retaining or free standing wall, swimming pool or the like.
Class 10c A private bushfire shelter.

Class 1 Buildings

A Class 1 building is a house, and is typically a single dwelling of a domestic or residential nature.  A Class 1 building can also be horizontally attached to another Class 1 Building such as a terrace house, row houses or townhouses. In these circumstances, each Class 1 house must be separated by a wall that is both fire-resisting and includes sound insulating properties.

A Class 1 building classification includes two subclassifications;

Class 1a
A Class 1a building is a single dwelling being a detached house; or one of a group of attached dwellings being a townhouse, row house or the like.
Class 1b
A Class 1b building is a boarding house, guest house or hostel that has a floor area less than 300 m2, and ordinarily has less than 12 people living in it. It can also be four or more single dwellings located on one allotment which are used for short-term holiday accommodation.

Disclaimer

In preparing this definition, we have drawn from various sources including Legislation, Codes, Standards and industry information, research and knowledge.  Like the english language, these definitions may subtly change from time to time. As such these definitions are provided solely on the basis that users will be responsible for making their own assessment of the definition and and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.