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What are Building Classifications?

The Building Code of Australia ("BCA") is a nationally consistent technical document that represents the level of safety that meets community expectations. Compliance with the BCA is the responsibility of local government authorities. The BCA provides a classification system for a building or part of a building and is determined by the purpose for which it is designed, constructed or adapted to be used.

Russ Porteous
CEO, Firewize
10 May, 2007
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The Building Code of Australia ("BCA") is a nationally consistent technical document that represents the level of safety that meets community expectations. Compliance with the BCA is the responsibility of local government authorities.

The BCA provides a classification system for a building or part of a building and is determined by the purpose for which it is designed, constructed or adapted to be used.

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

Building Classifications

Building Code of Australia, Building Classifications
Building Class Type of building
Class 1 Class 1a - a single dwelling being
  1. a detached house;
  2. 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
  1. with a total area of all floors not exceeding 300 m2 measured over the enclosing walls of the Class 1b; and
  2. in which not more than 12 persons would ordinarily be resident, which 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 Backpacker accommodation, residential parts of hotels or motels, residential parts of schools, accommodation for the aged, disabled or children a residential building, other than a building of Class 1 or 2, which is a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated persons, including -
  1. a boarding-house, guest house, hostel, lodging-house or backpackers accommodation; or
  2. a residential part of a hotel or motel; or
  3. a residential part of a school; or
  4. accommodation for the aged, children or people with disabilities; or
  5. a residential part of a health-care building which accommodates members of staff; or
  6. a residential part of a 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, including?
  1. an eating room, cafe, restaurant, milk or soft-drink bar; or
  2. a dining room, bar, shop or kiosk part of a hotel or motel; or
  3. a hairdresser?s or barber?s shop, public laundry, or undertaker?s establishment; or
  4. market or sale room, showroom, or service station.
Class 7

Class 7a - a carpark; or

Class 7b - 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

Class 9a - a health-care building, including those parts of the building set aside as a laboratory; or

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; or

Class 9c - an aged care building.
Class 10

Class 10a - a non-habitable building being a private garage, carport, shed, or the like; or

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.

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