Practice notes and resources
Keep your technical knowledge up to date with our fact sheets, practice notes, forms, letter templates and answers to frequently asked questions.
- Annual essential safety measures report (DOCX, 30.64 KB)
- Building work commencement, completion or permit lapse return (DOCX, 15.87 KB)
- Certificate of Compliance for Building Work (DOCX, 22.22 KB)
- Certificate of Compliance for proposed building work (DOCX, 23.51 KB)
- Maintenance Determination (DOCX, 23.42 KB)
- Maintenance Schedule (DOCX, 28.17 KB)
- Checklist for the lodgement of documents under section 30 of the Building Act 1993 (PDF, 994.15 KB)
- Written Direction to Fix letter template (PDF, 136.91 KB)
- Domestic Building Report template (owner-builder construction) (DOCX, 26.98 KB)
- Non-Domestic Building Report template (owner-builder construction) (DOCX, 24.9 KB)
- Form 1 – Application for a Building Permit (DOCX, 22.19 KB)
- Form 2 – Building Permit (DOCX, 19.14 KB)
- Form 3 – Notice of Imminent Lapse of Building Permit – Commencement of Work (DOCX, 14.21 KB)
- Form 4 – Notice of Imminent Lapse of Building Permit – Completion of Work (DOCX, 17.05 KB)
- Form 5 – Determination that Combined Allotment is One Allotment (DOCX, 19.02 KB) (updated)
- Form 6 – Determination that Protection Work is Required (DOCX, 20.78 KB)
- Form 7 – Protection Work Notice (DOCX, 20.24 KB) (updated)
- Form 8 – Protection Work Response Notice (DOCX, 18.14 KB)
- Form 9 – Notice of Determination under Section 87 of the Act (DOCX, 19.92 KB)
- Form 10 – Emergency Order (DOCX, 20.61 KB) (updated)
- Form 10 – Emergency Order bushfire template (DOCX, 32.69 KB)
- Form 11 – Building Notice (DOCX, 21.18 KB) (updated)
- Form 12 – Building Order (General) (DOCX, 22.48 KB) (updated)
- Form 13 – Building Order to Stop Building Work (DOCX, 19.41 KB)
- Form 14 – Building Order – Minor Work (DOCX, 19.04 KB)
- Form 15 – Application for Occupancy Permit (DOCX, 18.05 KB) (updated)
- Form 16 – Occupancy Permit (DOCX, 21.8 KB)
- Form 17 – Certificate of Final Inspection (DOCX, 19.27 KB)
- Form 18 – Exemption from, or Consent to Partial Compliance with, Requirements in Regulations (DOCX, 18.77 KB)
- Form 22 – Application to register a swimming pool or spa (DOCX, 30.18 KB)
- Form 23 – Certificate of pool and spa barrier compliance (DOCX, 31.09 KB)
- Form 24 – Certificate of pool and spa barrier non-compliance (DOCX, 33.32 KB)
- Form 25 – Pool and spa barrier improvement notice (DOCX, 30.55 KB)
- Additional requirements when determining performance solutions (PDF, 512.63 KB)
- Combined allotment determinations (PDF, 507.73 KB)
- Demolition work (PDF, 544.7 KB)
- Exemption for Class 10a buildings (PDF, 508.63 KB)
- Mandatory disciplinary action on breach of dispute resolution order notice (PDF, 212.41 KB)
- Mandatory notification stages and inspections (PDF, 512.02 KB)
- Building Order referral guidelines (PDF, 779.61 KB)
- Directions to Fix notification guidelines (PDF, 753.09 KB)
- Exiting the industry – Private Building Surveyors (under review)
- Transfer of Private Building Surveyor functions (PDF, 683.87 KB)
- Limitations on the issue of building permits (PDF, 269.04 KB)
- Notification during building work (section 33) (PDF, 230.34 KB)
- Notification of practitioner involvement (PDF, 257.07 KB)
- Building practitioners and owner-builder projects (PDF, 810.81 KB)
- Fact Sheet – Fit and Proper Person (PDF, 148.9 KB)
- Fact Sheet – Surrender of Registration (PDF, 143.95 KB)
- Owner-builder site inspections (PDF, 464.59 KB)
- Building permit requirements for rainwater storage tanks, wind turbine towers and anemometers (PDF, 220.34 KB)
- Reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19: A guide for contractors and trades (PDF, 261.4 KB) (new)
- Building Activity Management System – Overview (PDF, 2705.32 KB)
- Building Regulations 2018 - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 692.64 KB)
- Mandatory inspection of certain fire and smoke resisting building elements (PDF, 697.5 KB)
- Protection Work Approved Statement (PDF, 625.9 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-01 – Building Commission – Fees for building surveying services (PDF, 316.68 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-02 – Class 9B Buildings – Management of sanitary facilities (PDF, 119.07 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-03 – Involvement of adjoining owners in siting appeals (PDF, 217.78 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-04 – Certification of engineering designs (PDF, 297.49 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-05 – Professional standards – Building surveyors (PDF, 215.28 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-06 – Building Commission – Fee for appointing prescribed building practitioner to act as an inspector (PDF, 215.83 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-07 – Uniform building permit numbering system (PDF, 219.26 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-08 – Issuing of occupancy permits (PDF, 218.78 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-09 – Issuing of building permits (Demolitions/Removal) (PDF, 218.58 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-10 – Building Practitioners Board – Fees (PDF, 350.58 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-11 – Building permit and planning permit consistency (PDF, 345.46 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-12 – Siting and design of single dwellings (PDF, 214.65 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-13 – Exercise of discretion when applying a new building regulation or an amendment to a building regulation (PDF, 340.16 KB)
- Minister’s Guideline MG-14 – Issue of building permits where building work involves the use of certain cladding products (PDF, 172.72 KB)
- PN 1 – Multi-storey Residential Buildings – Warranty Insurance Exception (PDF, 1424.21 KB)
- PN 2 – Building Envelopes and Part 5 of the Building Regulations (PDF, 889.96 KB)
- PN 3 – Section 238 Certificates of Compliance (PDF, 222.85 KB) (updated 10 March 2020)
- PN 4 – Stormwater drainage (PDF, 650.44 KB)
- PN 5 – Swimming Pool and Spa Safety (currently under revision)
- PN 6 – Building Above Certain Public Facilities (PDF, 659.09 KB)
- PN 7 – Residential Fire Safety Systems (PDF, 773.17 KB)
- PN 8 – Emergency Communication System (PDF, 527.95 KB)
- PN 9 – Building Energy Analysis for Commercial Buildings (PDF, 567.32 KB)
- PN 10 – Guarantees and Bonds (PDF, 231.82 KB) and Guarantees and Bonds Returns Form (PDF, 142.59 KB)
- PN 11 – Building Definitions (PDF, 498.23 KB)
- PN 12 – Applying BCA energy efficiency measures in existing Class 2 to 9 Buildings (PDF, 750.41 KB)
- PN 13A – Installation of Fire Safety Systems in Residential-Buildings (PDF, 800.92 KB)
- PN 14 – Access to buildings for people with a Disability (PDF, 568.31 KB)
- PN 18 – Responses from Municipal Councils (PDF, 520.34 KB)
- PN 19 – Notifying Council of Building Work (PDF, 516.67 KB)
- PN 20 – Protection Work Process (PDF, 634.23 KB)
- PN 21 – Building Permit Amendment (currently under revision)
- PN 23 – Maintenance of Essential Safety Measures (PDF, 761.1 KB)
- PN 24 – Occupancy Permit (PDF, 684.52 KB)
- PN 25 – Notices and Orders (PDF, 609.38 KB)
- PN 27 – Self-contained Smoke Alarms to Existing Buildings (PDF, 307.49 KB)
- PN 27A – Smoke Alarms in existing residential buildings (PDF, 536.65 KB)
- PN 28 – Building Work Involving Multiple Permits (PDF, 650.09 KB)
- PN 29 – Using Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code (PDF, 566.06 KB)
- PN 30 – Classification of Residential Care Buildings (PDF, 505.2 KB)
- PN 31 – Deleting Hose from Existing Fire Hydrants (PDF, 511.13 KB)
- PN 32 – When is a Building Permit Required? (PDF, 336.31 KB)
- PN 33 – Issuing of building permit prior to registration of plan of subdivision (PDF, 535.39 KB)
- PN 35 – Time Limits for Building Work and Lapsing Building Permits (PDF, 557.54 KB)
- PN 36 – Building permit for a stage of building work (PDF, 231.62 KB)
- PN 37 – Fire performance requirements of Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code (PDF, 555.22 KB)
- PN 38 – Fire Hydrant System Design, Installation, Commissioning and Testing (PDF, 796.02 KB)
- PN 40 – Fire Alarm Monitoring Systems (PDF, 529.56 KB)
- PN 43 – Demolition of Buildings (PDF, 894.44 KB)
- PN 44 – Building Permit and Planning Consistency (PDF, 901.03 KB)
- PN 45 – Cooling Tower Systems (PDF, 540.64 KB)
- PN 47 – Part 5 of Building Regulations (PDF, 1118.05 KB)
- PN 54 – Building Permits and Community Infrastructure Levies (PDF, 707.11 KB)
- PN 55 – Residential Sustainability Measures (PDF, 1796.67 KB)
- PN 56 – Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent (PDF, 608.5 KB)
- PN 57 – Report and Consent (PDF, 278.53 KB)
- PN 58 – Protection of Public (PDF, 690.3 KB)
- PN 59 – Sprinkler Systems – Performance Solutions (PDF, 567.48 KB)
- PN 61 – Water Savings Options available when testing Fire Safety Systems (PDF, 717.17 KB)
- PN 63 – Performance Solution Procedures and Documentation (PDF, 570.07 KB)
- PN 64 – Classification of Buildings (PDF, 838.23 KB)
- PN 65 – Flood Hazard Areas and Building Regulations (PDF, 742.39 KB)
- PN 66 – Occupancy Permit for Places of Public Entertainment (PDF, 586.44 KB)
- PN 67 – Application of the Building Code of Australia to farm buildings (PDF, 623.49 KB)
- PN 68 – Small Live Music Venue Classifications (PDF, 512.4 KB)
- PN 69 – Mandatory notification stages and inspection of building work (PDF, 573.03 KB)
- PN 70 – Directions to Fix Building Work (PDF, 762.3 KB)
- PN 73 – Building Permit Levy – Cladding (PDF, 252.72 KB)
- PN 75 – Short Term Emergency Accommodation (PDF, 240.15 KB)
- Guide to Standards and Tolerances - 2015 (PDF, 1939.94 KB) (currently under review)
- Egress for people with disabilities in high-rise office buildings (PDF, 1203.84 KB)
- Minimum setback for decks (PDF, 71.51 KB)
- Research on slab heave (PDF, 360.28 KB)
- Swimming pool requirements under the Building Regulations 2018 - Council and Practitioner Guide (PDF, 330.6 KB)
On-demand Essential Safety Measures Webinar
The Essential Safety Measures Webinar is now available on-demand, whenever and wherever you need it, so you can watch when it works for you.
This one hour webinar will provide a base-level understanding of what an ESM is, why it’s important to maintain ESMs and will provide an overview of the Responsibilities Framework.