Understanding the NCCBuilding classifcationsThe National Construction Code (NCC) sets out the minimum technical requirements for new buildings (and new buildingwork in existing buildings) in Australia. In doing so, it groups buildings1 by their function and use. These groups are assigneda classifcation which is then how buildings are referred to throughout the NCC. This information is crucial for all NCC users.The following is a general representation of the building classifcations in the NCC. It is based on a national perspectiveand does not address any State or Territory variations2.1 In this document, a building may also refer to a structure such as swimming pool.2 State and Territory variations and additions to the NCC are located in the NCC. The NCC is available at the ABCB website.Building classifcationsBuilding classifcations are labelled Class 1 through toClass 10. Some classifcations also have sub-classifcations,referred to by a letter after the number (e.g. Class 1a).Class 2 to 9 buildings are mostly covered by Volume One ofthe NCC, and Class 1 and 10 buildings are mostly coveredby Volume Two of the NCC. Volume Three of the NCC refersto all building classifcations.A building may have parts that have different uses. In mostcases, each of these parts are classifed separately.A building (or part of a building) may also have more thanone use and may be assigned more than one classifcation.What is an SOU?A sole occupancy unit (commonly known as a SOU)is defned in the NCC as part of a building for occupationby an owner/s, lessee, or tenant, to the exclusion ofany other owner/s, lessee, or tenant. So put simply,it is a space with an exclusive use in a building.SOUs can be located in a number of different classifcations.They include: A residential apartment or ?at. A self-contained unit. A suite of rooms in a hotel or motel. A shop in a shopping centre.All NCC volumes: Part A6© Commonwealth of Australia and the States and Territories of Australia 2020, published by the Australian Building Codes Board.The material in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution4.0 International licence, with the exception of thirdparty materials and any trade marks. It is provided for general information only and without warranties of any kind. More informationon this CC BY licence is set out at the Creative Commons Website. For information regarding this publication, see www.abcb.gov.au.July 2020abcb.gov.auClass 4 part of a buildingA Class 4 part of a building is a sole dwelling or residencewithin a building of a non-residential nature. An example ofa Class 4 part of a building would be a caretakers residencein a storage facility. A Class 4 part can only be located ina Class 5 to 9 building.If so, then it is likely to be a Class 4 part of a building.There can only be one Class 4 part in a building.A Class 4 part cannot be located in a Class 1, 2or 3 building.Is it the only residence in the building?Class 5 buildingsClass 5 buildings are offce buildings used for professionalor commercial purposes.Examples of Class 5 buildings are offces for lawyers,accountants, government agencies and architects.When is a general medical practitionersoffce not a Class 5 building?Generally, a general medical practitioners offce will bea Class 5 building. However, if any medical treatmentadministered leaves patients unconscious or non-ambulatory,then the building would be considered a health-care building(as defned by the NCC) and therefore a Class 9a building.Class 1 buildings are houses. Typically, they are standalone single dwellingsof a domestic or residential nature.These buildings can also be horizontally attached to other Class 1 buildings.When attached they are commonly referred to as duplexes, terrace houses, row housesand townhouses. In these situations, they must be separated by a wall that has fre-resisting and sound insulation properties.The Class 1 classifcation includes two sub-classifcations: Class 1a and Class 1b.A Class 1a building is a single dwelling being a detached house; or one of a group of attached dwellings being a town house,row house or the like.A Class 1b building is a boarding house, guest house or hostel that has a ?oor area less than 300 m2 and ordinarily has lessthan 12 people living in it. It can also be four or more single dwellings located on one allotment which are used for short-termholiday accommodation.Class 1 buildings Did you know?Class 1 buildings cannot be locatedabove or below any other dwelling(or any other class of building)other than a private garage.Class 2 buildingsClass 2 buildings are apartment buildings. They are typically multi-unit residentialbuildings where people live above and below each other. The NCC describes thespace which would be considered the apartment as a sole-occupancy unit (SOU).Class 2 buildings may also be single storey attached dwellings where there isa common space below. For example, two dwellings above a common basementor carpark.Classifcation is a process forunderstanding risk in a building(or part of a building) accordingto its use.Where it is unclear which classifcationshould apply, the approval authorityhas the discretion to decide.Is it a Class 1b, 2 or 3residential building?Class 3 buildingsClass 3 applies to residential buildings other than Class 1 or Class 2 buildings,or a Class 4 part of a building. Class 3 buildings are a common place of long term ortransient living for a number of unrelated people. Examples include a boarding house,guest house, hostel or backpackers (that are larger than the limits for a Class 1b building).Class 3 buildings could also include dormitory style accommodation, or workers quarters for shearers or fruit pickers.Class 3 buildings may also be care-type facilities (such as accommodation buildings for children, the elderly, or peoplewith a disability) which are not Class 9 buildings.Class 3 includes residential carebuildings and the residential partsof hotels, motels, schools, or jails.Did you know?abcb.gov.auClass 6 buildingsClass 6 buildings are typically shops, restaurants and cafés. They a
re aplace for the sale of retail goods or the supply of services direct to the public.Some examples are: A dining room, bar, shop or kiosk part of a hotel or motel. A hairdresser or barber shop. A public laundry. A market or showroom. A funeral parlour. A shopping centre.Is a service station aClass 6 building?Yes, as they are intended for theservicing of cars and the saleof fuel or other goods.However, the term service stationdoes not cover buildings wherepanel beating, auto electrical,tyre replacement or the like aresolely carried out. These areClass 8 buildings.Class 7 buildingsClass 7 buildings are storage-type buildings. The Class 7 classifcation has twosub-classifcations: Class 7a and Class 7b.Class 7a buildings are carparks.Class 7b buildings are typically warehouses, storage buildings or buildingsfor the display of goods (or produce) that is for wholesale.Did you know?Reference to wholesale meanssale to people in the trades or inthe business of on-selling goodsand services to another party(including the public).Class 8 buildingsA factory is the most common way to describe a Class 8building. It is a building in which a process (or handicraft)is carried out for trade, sale, or gain.The building can be used for production, assembling,altering, repairing, fnishing, packing, or cleaningof goods or produce. It includes buildings such asa mechanics workshop. It may also be a buildingfor food processing, such as an abattoir.A laboratory is also a Class 8 building, even though itmay be small. This is due to the high fre hazard potential.Are farm buildings Class 7, 8, or 10a?It depends on the occupancy, use and size. Buildings usedfor farming-type purposes are often very diversein nature. For example, a shed for parking a singletractor may be Class 10a, however if multiple tractorsand other farm machinery is parked, the building may beClass 7a (or even Class 8 if mechanics were employedto regularly work on the machinery within the building).The NCC defnes a difference between a farm shedand a farm building. It also contains specifc Deemed-toSatisfy Provisions for these buildings under Part H3.Class 9 buildingsClass 9 buildings are buildings of a public nature. The Class 9 classifcation has threesub-classifcations: Class 9a, Class 9b and Class 9c.Class 9a buildings are generally hospitals, referred to in the NCC as health-care buildings.They are buildings in which occupants or patients are undergoing medical treatment andmay need physical assistance to evacuate in the case of an emergency. This includesa clinic (or day surgery) where the effects of the treatment administered involve patientsbecoming unconscious or unable to move. This in turn requires supervised medical care (on the premises) for some time aftertreatment has been administered.Class 9b buildings are assembly buildings in which people may gather for social, theatrical, political, religious or civil purposes.They include schools, universities, childcare centres, pre-schools, sporting facilities, night clubs, or public transport buildings.Class 9c buildings are residential care buildings that may contain residents who have various care level needs. They are a placeof residence where 10% or more of persons who reside there need physical assistance in conducting their daily activities andto evacuate the building during an emergency. An aged care building, where residents are provided with personal care services,is a Class 9c building.Did you know?Laboratories that are part ofhealth-care buildings are classifedas Class 9a buildings despite thegeneral classifcation of laboratoriesbeing Class 8.abcb.gov.auClass 10 buildings or structuresClass 10 buildings are non-habitable buildings or structures. Class 10 includesthree sub-classifcations: Class 10a, Class 10b and Class 10c.Class 10a buildings are non-habitable buildings including sheds, carports,and private garages.Class 10b is a structure being a fence, mast, antenna, retaining wall,swimming pool, or the like.A Class 10c building is a private bushfre shelter. A private bushfre shelteris a structure associated with, but not attached to, a Class 1a building.What is a private garage? A garage associated witha Class 1 building; or A single storey of a buildingcontaining not more than3 vehicle spaces (limited to onlyone storey within a building); or Any separate single storeygarage associated with anotherbuilding that contains no morethan 3 vehicles.Mixed use buildings How big must a partof a building be to haveits own classifcation?Every part of a building mustbe separately classifed. However,where a part has a differentpurpose and is not more than10% of the ?oor area of the storeyit is on, subject to some limitationsit may be considered ancillaryto the major use and adoptits classifcation.For instance, if a single storeywarehouse (Class 7b) has an offce(normally Class 5) which takes uponly 8% of the ?oor area, the wholebuilding can be classifed as aClass 7b. However, if the offcetakes up 12% of the ?oor areathen the warehouse (Class 7b)and offce (Class 5) must beclassifed separately.Multiple building classifcationsA building (or a part of a building) may be designed to serve multiple purposes and may have more than one classifcation.This means that it is permissible for a building to be Class 6/7, or Class 5/6, or whatever is deemed appropriate. This allows?exibility in how the building might be used. For example, if a building is intended for retail shopping, storage or offce space,it may be designed as a Class 5/6/7 building.At the design stage it may not be clear who the fnal tenant will be (or how they will be using their tenancy), so as long asthe design meets the minimum requirements of all the classifcations it could be used for any of the purposes.As buildings can have mixed uses, they can also have mixed (or multiple) classifcations.For example, a building may have a basement carpark (Class 7a) with ground?oor retail space (Class 6) and residential apartments (Class 2) and offces above(Class 5).Retail(Class 6)(Class 5)Carpark(Class 7a)ground levelApartments(Class 2)abcb.gov.au