BAL assessment: what it is, who does it and what it costs
A BAL assessment is a site-specific check, done by a bushfire practitioner, that works out the Bushfire Attack Level for a building under AS 3959. The result is written up in a BAL report, which you lodge with your planning or building application. Most cost between about $800 and $2,000, depending on travel, location and how complex the site is.
Before you book one, you can check your likely BAL free with BAL Buddy. It gives an indicative result, not a BAL report, but it tells you roughly what to expect and whether bushfire rules are likely to shape your build.
What is a BAL assessment?
Your BAL measures how exposed a building could be to embers, radiant heat and flame in a bushfire. There are six levels, from BAL-LOW to BAL-FZ, and the level decides how the building has to be constructed. BAL levels explained covers each one.
A bushfire attack level assessment is the formal process of working that out for a specific building on a specific site, by someone your council or building surveyor will accept. The assessor looks at the vegetation that could burn around the building, how far away it is and the slope of the ground under it, then applies AS 3959 to reach a BAL.
What is a BAL report?
The BAL report is the document that records the assessment: what the assessor found on site, how they classified the vegetation and slope, the method they used and the resulting BAL. It's the evidence your approval authority relies on. People use "BAL assessment" and "BAL report" for the same thing. Strictly, the assessment is the work and the report is what you receive.
BAL report, BAL certificate or bushfire assessment report?
The name depends on your state and what the document is for.
- BAL certificate (NSW). Complying development on bush fire prone land in NSW needs a BAL certificate from the council or an accredited bush fire consultant. Outside NSW, "BAL certificate" is often used loosely to mean a BAL report.
- Bushfire assessment report (NSW). A development application on bush fire prone land is assessed against Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019. The report includes the BAL and other protection measures, such as asset protection zones and access.
- Bushfire hazard report and hazard management plan (Tasmania). An accredited bushfire hazard practitioner works out the BAL, writes the report and certifies a bushfire hazard management plan.
- BAL contour map (WA). A map of indicative BALs across a whole site, mostly used for subdivisions. See the BAL rating map guide.
- Bushfire management plan. In Victoria's Bushfire Management Overlay and in some other states' planning processes, the BAL sits inside a wider plan that also covers defendable space, water and access. See the bushfire overlay guide.
Whatever it's called, the core is the same: a BAL worked out for your site under AS 3959, or in NSW under Planning for Bush Fire Protection.
How a BAL assessment works
- You send your plans. The assessor needs a site plan showing where the building will go, because the BAL depends on its position.
- Site inspection. The assessor walks the site and the land around it, classifies the vegetation within 100 metres and measures slope. This is the part a desktop check can't do.
- Calculation. Most sites use Method 1, the simplified method. Steep or unusual sites may need Method 2, a detailed calculation that not every practitioner is accredited to do. AS 3959 explained covers both.
- The report. You receive the BAL report to lodge with your application.
What's in a BAL assessment report?
Formats vary, but a bushfire attack level report usually includes:
- the property, the proposed building and the plans it's based on
- the practitioner's name and accreditation, and the date of the site inspection
- the vegetation classes found, with photos and a site map
- the distance to each vegetation patch and the slope under it
- the method used and the fire danger index for the region
- the BAL for the building, and sometimes for each side of it
- any conditions or limitations, such as how long the assessment can be relied on
Who can do a BAL assessment?
There's no single national rule. The most widely recognised accreditation is FPA Australia's Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) scheme. Some states run their own systems, and in some, other building professionals can prepare a BAL assessment if the approval authority accepts it.
| State | Who prepares it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | A bushfire consultant, commonly BPAD-accredited, for a development application. For complying development, a BAL certificate from the council or an accredited bush fire consultant. | NSW uses Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 to set the BAL. |
| VIC | Councils say a building surveyor, owner, architect, building designer or builder can do the site assessment, if it satisfies the relevant building surveyor. Many owners use a BPAD practitioner. | In the Bushfire Management Overlay, the BAL is set through the planning permit. |
| QLD | Building certifiers commonly assess the BAL as part of building approval, and can rely on a "competent person". Most BAL reports come from bushfire consultants. | Queensland has no state licence specifically for BAL assessors. A bushfire management plan for a planning application is a separate document. |
| WA | State guidance strongly recommends an accredited Level 1 BAL Assessor or a Level 2 or 3 Bushfire Planning Practitioner. | Level 1 assessors are accredited for Method 1 only. |
| SA | The CFS Development Assessment Service commonly does BAL site assessments in the high risk bushfire overlay; private consultants also prepare them. | In the general and medium risk overlays, Ministerial Building Standard MBS 008 sets the BAL, so a site assessment usually isn't needed. |
| TAS | A bushfire hazard practitioner accredited by the Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire Service. | TFS publishes the list of accredited practitioners. |
| ACT | Where your development approval asks for a site-specific BAL, a suitably qualified bushfire consultant. | Many urban blocks already have a BAL set in the planning rules. |
| NT | Rarely needed for building approval. If a covenant or condition asks for one, a qualified bushfire practitioner. | The NT's building regulations don't designate bushfire prone areas. |
Whatever state you're in, ask your council, certifier or building surveyor which qualifications they accept before you book anyone.
Need a bushfire practitioner?
FPA Australia keeps a public register of BPAD-accredited practitioners, searchable by state and accreditation level: BPAD practitioner register. If you're not sure who to call, email me and I'll point you in the right direction. I don't take referral fees.
When is a BAL assessment legally required?
The detail differs by state, but the triggers follow a pattern. You'll usually need one when:
- you're building a new home, or extending one, on land in a designated bushfire prone area, because the building rules then require construction to a BAL
- you need a planning permit or development approval on land under a bushfire planning control, such as NSW bush fire prone land, Victoria's Bushfire Management Overlay, a Queensland bushfire hazard overlay, SA's bushfire hazard overlays, Tasmania's Bushfire-Prone Areas Code or WA's bushfire planning policy
- your development approval has a condition asking for one
Smaller works such as decks, sheds and renovations are less clear-cut, so ask your certifier or building surveyor early. Rules change too: in Victoria, a site assessed as BAL-LOW no longer has to meet BAL-12.5 since 1 May 2026. Each state page has the detail.
How long does a BAL assessment take?
It can take up to a month from booking to receiving the report, depending on the practitioner's workload, how far away the site is and how busy the season is. The site visit itself is usually short. Complex sites, Method 2 and full bushfire management plans can take longer. Book early if you have a deadline, and run an indicative check while you wait.
How much does a BAL assessment cost?
Most BAL assessments from a private practitioner cost somewhere between about $800 and $2,000. The biggest single driver is usually travel: the practitioner has to get to your site and walk it, so a rural block several hours from the nearest assessor costs more than a suburban one. After that, the price depends on:
- location and travel time, including islands and remote sites
- site complexity: the number of vegetation types, steep slopes, and how much land around the site has to be checked
- the method: Method 2 takes longer than Method 1
- what you need: a BAL on its own costs less than a full bushfire management plan or a subdivision BAL contour map
- design changes: if the building moves after the assessment, it may need to be redone
Some councils offer their own BAL assessments at lower fees for sites in their area, so it's worth asking yours.
Watch out for very cheap quotes. A price well below the usual range often means the assessor isn't visiting the site and is working from aerial imagery instead. Vegetation is hard to classify reliably from above, and a wrong class can shift the BAL by a level or more. Ask every assessor whether their quote includes a site inspection.
How an indicative check helps you budget
A free indicative check tells you roughly which level to expect before you get quotes. That helps in two ways. You'll know whether bushfire construction is likely to be a small cost or a big one, which matters when you're deciding whether to buy a block. And if the result is close to a level boundary, you can ask the assessor about building positions that might bring it down.
BAL Buddy vs a formal BAL assessment
| BAL Buddy | Formal BAL assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | An indicative BAL and how it was worked out | A BAL report from a bushfire practitioner |
| Site visit | No, it's a desktop check from a map | Yes, from a good assessor |
| Method | AS 3959 Method 1 only | Method 1, or Method 2 where needed |
| Use for a permit | No | Yes |
| Cost | First run free, then pay per run, buy a pack or subscribe (pricing) | About $800 to $2,000 |
| Time | Minutes | Up to a month |
BAL Buddy isn't a BAL report or a BAL certificate, and it can't be used for a development application or building permit. It doesn't visit the site, so the result depends on how accurately you trace and classify the vegetation. It won't give a result where the ground under the vegetation is too steep for Method 1, which is a sign the site needs a practitioner.
How to choose a BAL assessor
- Check their accreditation. Look them up on FPA Australia's BPAD register, or the Tasmania Fire Service list in Tasmania. In WA, check their level suits the job.
- Ask whether the price includes a site inspection. It should.
- Ask what's included. A BAL only, or a full bushfire management plan if your approval needs one.
- Share your current plans. The BAL depends on where the building sits.
- Ask about lowering the BAL. A good assessor will tell you if a different position would get a lower level.
After your assessment
Your designer and builder use the BAL to set the construction requirements. If the result is higher than you hoped, moving the building, managing vegetation within your state's rules, or a Method 2 assessment can sometimes bring it down. See how to lower your BAL.
BAL Buddy gives an indicative Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) only. It isn't a determination under any Act, and no council or building surveyor has to accept it. For a BAL you can rely on, use an accredited bushfire practitioner.
Questions people ask
What is a BAL report?
It's the document that records a formal BAL assessment of your site: the vegetation, distances and slope the assessor found, the method used and the resulting Bushfire Attack Level. You lodge it with your planning or building application.
How much does a BAL assessment cost?
Most cost between about $800 and $2,000 from a private practitioner. Travel to the site is usually the biggest factor, then site complexity and whether you need a full bushfire management plan. Ask whether the quote includes a site visit.
Who can do a BAL assessment?
It depends on your state. Many assessors hold BPAD accreditation through FPA Australia. Tasmania requires a practitioner accredited by the Tasmania Fire Service, and WA strongly recommends accredited assessors. Ask your council or building surveyor what they accept.
Is a BAL certificate the same as a BAL report?
In NSW, a BAL certificate is a specific document for complying development. Elsewhere, people often use the term loosely for a BAL report.
Can I use BAL Buddy instead of a BAL assessment?
No. BAL Buddy gives an indicative result to help you plan and budget. Your approval needs a formal assessment.
How long is a BAL assessment valid?
There's no single national rule. A BAL reflects the vegetation at the time of the assessment, so if the site or the building position changes, it may need to be redone. Some reports state their own limit, and some councils set one. Ask your building surveyor.