How to find the BAL rating for your property in NSW
If you're asking "what's the BAL rating for my property in NSW?", you won't find it on a map. A Bushfire Attack Level is worked out for each building site from the vegetation nearby, how far away it is and the slope under it. You can get an indicative BAL in a few minutes with BAL Buddy, then confirm it with a formal assessment before you lodge plans.
NSW is also different from the other states: here, a site's BAL is set under Planning for Bush Fire Protection, the NSW Rural Fire Service's planning document, rather than straight from AS 3959. This page explains what that means, how to check if your land is bush fire prone, when you need a formal assessment and what each level means for building.
How to find your BAL rating in NSW: three steps
1. Check if your land is bush fire prone
In NSW, the bushfire planning rules apply to land mapped as bush fire prone. The RFS says that if your development isn't on bush fire prone land, Planning for Bush Fire Protection doesn't apply to it. Check with the RFS online tool (below), and confirm with your council, because maps are updated.
2. Check your likely BAL with BAL Buddy
BAL Buddy is a BAL rating calculator for NSW sites. Search your address or click the map, trace the building and the vegetation nearby, and classify each patch. It takes slope from public elevation data and works out an indicative BAL using AS 3959 Method 1. You'll see the likely level, how it was worked out and how far the building would need to move to drop a level.
One NSW point to keep in mind. NSW assessors set the BAL using the method and tables in Appendix 1 of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019, which use NSW vegetation and fire weather. BAL Buddy uses the AS 3959 tables, so in NSW treat its result as a first indication of where you're likely to land, not the number an assessor will give you. The result screen says the same.
3. Get a formal BAL assessment
For a development application (DA) or a complying development certificate (CDC), you need a BAL your council or certifier will accept. That usually means a bushfire assessment report or BAL certificate from a bushfire consultant. The section on when you need one explains which applies.
Is there a BAL rating map for NSW?
No. NSW doesn't publish a map of BAL ratings, because a BAL depends on where the building sits. What NSW publishes is the bush fire prone land map: the trigger for the rules, not a measure of your risk. Ways to check it:
- the RFS check if you're in bush fire prone land tool
- the NSW Planning Portal's spatial viewer, with the Bush Fire Prone Land layer turned on
- your council's section 10.7 planning certificate, which states whether the land is bush fire prone
Bush fire prone land maps are prepared by councils and certified by the RFS Commissioner, and they're re-certified from time to time, so an old search may be out of date. The map's vegetation categories and buffers describe the type of hazard, not your BAL. More on maps in every state: BAL rating map.
Which rules and agencies apply in NSW?
Planning for Bush Fire Protection (PBP)
PBP is the RFS document that sets the standards for developing on bush fire prone land. The current version is PBP 2019, with later addenda. It's free to download from the RFS. A complete rewrite, draft PBP 2026, was on public exhibition until 3 September 2026, and the RFS expects to finalise it in December 2026. Until it takes effect, PBP 2019 applies. We'll update this page when it does.
NSW Rural Fire Service
The RFS certifies the bush fire prone land maps, publishes PBP and reviews higher-risk applications. It doesn't issue BAL ratings for individual properties.
Councils and certifiers
Councils assess DAs and must consider bushfire under section 4.14 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. A CDC can be issued by the council or a private certifier. Residential subdivisions and special fire protection purpose developments, such as schools and aged care, need a bush fire safety authority from the RFS under section 100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997.
The building code and AS 3959
Construction requirements come from the National Construction Code, which calls up AS 3959 or the NASH Standard for steel-framed houses. In NSW, the code also points to PBP, which varies some AS 3959 requirements and adds its own construction measures. AS 3959 explained covers the standard itself.
When do you need a formal BAL assessment in NSW?
You need one when you want approval to build on bush fire prone land. The document depends on the approval pathway.
Development application. A DA for a new home, or alterations and additions, on bush fire prone land must show it meets PBP. Most people use a bushfire assessment report from a consultant. At BAL-29 and below, the RFS Single Dwelling Application Kit lets you self-assess, but councils can decide whether to accept it, so ask first. At BAL-40 and BAL-FZ, the council refers the DA to the RFS.
Complying development. The faster CDC pathway is only available on bush fire prone land if the development isn't at BAL-40 or BAL-FZ, and you need a BAL certificate from the council or an accredited bush fire consultant. If the site comes out at BAL-40 or BAL-FZ, you'll need to lodge a DA instead.
Subdivisions and special developments. These need a bush fire safety authority from the RFS, usually supported by a consultant's report.
Buying. You don't need a formal assessment to buy, but a high BAL can add a lot to a build. An indicative BAL is a cheap way to check a block first.
Who can do a BAL assessment in NSW?
The RFS recognises bushfire consultants accredited under FPA Australia's Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) scheme, and points people to FPA Australia to find one. Councils can also issue BAL certificates for complying development.
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.
How much does a BAL assessment cost in NSW?
Most BAL assessments from a private consultant cost between about $800 and $2,000. Travel to the site is usually the biggest factor, then how complex the site is and whether you need a simple BAL certificate or a full bushfire assessment report covering access, water and asset protection zones. Ask whether the quote includes a site visit. More on costs: BAL assessment.
See your likely BAL before you pay for a report
BAL ratings in NSW: building requirements by level
In NSW, construction follows AS 3959 with the NSW variations and PBP's extra measures. This is a plain-English summary; each level guide has more.
BAL-LOW. No bushfire construction requirements under AS 3959. Other PBP measures, such as access and water, can still apply to a DA. BAL-LOW guide
BAL-12.5 requirements in NSW. Keeping embers out: sealed gaps, screened openings and vents, protected decks and subfloors. PBP adds extra ember protection at this level. Complying development is available. BAL-12.5 guide
BAL-19 requirements in NSW. As BAL-12.5, with stricter requirements for glazing and materials near the ground. Complying development is available. BAL-19 guide
BAL-29 requirements in NSW. Toughened glass, fire-resistant frames, decks and cladding. BAL-29 is the highest level where complying development is available. BAL-29 guide
BAL-40 requirements in NSW. Tested window and door systems or shutters, and a mostly non-combustible exterior. No complying development, and the DA goes to the RFS. BAL-40 guide
BAL-FZ construction requirements in NSW. Systems tested for flame contact. No complying development; the RFS reviews the DA, and PBP adds measures for the flame zone. Often the better move is to shift the building out of the flame zone: see how to lower your BAL. BAL-FZ guide
How BAL Buddy handles NSW
In NSW, BAL Buddy picks the fire danger index by fire weather district, using the Bureau of Meteorology's district boundaries, and asks about alpine areas for high sites. It applies AS 3959 Method 1, not PBP's Appendix 1, so every NSW result carries a note to treat it as indicative only. See the BAL calculator by state for the other states.
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
How do I find the BAL rating for my property in NSW?
Check whether the land is bush fire prone with the RFS online tool or your council's section 10.7 planning certificate. If it is, use BAL Buddy for an indicative BAL, then get a BAL certificate or bushfire assessment report from a consultant, or for complying development your council, before you lodge plans.
Is there a BAL rating map for NSW?
No. The bush fire prone land map shows whether the rules apply, not a BAL. A BAL is worked out for each building site.
What are the BAL 29 requirements in NSW?
The BAL-29 requirements of AS 3959 (or the NASH Standard) plus the NSW additions in PBP 2019. BAL-29 is the highest level where complying development is allowed. The BAL-29 guide summarises them.
Can I use a BAL calculator for my NSW development application?
No. BAL Buddy gives an indicative result to help you plan. A DA or CDC needs an assessment your council or certifier accepts, or for some DAs the RFS Single Dwelling Application Kit.
Can you build in BAL-FZ in NSW?
It can be possible, but it's harder and dearer. Complying development isn't available, the RFS reviews the DA, and PBP adds flame zone measures. Many people move or redesign the building to get a lower BAL.