BAL rating QLD: how to find your property's BAL
Your BAL rating in QLD is a measure of how much ember attack, radiant heat and flame a building on your block could face in a bushfire. It decides how the house has to be built, and it can add a lot to the cost. You can get an indicative BAL in a few minutes with BAL Buddy, before you pay for a report, buy a block or design.
If your site is in a designated bushfire prone area, your building certifier will need a formal BAL before approving the work. This page covers how to check the mapping, which rules apply in Queensland, who can do an assessment, and what each level means.
How to find your BAL rating in QLD, step by step
- Get an indicative BAL with BAL Buddy. Trace the building and the vegetation near it, and classify each patch. BAL Buddy works out the slope from public elevation data and applies AS 3959 Method 1. You'll see the indicative BAL, how it was worked out and how far the building would need to move for a lower level. If the ground under the vegetation is very steep, it won't give a result, because Method 1 doesn't cover it.
- Check whether your block is in a bushfire prone area. In Queensland, the bushfire construction rules apply to building work in a designated bushfire prone area, which your council sets in its planning scheme. See the next section.
- Use the result to plan. Compare blocks, brief your designer and budget. If the result is borderline, the move figure shows whether shifting the house could drop a level. See how to lower your BAL.
- Get a formal BAL assessment from a bushfire consultant before you lodge for building approval.
- Your building certifier confirms the BAL in the building approval.
How to check if your property is bushfire prone in Queensland
Under section 7 of the Building Regulation 2021, a council can designate all or part of its area as a bushfire prone area in its planning scheme. Once land is designated, the bushfire provisions of the building code apply to building work there. Two places to look:
- Your council's planning scheme, usually as a bushfire hazard overlay map. This is generally what your certifier checks.
- The state's bushfire prone area mapping in the State Planning Policy Interactive Mapping System. Start from the Queensland Fire Department's bushfire prone area mapping page.
The state map shows categories of potential bushfire intensity (very high, high, medium, and a potential impact buffer). They're not BAL ratings: a block in a mapped area can still come out at BAL-LOW. If your council overlay and the state map don't agree, ask your council or certifier which applies. More on maps: BAL rating map.
Bushfire rules and agencies in Queensland
Building rules. Construction in a designated bushfire prone area follows the National Construction Code, which calls up AS 3959 or the NASH Standard for steel-framed construction. The Building Act 1975 and Building Regulation 2021 set out how bushfire prone areas are designated and how building work is approved. Approvals are issued by building certifiers licensed by the QBCC, who work for councils or in private practice. See AS 3959 explained.
Planning rules. Bushfire is a state interest in the State Planning Policy, and councils build it into their planning schemes through bushfire hazard overlay codes. For subdivisions or a change of use, councils usually ask for a bushfire hazard assessment or bushfire management plan. That's a different document from a BAL report, which is for building approval. Whether a new house in a bushfire overlay also needs planning approval depends on your council's scheme.
Fire agency. The Queensland Fire Department publishes the state bushfire mapping and the technical guidance planners and consultants use.
When do you need a formal BAL assessment in Queensland?
If your building site is in a designated bushfire prone area, your certifier needs the BAL before approving the building work. Common triggers:
- a new house or secondary dwelling
- an extension or major renovation
- a deck, garage or other outbuilding close to the house
- rebuilding after a fire or other damage
You don't need a formal assessment to buy a block or sketch a design. That's where an indicative BAL is most useful: it tells you early whether you're likely looking at BAL-12.5 or BAL-40, and the cost gap between those is large.
Who can do a BAL assessment in QLD?
Your building certifier decides whether the building work complies, including the BAL. Under the Building Regulation 2021, a certifier can rely on a "competent person" they've assessed as having the right experience and qualifications. Queensland has no state licence specifically for BAL assessors. In practice, most BAL reports are prepared by bushfire consultants, many of them accredited under FPA Australia's BPAD scheme. Ask your certifier what they'll accept before you book.
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 QLD?
Most BAL assessments cost between about $800 and $2,000. Travel to regional properties is usually the biggest factor, then site size and complexity, and whether you also need a bushfire management plan for a planning application. Check the quote includes a site visit. More: BAL assessment.
Check your BAL before you pay for a report
BAL requirements in QLD by level
Queensland uses the same national standard as the other states. Plain-English summary only.
BAL-LOW. No bushfire construction requirements under AS 3959. BAL-LOW guide
BAL 12.5 requirements in QLD. Keeping embers out: sealed gaps, mesh on vents, weepholes and openable windows, more resistant materials near the ground and decks. Usually the cheapest level above BAL-LOW. BAL-12.5 guide
BAL-19. Stricter windows, doors and walls close to the ground or a deck. BAL-19 guide
BAL 29 requirements in QLD. Toughened glass, and non-combustible or fire-resistant walls, decks and subfloors. The point where costs start to rise noticeably. BAL-29 guide
BAL-40. Non-combustible or tested systems; shutters or tested windows and doors. BAL-40 guide
BAL-FZ. Systems tested for flame contact. The most expensive level; moving the building is often worth exploring first. BAL-FZ guide
Why Queensland BALs differ from southern states
AS 3959 gives each state a fire danger index that reflects its fire weather, and Queensland's is lower than most of the southern states'. A lower index means the distances for each BAL are shorter, so the same vegetation at the same distance can give a lower BAL in Queensland than in, say, Victoria. Don't rely on BAL figures you've seen for other states.
How BAL Buddy handles Queensland
BAL Buddy applies Method 1 in Queensland with the one fire danger index AS 3959 sets for the state, from the far north to the Gold Coast hinterland. It adds no Queensland-specific note to the result.
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 QLD?
Get an indicative BAL from BAL Buddy, then check whether your block is in a designated bushfire prone area using your council's planning scheme or the state mapping. If it is, get a formal BAL assessment before you apply for building approval.
Is the Queensland bushfire prone area map the same as my BAL rating?
No. The map shows potential bushfire intensity across the landscape. Your BAL is specific to your building site, and a block in a mapped area can still come out at BAL-LOW.
What are the BAL 29 requirements in QLD?
The same as other states: AS 3959's BAL-29 requirements through the building code. Broadly, toughened glass and more non-combustible or fire-resistant walls, decks and subfloors.
What are the BAL 12.5 requirements in QLD?
Mainly keeping embers out: sealing gaps and screening vents, weepholes and openable windows with metal mesh.
Do I need a BAL assessment in Queensland?
Usually, if you're building in a designated bushfire prone area. Your certifier will tell you. If the block isn't mapped and an indicative check comes back BAL-LOW, you may not need one, but confirm with your certifier.