BAL assessment WA: how to find your BAL rating in Western Australia
A BAL assessment in WA tells you the Bushfire Attack Level of a building site, and the BAL sets how bushfire resistant the home has to be. If your land is in a designated bushfire prone area, you'll usually need a formal BAL assessment before you can get a building permit for a new home. Before you pay for one, you can check two things free.
The first is whether your land is on the state's bushfire prone map. The second is what your BAL is likely to be. This guide covers both, then which rules apply, when an assessment is needed, who can do it and what it costs.
How to find your BAL rating in WA, step by step
- Check if your land is bushfire prone. Look up your address on the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas, run by DFES. Land shown pink is designated bushfire prone. If the building sits entirely outside the pink area, the bushfire building requirements don't apply to it, even if part of the lot is pink.
- Get an indicative BAL with BAL Buddy. Trace the building and the vegetation around it and classify each patch. BAL Buddy takes slope from public elevation data and applies AS 3959 Method 1, the same method most WA residential assessments use. You'll see your indicative BAL and how far the building would need to move to reach a lower level.
- Ask your local government or building surveyor what you need. They'll tell you which approvals your project needs. If planning approval is involved, raise bushfire at the start.
- Book a formal BAL assessment. An assessor inspects the site and prepares the BAL report your building surveyor relies on.
- Design and build to your BAL. Your building surveyor checks bushfire compliance when they sign the certificate of design compliance for your building permit.
Is my property bushfire prone? The WA map
WA's official map is the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas. The Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner designates bushfire prone areas and DFES's Office of Bushfire Risk Management maintains the map. More on the DFES bushfire prone areas page.
- Search your address and check whether the building site is pink.
- Check whether it's Area 1 (urban, much of built-up Perth, Peel and Bunbury) or Area 2 (the rest). The Area mainly changes planning requirements, not building ones.
- The map is reviewed regularly, and newly designated land usually gets a transition period before the building requirements apply. Check the current map rather than an old screenshot.
Is there a BAL rating map for WA?
No. The map shows whether land is designated bushfire prone, not BALs. Some subdivisions have a BAL Contour Map, prepared by a practitioner during planning, showing indicative BALs across the lots. Ask your council or the developer whether your lot has one. More: BAL rating map.
Bushfire rules in WA: which regulations and agencies apply
| Who | What they look after |
|---|---|
| DFES, Office of Bushfire Risk Management | The Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas, and advice on some planning proposals |
| WA Planning Commission and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage | State Planning Policy 3.7 Bushfire and the Planning for Bushfire Guidelines |
| Building and Energy | The Building Act 2011 and Building Regulations 2012, which adopt the Building Code of Australia |
| Your local government | Development applications, and usually building permits |
| Standards Australia | AS 3959 (AS 3959 explained) |
Planning: State Planning Policy 3.7 Bushfire. The current policy (SPP 3.7) and the Planning for Bushfire Guidelines became operational on 18 November 2024, replacing the 2015 policy. The approach is to avoid bushfire risk first and, where that isn't possible, manage it. If you find advice that refers to "SPP 3.7 Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas" or the 2015 Guidelines, it's out of date. The policy and guidelines are updated from time to time, so check the current versions on the WA Government's website.
Building: the Building Code of Australia and AS 3959. For houses and their associated garages, carports, sheds and decks in a designated bushfire prone area, the standard ways to comply are AS 3959 or the NASH Standard for steel-framed construction.
When do you need a formal BAL assessment in WA?
For a building permit
Building and Energy says the bushfire construction requirements apply in a designated bushfire prone area to houses, townhouses and similar dwellings; apartments and other residential buildings; some vulnerable-use buildings such as schools, early childhood centres and aged care; and the garages, carports, sheds and decks that go with them.
There are concessions. Some renovations, extensions or repairs to an older home may not need to comply, depending on their value and whether they increase the risk of ignition. Your building surveyor decides whether a concession applies.
For planning approval
SPP 3.7 also applies to some development applications. For a single house or granny flat, whether you need a development application can depend on things like the lot size, whether it's on mains water and the site's BAL, and a site at BAL-40 or BAL-FZ generally needs development approval. Your local government can tell you which applies. Where SPP 3.7 applies, you'll generally need a bushfire management plan, not just a BAL.
BAL-40 and BAL-FZ in WA
SPP 3.7 sets a presumption against new habitable buildings and development sites at BAL-40 or BAL-FZ, with limited exceptions. If you're designing a new home in WA, aim for a building site at BAL-29 or lower. BAL Buddy shows how far the building would need to move to reach a lower BAL, so you can test spots on the block before committing. See how to lower your BAL.
Test where your house could sit
Buying a home or block
Building and Energy suggests a bushfire assessment before you make an offer on a house in or near bushland. The rules generally aren't retrospective, but the BAL shapes what any extension or rebuild costs. For a vacant block, the likely BAL tells you early whether a house can sit at BAL-29 or lower.
Who can do a BAL assessment in WA?
The WA Government recognises FPA Australia's Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) scheme. Level 1 BAL Assessors prepare BAL assessments using Method 1. Level 2 and Level 3 Bushfire Planning Practitioners also prepare more complex work, such as BAL Contour Maps and bushfire management plans. SPP 3.7 and the Guidelines strongly recommend accredited practitioners; it isn't a legal requirement, but many local governments only accept accredited reports.
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.
BAL assessment in Perth
It works the same as anywhere else in WA. Much of built-up Perth is Area 1, which lightens the planning requirements, but if the building site is pink, the building requirements still apply. Homes backing onto bushland reserves, parks, wetlands or rural land are the ones most likely to need one.
How much does a BAL assessment cost in WA?
Most BAL assessments cost between about $800 and $2,000. Travel is usually the biggest factor, so a regional or remote site costs more than one in suburban Perth. Large, steep or heavily vegetated sites, Method 2, BAL Contour Maps and bushfire management plans all cost more. Ask whether the quote includes a site visit: a very cheap quote often means the assessor isn't coming out. More: BAL assessment.
See your likely BAL before you pay for a report
BAL requirements in WA by level
WA uses the construction requirements in AS 3959, or the NASH Standard for steel-framed houses. Plain-English summary only.
BAL-LOW. No bushfire construction requirements. BAL-LOW guide
BAL-12.5. Keeping embers out: sealed gaps, screened vents and openings. BAL-12.5 guide
BAL-19. Builds on BAL-12.5 with tougher glazing and materials near the ground. BAL-19 guide
BAL-29 requirements in WA. Toughened glass and fire-resistant windows, doors, walls, roofs, subfloors and decks. In WA, BAL-29 is the practical ceiling for most new homes because of SPP 3.7's presumption against BAL-40 and BAL-FZ. BAL-29 guide
BAL-40. Tested systems or shutters. SPP 3.7 presumes against new habitable buildings at this level. BAL-40 guide
BAL-FZ. Systems tested for flame contact. SPP 3.7 presumes against new habitable buildings at this level. BAL-FZ guide
How BAL Buddy handles WA
BAL Buddy uses the single fire danger index AS 3959 gives WA and applies Method 1. With a WA result it notes that State Planning Policy 3.7 Bushfire and the Planning for Bushfire Guidelines sit over AS 3959, and to treat the result as indicative only.
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
Do I need a BAL assessment in WA?
Usually, if you're building a new home, or certain extensions, sheds or decks, in a designated bushfire prone area. Check the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas first, then ask your building surveyor.
How much does a BAL assessment cost in WA?
Most cost between about $800 and $2,000, mostly depending on travel, site complexity and whether you need a BAL Contour Map or bushfire management plan. Check the quote includes a site visit.
Where can I get a BAL assessment in Perth?
From a BPAD-accredited assessor; FPA Australia's register lists them by area. Ask your local government which assessors they accept.
What are the BAL 29 requirements in WA?
The BAL-29 requirements of AS 3959 or the NASH Standard: toughened glass and fire-resistant windows, doors, walls, roofs and decks. BAL-29 is the practical ceiling for most new homes in WA.
Is there a BAL rating map for WA?
No. The Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas shows which land is designated, not BALs. Some subdivisions have a BAL Contour Map.