BCA Classifications

The BCA classifies buildings by their use. A building may be made up of a number of classes if it has a mixed use. The BCA identifies the following building classes:

Class 1a - a single dwelling or attached dwellings (eg a terrace, duplex, single house etc) where each dwelling is separated by a fire wall.

Class 1b - one or more buildings that constitute a boarding house, guest house, hostel of small scale (i.e. not exceeding 12 persons or 300m2 in floor area).

Class 2 - a building containing two or more dwelling units (e.g. flats, apartments).

Class 3 - a residential building for a number of persons such as a large scale boarding house, guest house, hostel, the residential part of a hotel, motel, school, etc.

Class 4 - a dwelling unit that is a part of a commercial use (e.g. a caretakers/managers flat).

Class 5 - an office building.

Class 6 - a shop or other building where goods or services are retailed directly to the public.

Class 7a - a car park building.

Class 7b - a storage building or building where goods are wholesaled (eg a warehouse).

Class 8 - a laboratory or a building where a process takes place (eg factory, workshop, etc).

Class 9a - a health care building (eg a hospital, clinic, etc).

Class 9b - an assembly building (eg community hall, sports hall, etc)

Class 9c - an aged care building.

Class 10a - a non-habitable building being a private garage, shed or the like.

Class 10b - a structure (eg a fence, wall, mast, swimming pool, etc).