NCC Compliance: Deemed-to-Satisfy vs Performance Solutions
The NCC sets performance requirements for structure, fire safety, health, amenity, and energy efficiency. Compliance pathways generally fall into two categories:
1. Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS)
DtS uses prescribed solutions and referenced standards. It is usually faster to certify and simpler to build—provided you follow details strictly.
2. Performance Solutions
Performance solutions can be excellent engineering outcomes, but they demand disciplined evidence: modelling, test reports, expert judgement, and careful construction and commissioning.
3. The Builder’s Role in Compliance
- Product compliance: keep data sheets and evidence for fire, waterproofing, and energy products.
- Installation compliance: most failures are installation failures, not product failures.
- Traceability: record what was installed, where, and when (photos + batch numbers where relevant).
4. Compliance Is Usually Won at Details
On Australian sites, the most common compliance pain points are not “big concepts”—they’re small details repeated dozens of times:
- Penetrations: fire stopping, acoustic sealing, and waterproofing terminations.
- Junctions: window-to-wall interfaces, wrap continuity, and flashing sequencing.
- Substitutions: swapping products without matching compliance evidence (especially fire and energy items).
5. A Builder’s Compliance Playbook
- Pre-start: identify critical compliance items (fire, waterproofing, structure/bracing, energy, BAL) and required evidence.
- During works: tie hold points to ITPs and inspections; capture photos before close-up.
- Before handover: assemble certificates, commissioning results, and as-builts in a structured evidence pack.
Expert tip: If you can’t prove it, it may as well not exist. Documentation is part of compliance.