Does a carport need a BAL rating?

On bushfire prone land, a carport attached to the house, or standing close to it, is usually built to the same bushfire attack level as the house, because a fire in the carport can reach the house. A carport standing well clear of the house is often treated more lightly, within the limits the building rules set. Off bushfire prone land, the question does not arise.

How is the bushfire attack level read?

From the lot. A bushfire attack level, or BAL, is worked out from the kind of vegetation near the lot, how far it is from the building and the slope of the ground beneath it. The higher the level, the more the building has to resist embers, radiant heat and flame. The post on bushfire prone land and BAL ratings explains each level, and the bushfire prone check tells you whether the lot is mapped.

What changes for a carport in a bushfire area?

Mostly the materials and the details. Depending on the level, a carport may need:

roof sheeting and framing that do not burn easily
gaps sealed so embers cannot lodge
gutters and junctions with the house detailed against ember attack
a clear area around it, kept clear of anything that burns

An open carport with a steel frame and a metal roof often meets the lower levels with little change, while the higher levels ask more of every part.

Does a shed in a bushfire area need a BAL rating?

The same reading applies. A shed attached to the house, or within the distance the building rules set, usually follows the house’s level, and a detached shed well clear of it may not. The certifier, the council or the building surveyor confirms how your structure is read, and in some states a bushfire overlay also brings a planning approval.

Does it matter where on the lot the carport goes?

Yes. Moving a carport away from the house, or away from the vegetation, can change how it is read. On a lot where the house sits close to bush, placing the carport on the far side of the house is worth checking before the design is settled.

Reading it for your own lot

RapidSiteplan reads the council and building rules for your lot from its address, checks the design against them as you place it, lets you edit it as often as you like, and prints the site plan. Site plans and assessments in minutes. Where the lot is mapped as bushfire prone, the plan says so as you place the carport.

Search your address, or see what the plan shows for a shed or carport. Each council page, such as Sunshine Coast, lists what we hold for that council, and site plans by council covers the rest of Australia.

Common questions

Does a carport need a BAL rating? On bushfire prone land, a carport attached to the house or close to it is usually built to the same bushfire attack level as the house. One standing well away from the house is often treated more lightly, within the limits the building rules set.

What changes for a carport in a bushfire area? The materials and details, such as the roof sheeting, gaps and gutters, so embers cannot lodge or enter. The level the lot is rated at decides how far those rules go.

Does a shed in a bushfire area need a BAL rating? The same reading applies: a shed attached to or close to the house usually follows the house’s level, and a detached one well clear of it may not. The certifier or the council confirms how your shed is read.