Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Feb 24, 2016 8:02 am Hi could anyone give me a rough idea on the costs for a BAL 12.5 and BAL 19, is there much difference between the two?
Got a quote for the house and it said $5600 for BAL 12.5, or BAL 19 an extra $13000 to $15000, but he doesn't say what it includes, the fire tank is listed separate so not included in that price. What is the extra things needed to make a BAL 12.5 into a BAL 19? I did look on google but there is no simple chart that i can see. Cheers Lorri Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs 2Feb 24, 2016 11:09 am There are simple charts to show the differences in requirements for BAL levels, on government and commercial websites, and a number of threads in H1. The complex bit is matching those to the design of your house. Sometimes moving the house a metre or so MIGHT alter your BAL Level, but you'll need a consultant - for a fee - who MIGHT then save you $$. They might just suggest a "bad" wall be clad in a different material, that's their skill, if they are good enough. You didn't specify if the quote was for your design or the builder's own plans. The builder might only normally use X brand Windows, but have to special order BAL19. So many factors, and without details, hard to see where the price rises come from. No association, not used them, but you can get an idea here, and from other H1 threads. http://www.ecotide.com.au/bushfire-assessments-reports/bushfire-assessments-faq/ Then if you wish to invest in a consultant, shoo around for a good local, familiar with your Council. Double check on their record of "wins", not just reports done. Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs 3Mar 14, 2016 11:48 am Lorri There isnt a huge difference (or shouldnt be) in cost, really the only 2 differences in the code between the 2 on a standard 4 x 2 house would be glazing and front entry door & frame. So the Australian Standard say's on a BAL12.5 any window within 400mm of the ground has to be tougned glass, BAL19 all has to be toughned, this isnt a huge cost (probably around $60m2) and would think at the extreme 10m2 would be maximum (this is working on Aluminium Windows) you would also have to change your timber entry door & maybe your door frame depending on what timber the door frame is, if its more than $1500 all up I would suggest pressing your builder hard for a list of the difference. I know there is a big difference between BAL19 to BAL29. Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs 4Mar 14, 2016 12:06 pm Below is some info & tips for those building in BAL40 and Flame Zone Here is an excellent article by kylie40 on BAL for more info... viewtopic.php?f=31&t=79023 Some good cost breakdowns viewtopic.php?f=31&t=62817&p=1506826#p1506826 This is more for background info and may not apply to your situation but it will help you understand what the experts are talking about. Stewie Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs Update , now Bal 29! 5Mar 15, 2016 6:36 am Hi , well we just got a preliminary Bal rating of Bal 29, I looked at those links you gave me for the charts etc, and if i read it right we need the windows, weep holes, a water tank, screens, sarking, what else does a brick veneer on a slab need? Is this 23-32 meters a a sliding scale, can we get to 23 meters and be Bal 19? He states in there that the assessment was 140 meters, I thought the measurement was a 100 meters? Can anyone make sense of all this? Another thing, the BAL guy said this, " A Site Visit has revealed that it is possible to achieve BAL-29 for the Building Site. This is based on an absolute minimum of 16m building setback from the southern title boundary. To achieve BAL-29 you will need to create & maintain a Hazard Management Area (HMA) out to 16m minimum to the north, south & east and 25m to the west from the walls/verandahs of the dwelling & carport. Preferably more where possible. (see attached) Please note that any sheds need to be a minimum of 6m from the house. If closer than the 6m, the HMA is to be taken from the walls of the shed as well. As I see it, your main issue is from the south. The assessment is based on the predominant vegetation out to 140m & then the required HMA is based on that vegetation type. Cleaning up some of the adjoining vegetation on the neighbouring land to the south would obviously help in the practical sense but will not lower the BAL rating on paper. You only have the legal right to create & maintain the HMA on land in your ownership, unless you have a legal agreement with the neighbour allowing you to maintain land on their title. This agreement (Part 5 Agreement of Land Use Planning and Approvals Act) must then be registered on their title. These agreements involve the Council. Another option is a boundary adjustment. Anyway, as it stands a BAL-29 can be achieved within your title boundaries. The other consideration is the vehicular access. As the private access is longer than 30m, you will need to provide vehicular turning for firefighting trucks." I can't find anywhere it says about this turning for trucks ,i thought if it was over 100meters long you needed to do this This is the second email from him,I asked about getting it down to Bal19, He replied with, "to achieve BAL-29 for Forest on uphill or level ground we require a HMA of 16-<23m per Table 2.4.4 AS3959. The range is included to take into consideration the fuel load & density of the vegetation beyond the HMA. With regard to the forest to the south, I was being rather lenient with the 16m…..would feel more comfortable with say 20m. Nevertheless I will stick with the 16m for the BAL-29 as the boundary stands. To achieve BAL-19 we require a HMA of 23-<32. Without getting technical & spending too much more time on this, 16m HMA to the North & East will achieve BAL-29… but would prefer a bit more. 23m from the west boundary is fine. By my calculations the building pad is actually further away from the Coast road boundary than that. The Hazard Management Plan does not specifically designate which trees need to come down but merely the extent of the HMA as per the Guidelines I sent thru. Any trees likely to fall on or drop debris on the building should go." Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs Update , now Bal 29! 6Oct 29, 2016 9:52 pm Lorry your BAL guy sounds good. Where did you find him? Do you happen to know about access roads into a property? We have a bush block and there is only one road in and the same road out. We were told that is a big problem with getting approval to build in flame zone. Re: BAL 12.5 to BAL 19 costs Update , now Bal 29! 7Oct 30, 2016 2:17 am Hi Cave D, we are in Tassie and i looked on the net and found this Bal guy, as far as I know it doesn't matter what your Bal level is, if you driveway in is more than 30 meters long you have to have a turning point in your drive like a t shape, or a round drive way . As your place is flamezone i think it will the same road stuff but best check and make sure. I know it is a lot more to build to flamezone level than Bal29. Just found this online: ) A Modified 4C Access Road is an all-weather road which complies with the Australian Road research Board “Unsealed Roads manual – Guidelines to Good Practice”, 3rd Edition, March 2009 as a classification 4C Access Road and the following modified requirements: i. Single lane private access roads less than 6m carriageway width must have 20m long passing bays of 6m carriageway width not more than 100m apart. ii. A private access road longer than 100m must be provided with a driveway encircling the building, or a hammerhead “T” or “Y” turning head 4m wide and 8m long, or a trafficable circular turning area of 10m radius. iii. Culverts and bridges must be designed for a minimum vehicle load of 20 tonnes. iv. Vegetation must be cleared for a height of 4m, above the carriageway, and 2m each side of the carriageway. 3 4537 Building Standards; Getting It Right! Hi everyone Planning a large house extension in New South Wales northern rivers with a BAL 29 Fire zoning. Has anyone had experience with this type of zoning and how much… 0 839 |