Bushfire attack level (bal) assessment 

If you intend to build, renovate or repair a home in a designated Bushfire Prone Area, you need to construct to Australian Standard 3959-2009. It is a requirement of the Building Code of Australia to construct to AS 3959 (Construction of buildings in a Bushfire-Prone Area in which you must meet the minimum construction standards pertaining to the applicable Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating. 

A Bushfire Attack Level Assessment (BAL) is a means of measuring the severity of a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact. Our qualified and trained staff at WA Building Surveyors can carry out a site inspection to assess your property and structures to give you a BAL assessment report and further advise on compliance with AS 3959-2009 standards. 

BUSHFIRE ATTACK level ratings

The Australian Standard AS 3959 has different classifications of bushfire intensity levels in which a home or structure may experience during a bushfire. The 6 classified BAL ratings are:

BAL-LOW - There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements

BAL- 12.5 - Ember Attack

BAL- 19 - Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux

BAL- 29 - Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux

BAL- 40 - Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux with the increased likelihood of exposure to flames

BAL- FZ - Direct exposure to flames from fire front in addition to heat flux and ember attack