A Desktop BAL Assessment is where you email us your site plans and site details and we use state government planning tools/ and other tools to assess what possible BAL rating your site may achieve. NO BAL certificate or bush-fire report will issued.
However a Desktop BAL Assessment will allow us to give you a indication of what possible BAL rating your site may achieve…before your full BAL assessment after our site visit .
A Desktop BAL Assessment will also advise what possibly separation distances of vegetation you will need to achieve to gain a lower BAL rating.
To give a fee proposal for any BPA BAL Report/ BMO overlay reports we need a site map or plans of the proposed Building/extension (Desktop assessments plans are helpful but not required).
If you are after a project sites BAL rating for a potential build on a dwelling/extension/outbuilding/Shed Etc or even after a BAL rating on property you are wishing to purchase & need a BAL rating for a project you are contemplating, or just need help setting a project to reduce your BAL rating as the first thing a builder will ask you for when quoting a job will ask for is the BAL rating & without plans these can be done by a Desktop BAL assessment or Pre-Bal report. These reports cost $195 & can be ordered on the website pre-paid securely with PayPal or credit card with a 24 hour turnaround. The cost of this report will come off your formal reports when plans are available & ready to start a formal build.
If your property is in a BPA ( Bushfire Prone Area) you will require a BAL Report & BAL Certificate. A BAL Rating is determined in a BPA by assessing and classifying all foliage in a 100 mt radius from the edge of the building. (in the smaller Blue circle on attached site map ) Including the slope of the land /separation distance from the proposed building / extension in a & other factors set out in AS 3558-2018 .These reports cost $595 GST Included & take 7-10 days after we receive approval to proceed & a suitable sites map/plans.
If your property is located within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you will require a Bushfire Management Statement (BMS) and a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP). These documents include a full Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Bushfire Landscape Assessment. They are mandatory for CFA/FRV and council approval when building or extending within a BMO.
Your project will fall under one of the predetermined application pathways (Fast Track Pathway, or Pathways 1, 2, or 3). The applicable pathway depends on several factors, including the type and use of the proposed building or extension, access to the site, block size, water supply and tank location, defendable space, and other relevant planning clauses. Vegetation type and classification within a 150-metre radius of the proposed building site (shown as the larger yellow circle on the attached map) also influences the project’s BAL rating.
These BMO reports generally cost $1,495 including GST, depending on which pathway applies. The site map must clearly show road access to the building or extension.
You can confirm whether your property is in a BMO by checking with your Building Surveyor, Building Designer, or Architect, or by reviewing your overlays directly via VicPlan: https://mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan/
If you have any questions, please feel free to call. To get started, simply email us with “Please proceed” along with your site address, and we will invoice you and provide a completion date. Alternatively, you can order a Desktop Assessment directly through our website (desktop assessments only). All BAL and BMO reports are delivered via email.