In accordance to Clause A3.2 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA), buildings are classified as follows:
Class 1: one or more buildings which in association constitute
(a) Class 1a - a single dwelling being
(i) a detached house; or
(ii) one of a group of two or more attached dwellings, each being a building, separated by a fire-resisting wall, including a row house, terrace house, town house or villa unit; or(b) Class 1b
(i) a boarding house, guest house, hostel or the like
(A) with a total area of all floors not exceeding 300m2 measured over the enclosing walls of the Class 1b; and
(B) in which not more than 12 persons would ordinarily be resident; or
(ii) 4 or more single dwellings located on one allotment and used for short-term holiday accommodation,
which are not located above or below another dwelling or another Class of building other than a private garage.
Class 2: a building containing 2 or more sole-occupancy units each being a separate dwelling.
Class 3: a residential building, other than a building of Class 1 or 2, which is a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated persons, including -
(a) a boarding house, guest house, hostel, lodging house or backpackers accommodation; or
(b) a residential part of a hotel or motel; or
(c) a residential part of a school; or
(d) accommodation for the aged, children or people with disabilities; or
(e) a residential part of a health-care building which accommodates members of staff; or
(f) a residential part of a detention centre.
Class 4: a dwelling in a building that is Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 if it is the only dwelling in the building.
Class 5: an office building used for professional or commercial purposes, excluding buildings of Class 6, 7, 8 or 9.
Class 6: a shop or other building for the sale of goods by retail or the supply of services direct to the public, including
(a) an eating room, café, restaurant, milk or soft-drink bar; or
(b) a dining room, bar area that is not an assembly building, shop or kiosk part of a hotel or motel; or
(c) a hairdresser's or barber's shop, public laundry, or undertaker's establishment; or
(d) market or sale room, showroom, or service station.
Class 7: a building which is
(a) Class 7a - a carpark; or
(b) Class 7b - for storage, or display of goods or produce for sale by wholesale.
Class 8: a laboratory, or a building in which a handicraft or process for the production, assembling, altering, repairing, packing, finishing, or cleaning of goods or produce is carried on for trade, sale, or gain.
Class 9: a building of a public nature
(a) Class 9a - a health-care building, including those parts of the building set aside as a laboratory; or
(b) Class 9b - an assembly building, including a trade workshop, laboratory or the like in a primary or secondary school, but excluding any other parts of the building that are of another Class; or
(c) Class 9c - an aged care building.
Class 10: a non-habitable building or structure
(a) Class 10a - a non-habitable building being a private garage, carport, shed, or the like; or
(b) Class 10b - a structure being a fence, mast, antenna, retaining or free-standing wall, swimming pool, or the like; or
(c) Class 10c - a private bushfire shelter.
