Find the assessment, compliance pathway or sustainability service relevant to your residential project.
In Brief
What Residential Services May Apply to Your Project?
Residential projects may require different energy assessments, compliance pathways, sustainability frameworks or planning reports depending on the project location, dwelling type, approval stage and intended outcome.
Certified Energy supports new homes, alterations, additions, existing dwellings and residential developments across Australia. Services may relate to thermal and operational performance, NCC compliance, state or council planning requirements, accessibility, water management or voluntary sustainability standards.
The appropriate pathway is not determined by one factor alone. A project may involve more than one requirement, such as a state planning assessment alongside an NCC energy-efficiency pathway. This gateway helps identify the most relevant service area before moving into detailed technical or regulatory guidance.
Project location, building type, approval pathway, development stage and whether the required outcome is a rating, certificate, report or design assessment.
Where Should You Begin?
Start with the project question: energy and performance, regulatory compliance, sustainability and accessibility, or water and planning documentation.
Looking for rating guidance? Explore the NatHERS Knowledge Hub for information about current star-rating requirements, 7 Star homes and earlier benchmarks.
Residential Compliance Services
Identify the Pathway Relevant to the Project
Select the relevant pathway for a NSW planning requirement, direct compliance with prescribed NCC provisions or a reference-building verification method.
Requirements can operate together. BASIX may apply alongside NCC compliance in New South Wales, while NatHERS, elemental DTS provisions and verification methods can serve different roles depending on the project and applicable approval requirements.
Sustainability & Accessibility Services
Choose the Framework That Matches the Intended Outcome
Select a broader residential sustainability framework or an accessibility pathway focused on usability, adaptability and everyday living over time.
Different outcomes, different pathways. Green Star Homes addresses broader residential sustainability, while Livable Housing Design focuses specifically on accessibility, usability and adaptability. Neither replaces project-specific NCC, planning or energy-compliance requirements.
Water & Planning Services
Choose the Report or Assessment Required for Planning
Select the relevant pathway for Victorian sustainability assessment, broader planning documentation, integrated water-sensitive design or stormwater treatment performance.
These services may work together without serving the same purpose. BESS assesses sustainability outcomes, SMP and SDA document the broader planning response, WSUD coordinates water-sensitive site design, and STORM tests stormwater treatment performance.
Project Pathway
What Determines the Right Residential Pathway?
The appropriate service depends on the project location, building status, approval stage and intended outcome. These factors help identify whether an energy rating, compliance assessment, sustainability report or planning response may be required.
01
Where Is the Project Located?
State and local planning requirements can shape the pathway. NSW projects may involve BASIX, while Victorian planning applications may require BESS, an SDA, SMP or water-related documentation.
02
Is It New or Existing?
New homes commonly require design-stage compliance or energy assessment, while existing dwellings may be suited to a Home Energy Rating or an assessment focused on improvement opportunities.
03
What Approval Stage Has Been Reached?
Planning documentation, NCC compliance and voluntary certification occur at different stages. Identifying the current stage helps avoid commissioning the wrong assessment too early or too late.
04
What Outcome Is Required?
The required output may be a rating, certificate, compliance report, planning assessment, verification model or voluntary framework submission. Each serves a different project purpose.
05
Is the Requirement Mandatory or Voluntary?
Some services respond to statutory planning or building requirements. Others, including Green Star Homes and Passive House, may be selected to pursue broader performance or certification goals.
06
Can More Than One Service Apply?
Yes. A project may need a planning report alongside an NCC pathway, or a mandatory assessment alongside a voluntary sustainability framework. These services should be coordinated rather than treated as interchangeable.
Early pathway identification can reduce duplicated work and help ensure that the right assessment is prepared for the right approval stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Residential Services FAQs
General guidance for identifying the assessment, compliance pathway, sustainability framework or planning service that may be relevant to a residential project.
Which residential service does my project need?
The appropriate service depends on the project location, dwelling type, scope of work, approval stage and required outcome. A new home may require an energy or compliance assessment, while an existing dwelling may be suited to a Home Energy Rating. Planning requirements can also vary between states and local councils.
Can more than one residential assessment apply to the same project?
Yes. A residential project may require separate planning, building-compliance, energy-performance or sustainability documentation. A state-based planning requirement may operate alongside an NCC pathway, while a voluntary framework may be pursued in addition to mandatory requirements.
Is a voluntary sustainability framework the same as mandatory compliance?
No. Mandatory compliance responds to applicable planning or building requirements. Frameworks such as Green Star Homes and Passive House may be selected to pursue broader sustainability, comfort or performance objectives, but they do not automatically replace statutory project requirements.
When should residential energy or compliance advice begin?
Early review is generally most useful, particularly before the design and approval pathway becomes fixed. Identifying likely assessment and reporting requirements early can reduce redesign, duplicated work and late changes to plans or specifications.
What information is useful for an initial project review?
Useful information may include the project address, architectural plans, dwelling type, scope of work, current approval stage, planning or certifier correspondence and any known rating, certificate or reporting requirements. Complete documentation is not always necessary for an initial pathway review.
Do renovations and additions require residential assessments?
They may. The requirements depend on the project location, scale and nature of the proposed work, together with the applicable planning and building approval pathway. An early review can help establish whether an assessment, certificate or report is likely to be required.
Project Review
Not sure which residential pathway your project needs?
Send the available plans, project location and approval information for an initial review. Certified Energy can help identify the assessment, compliance pathway or planning documentation most relevant to the project.
