Residential Compliance
A residential compliance pathway that compares a proposed dwelling with a compliant reference building.
For architects, building designers and project teams where a standard NatHERS assessment or Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway may not suit the design, construction method or compliance strategy.
Send Your Plans for ReviewIn Brief
VURB, or Verification Using a Reference Building, is a residential performance-based compliance pathway that compares a proposed dwelling with a compliant reference building.
Rather than relying only on a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway, VURB uses a structured reference-building comparison to demonstrate whether the proposed dwelling can achieve the required NCC energy-efficiency outcome.
The suitability of VURB depends on factors such as dwelling type, building classification, design complexity, glazing, orientation, shading, building fabric and the compliance pathway being considered. Some residential projects can follow NatHERS or DTS directly, while others may require a more comparative performance-based assessment.
It may be considered where a residential project needs to demonstrate NCC energy compliance through comparison with a compliant reference building.
The proposed dwelling’s performance relative to a reference building, including form, glazing, orientation, shading and envelope construction.
DTS follows prescribed NCC provisions, while VURB uses a reference-building comparison to verify an equivalent compliance outcome.
Explore This Guide
This guide explains how Verification Using a Reference Building fits within residential NCC energy compliance, how the proposed dwelling is compared with a reference building, and when this pathway may be considered instead of a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy approach.
Start with the core concepts behind Verification Using a Reference Building and how the comparison method works.
See where VURB sits within residential energy compliance and how it relates to other NCC pathways for dwellings.
VURB and residential NCC compliance
VURB, NatHERS and DTS compared
Understand the design factors that can influence how a proposed dwelling performs against its compliant reference building.
How the proposed dwelling is assessed
Building fabric, glazing and shading
Review when a VURB pathway may be relevant and what project information is usually needed before assessment can begin.
Explore why early coordination matters when a reference-building pathway may affect fabric, glazing, documentation or compliance strategy.
Move from the core VURB guide into related residential performance, NatHERS and NCC compliance resources.
Understanding VURB
Verification Using a Reference Building, commonly known as VURB, is a residential NCC energy compliance pathway used to compare a proposed dwelling with a compliant reference building.
The proposed dwelling represents the actual design being assessed. The reference building provides the compliant benchmark. By comparing the two, the assessment can help determine whether the proposed design achieves the required compliance outcome without relying only on a standard prescriptive pathway.
VURB may be relevant for residential projects where design conditions make a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy approach difficult to apply directly. This can include dwellings with unusual form, significant glazing, complex orientation, shading constraints or other envelope-related design factors.
A VURB assessment asks a practical compliance question: does the proposed dwelling perform acceptably when compared with a compliant version of the same building?
This makes VURB different from a simple checklist approach. It allows the compliance outcome to be tested through comparison, while still staying within the structure of NCC residential energy efficiency requirements.
Reference Building Method
The reference building method compares a proposed dwelling with a compliant version of the same dwelling. This allows the assessment to test whether the proposed design can achieve the required NCC energy compliance outcome through comparison rather than through a standard pathway alone.
In a VURB assessment, the proposed dwelling reflects the actual design being assessed, including its form, glazing, orientation, shading and construction details. The reference building provides the compliant benchmark used to verify whether the proposed dwelling performs acceptably.
This comparison can help make the relationship between residential design decisions and compliance outcomes more visible. Elements such as window size, glass performance, insulation, roof and wall construction, shading and building orientation may all influence how the proposed dwelling performs against its reference building.
The proposed dwelling represents the actual residential design being assessed, including its geometry, openings, shading, construction systems and relevant thermal performance inputs.
The reference building represents the compliant benchmark used for comparison. It is based on the same dwelling, but configured to meet the relevant NCC residential energy compliance requirements.
Residential NCC Compliance
Residential energy compliance under the National Construction Code can be demonstrated through different pathways, depending on the dwelling type, design complexity, climate zone and the compliance method being used.
The appropriate pathway can also depend on the state or territory where the project is located. While the NCC provides the national framework, local adoption timing, approval requirements, BASIX in NSW, and certifier expectations may influence whether NatHERS, DTS, VURB or another pathway is suitable.
Many residential projects follow a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway. These pathways may be suitable where the dwelling can meet the relevant requirements directly through standard assessment, rating or prescribed construction provisions.
VURB may be considered where the proposed dwelling needs to be assessed through comparison with a compliant reference building. This can help demonstrate whether the design achieves the required NCC energy compliance outcome when a standard pathway may not suit the project.
NatHERS assesses the thermal performance of a dwelling using accredited software and is commonly used for residential energy rating compliance.
A DTS pathway follows prescribed NCC provisions directly, including relevant requirements for building fabric, glazing, insulation and other energy efficiency measures.
VURB uses a compliant reference building as the benchmark for comparison, helping verify whether the proposed dwelling achieves the required compliance outcome.
Pathway Comparison
VURB, NatHERS and Deemed-to-Satisfy pathways can all relate to residential NCC energy compliance, but they do not work in the same way. The right pathway depends on the dwelling, the design intent, the applicable requirements and how compliance needs to be demonstrated.
For many residential projects, a standard NatHERS or DTS approach may be the most direct pathway. VURB may be considered where the proposed dwelling needs to be verified through comparison with a compliant reference building rather than assessed through a standard pathway alone.
| Pathway | How it works | When it may suit |
|---|---|---|
| NatHERS | Uses accredited software to assess the thermal performance of a dwelling and produce a star rating or compliance outcome. | Common residential projects where the dwelling can be assessed through standard NatHERS modelling. |
| DTS | Follows the prescribed Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions directly, including relevant construction, fabric, glazing and insulation requirements. | Projects where the design can meet the relevant NCC provisions without needing a comparative performance-based assessment. |
| VURB | Compares the proposed dwelling against a compliant reference building to verify whether the proposed design achieves the required compliance outcome. | Residential projects where a reference-building comparison may be needed because a standard pathway does not suit the design or compliance strategy. |
The comparison is not about choosing the most advanced pathway. It is about selecting the pathway that properly reflects the project, the design constraints and the compliance evidence required.
The comparison is not about choosing the most advanced pathway. It is about selecting the pathway that properly reflects the project, the dwelling design, the jurisdiction, the approval requirements and the compliance evidence required.
Assessment Method
In a VURB assessment, the proposed dwelling is reviewed as the actual design intended for construction. The assessment considers how that design performs when compared with a compliant reference building.
This means the assessment is not limited to one isolated design feature. It looks at the way the dwelling works as a whole, including the relationship between building form, orientation, glazing, shading, insulation and construction systems.
The purpose is to understand whether the proposed dwelling can achieve the required NCC energy compliance outcome when measured against the reference building. Where the proposed design differs from a standard pathway, the comparison helps identify how those differences affect the compliance result.
The shape, layout and overall geometry of the dwelling may influence how it gains, retains or loses heat.
The direction the dwelling faces affects solar exposure, daylight behaviour and seasonal heat gain.
Window size, location, frame type, glass performance and shading can all affect the proposed dwelling’s result.
Wall, roof, floor and insulation details help determine how the dwelling performs against the compliant reference building.
Dwelling Performance Factors
In a VURB assessment, the proposed dwelling is considered as a complete thermal system rather than as a collection of separate compliance items. Building fabric, glazing and shading can each influence how the dwelling performs against its compliant reference building.
The building fabric includes the walls, roof, floor, insulation and construction systems that shape heat flow through the dwelling. These elements affect how easily heat enters, escapes or is retained across different seasons.
Glazing and shading are also important because windows can strongly influence solar gain, heat loss, daylight and comfort. The size, orientation, frame type, glass performance and shading of each opening may affect how the proposed dwelling compares with the reference building.
Construction build-ups, insulation levels and thermal properties help define how the dwelling manages heat transfer.
Glazing area, glass type, frame performance and placement can affect both heat gain and heat loss.
Eaves, awnings, balconies, screens and neighbouring obstructions may influence how much sun reaches the dwelling.
The direction of each façade affects solar exposure, heat gain patterns and how the dwelling responds to local climate conditions.
Project Suitability
VURB may be relevant where a residential project needs a more comparative compliance pathway than a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy approach. It is not necessarily the first pathway for every dwelling, but it can be considered where the design or compliance context requires a reference-building comparison.
This may occur where the proposed dwelling has design characteristics that are difficult to resolve through a standard pathway alone. These characteristics may include unusual building form, complex glazing arrangements, orientation constraints, shading conditions or envelope decisions that need to be assessed against a compliant benchmark.
The suitability of VURB should be reviewed in relation to the dwelling type, building class, project documentation, NCC requirements and the advice of the relevant certifier or approval authority. In some cases, a standard NatHERS or DTS pathway may still be simpler and more appropriate.
Homes with unusual geometry, split levels, large volumes or non-standard layouts may require closer review of how the design performs as a whole.
Large windows, difficult orientations, limited shading or complex façade conditions may affect whether a standard pathway is suitable.
VURB may be considered where the project team needs to clarify whether a reference-building comparison is appropriate for the compliance strategy.
Project Documentation
A VURB review depends on clear project documentation. The assessment needs enough information to understand the proposed dwelling, define the relevant reference building and review how the design performs against the required compliance outcome.
The exact documentation required will depend on the dwelling type, design stage, building class and compliance pathway being considered. Early drawings may be enough for initial advice, while a formal assessment will usually require more complete architectural and construction information.
Providing coordinated documentation early can help identify whether VURB is suitable, whether a standard NatHERS or DTS pathway may be simpler, and whether any design changes are needed before the project moves further through approval.
Floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans and site information help define the proposed dwelling and its relationship to orientation, shading and form.
A glazing schedule, window sizes, frame types, glass performance values and external shading details may be needed to assess the proposed design accurately.
Wall, roof and floor build-ups, insulation specifications and relevant thermal construction details help describe the building fabric being assessed.
Project address, climate zone, building classification, certifier comments and approval requirements help clarify the pathway and documentation standard required.
Design Team Coordination
VURB is most useful when it is considered before key residential design decisions are locked in. Because the pathway compares a proposed dwelling against a compliant reference building, changes to glazing, shading, insulation, construction systems or building form can influence the final compliance outcome.
Early coordination can help the project team understand whether VURB is the right pathway, whether a standard NatHERS or Deemed-to-Satisfy approach may be simpler, and whether design adjustments are needed before the documentation becomes difficult to revise.
This is especially important where the dwelling has complex glazing, unusual orientation, limited shading opportunities, non-standard construction systems or other design features that may need closer performance review.
Early review can help identify whether design features such as glazing, shading, building form or construction build-ups may affect the compliance pathway.
Clear documentation can reduce uncertainty before construction details are finalised or before the project moves further through approval.
The relevant certifier or approval authority may need to confirm whether the proposed compliance pathway and supporting evidence are appropriate.
Residential Performance Thinking
VURB is a compliance pathway, but it also reflects a broader shift in residential building performance. Instead of treating energy compliance as a separate report at the end of the design process, a reference-building comparison can help show how the dwelling’s design decisions affect its overall performance outcome.
This does not mean VURB replaces good passive design, careful documentation or standard NatHERS assessment. It means that, where appropriate, the proposed dwelling can be reviewed through a comparative performance lens rather than only through prescriptive compliance settings.
For architects, designers, certifiers and residential project teams, this can support clearer conversations about glazing, shading, insulation, orientation, construction systems and the pathway most suited to the project.
Residential energy compliance is increasingly connected to the way homes are designed, documented and coordinated. The performance of a dwelling is shaped by many small decisions across the design process, not only by one final rating or report.
A VURB pathway can help make some of those relationships more visible when a reference-building comparison is the appropriate way to demonstrate compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
VURB stands for Verification Using a Reference Building. It is a residential compliance pathway that compares a proposed dwelling against a compliant reference building to demonstrate NCC energy compliance outcomes.
A VURB assessment compares a proposed dwelling against a compliant reference building to verify whether it achieves the required NCC energy performance outcome.
No. NatHERS assesses thermal performance using accredited software modelling, while VURB uses a reference building comparison to demonstrate compliance outcomes.
No. DTS follows prescriptive NCC provisions directly, while VURB uses a compliant reference building comparison to demonstrate equivalent performance outcomes.
A reference building is a compliant benchmark version of the proposed dwelling used for comparison in a VURB assessment.
VURB assesses elements such as building form, orientation, glazing, shading, insulation, construction systems and other performance-relevant design inputs.
Architectural drawings, floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans, glazing schedules, construction details and site information are typically required.
No. Many projects are better suited to standard NatHERS or DTS pathways. VURB is considered where a reference-building comparison is appropriate.
VURB should be considered early in design to confirm compliance pathway before key design decisions are locked in.
Yes. Certified Energy can review project drawings and documentation to determine whether VURB, NatHERS or DTS is the most appropriate pathway.
Related Knowledge References
VURB sits within a broader residential energy compliance and building performance context. These related resources help explain how residential pathways, dwelling assessment methods and performance thinking connect across the Certified Energy knowledge ecosystem.
Understand how NatHERS is used to assess the thermal performance of residential dwellings and support NCC energy compliance.
Explore NatHERS assessmentsExplore the wider residential performance context, including thermal comfort, compliance, dwelling design and energy-related assessment pathways.
Explore residential performanceLearn how dwelling energy use, appliances, electrification and thermal performance connect within the broader Whole of Home framework.
Explore Whole of HomeSee how existing homes can be assessed for energy performance, comfort and upgrade potential through home energy rating pathways.
Explore home energy ratingsReview how Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions can provide a direct pathway for residential NCC compliance where the design meets prescribed requirements.
Explore DTS complianceFor commercial buildings, JV3 provides a separate performance solution pathway within the Section J compliance framework.
Explore JV3 assessmentsProject Review
Send the available architectural plans, elevations, sections, glazing information and approval requirements for an initial review. Certified Energy can help determine whether VURB, NatHERS or a Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway is likely to be appropriate.
Early review can clarify the applicable assessment method, identify the information needed and help avoid progressing the design under a residential energy compliance pathway that does not suit the project context.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Residential Performance Knowledge Hub.
