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Building Codes in Australia: NCC by State
The National Construction Code sets the minimum requirements for building in Australia, but each state and territory adopts new editions on its own timeline. This hub tracks which edition applies where, and links the rules you can actually calculate.
Which edition applies, by state & territory
| Jurisdiction | Current code | Next edition | Adoption / transition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | NCC 2022 or 2025 | NCC 2025 (mandatory 1 May 2027) | Mid-transition: build to NCC 2022 (+ACT Appendix) or NCC 2025 (+ACT Appendix). NCC 2025 becomes mandatory 1 May 2027. | Transition |
| New South Wales | NCC 2022 | NCC 2025 (from 1 May 2027) | NSW deferred NCC 2025 to 1 May 2027 — build to NCC 2022 until then. | Announced |
| Northern Territory | NCC 2022 | Not adopted | NCC 2022 continues in the NT; NCC 2025 is not adopted (stays until the next NCC edition is published). | Frozen |
| Queensland | NCC 2022 | NCC 2025 (from 1 May 2027) | NCC 2022 still applies to houses, sheds & decks; NCC 2025 is deferred to 1 May 2027. | Announced |
| South Australia | NCC 2022 (Amd 2) | NCC 2025 (Building Code from 1 May 2027) | Houses, sheds & decks stay on NCC 2022 until 30 Apr 2027; the NCC 2025 Building Code starts 1 May 2027 (Plumbing Code already in force). | Announced |
| Tasmania | NCC 2022 | NCC 2025 (scheduled 1 May 2027) | Tasmania reinstated NCC 2022 (from 5 Jun 2026). NCC 2025 is scheduled for 1 May 2027, but that date may still change. | Frozen |
| Victoria | NCC 2025 | — | In force since 1 May 2026. Residential energy & livable-housing requirements are unchanged from NCC 2022. | Adopted |
| Western Australia | NCC 2025 | — | Adopted 1 May 2026 with a 12-month transition — either NCC 2022 or 2025 until 1 May 2027, then NCC 2025 only. | Transition |
Adoption timing changes on government timelines — entries marked Verify are being confirmed with the relevant authority.
Rules by topic
The parts of the code a chippie actually sets out — each one in plain English, with the numbers and a calculator. New to the NCC? Start with the rule book →
Stairs
Footings & slabs
Room heights
Which edition applies to my job?
Two things decide it. Where you’re building — which state or territory. And when the building approval goes in. The certifier checks your job against the rule book in force on the day the approval is lodged. So that day is the one that counts — not the day you pour or frame.
Here’s the quick version:
- Victoria and Western Australia — already on NCC 2025. In WA you can still lodge under NCC 2022 for now, but from 1 May 2027 it’s NCC 2025 only.
- ACT — halfway through the switch. Right now you can lodge under NCC 2022 or NCC 2025 (both with the extra ACT rules on top). NCC 2025 is a must from 1 May 2027.
- Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia — still on NCC 2022, moving to NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027. (SA’s plumbing rules are already on the 2025 edition.)
- Northern Territory and Tasmania — staying on NCC 2022 for now.
If your approval date is close to a changeover, check your state page above for the exact start date and the rules for the switch-over. That’s where the detail sits, and it’s kept up to date as the dates lock in.
Why the timing is different in each state
The ABCB writes the National Construction Code for the whole country — NCC 2025 came out on 1 May 2026. But writing it isn’t the same as bringing it in. Each state and territory picks its own start date under its own laws. That’s why the map is a mix, not one national switch.
States can also push the start back (QLD, NSW and SA moved theirs to 2027). They can bring in the parts at different times (SA started its plumbing rules before its building rules). Or they can stay on an older edition (NT and Tasmania are sticking with NCC 2022 for now). So the honest answer to “is NCC 2025 in force?” is always: it depends where you are.
Still on NCC 2022?
No need to panic if your area hasn’t switched yet. Most of the numbers a chippy sets out on site are the same in both editions — stair rise and going, barrier and rail heights, guarding to drops, concrete amounts. When it does matter, check the exact clause against the edition your job is signed off under (your state page tells you which). Don’t just assume a new edition has changed the number.
Work it out on site
Knowing the rules is one thing. Getting them right with a tape and a calculator is another. These guides walk the real measurements:
- NCC stairs for chippies — rise, going, the 2R+G check and landing rules, done the way you set them out on the job.
- Concrete calculations guide — how to work out slab, footing and post-hole volumes, and turn cubic metres into bags or a truck order.