Getting a bushfire assessment done: who does what, and in what order

We get calls from people building a house who've been told they need a bushfire assessment and have no idea who to ring first. It's a fair question, because three different trades touch it and doing them out of order costs money.

The order it actually goes in

First, a bushfire consultant or accredited assessor looks at the site and works out your BAL rating, which is the level of radiant heat the building has to be designed for. They also write the bushfire management statement or plan if your property sits under a Bushfire Management Overlay.

Second, that report tells you what the site needs. Usually that's a defendable space of a set radius, fuel loads kept to a set standard, access for a fire truck and a static water supply. Those numbers come from the assessor, not from us and not from the builder.

Third, someone does the work on the ground. That's where we come in. We clear and mulch to the radius the report calls for, cut fuel loads, lift crowns, widen the entrance and level the pad. If we do that before the report exists, we're guessing, and guessing either leaves you short or takes out trees you didn't need to touch.

Why the order matters to your wallet

The BAL rating drives your build cost. Every step up in rating means more expensive glazing, cladding, screens and detailing. Clearing vegetation inside the assessment radius can bring the rating down, and a lower rating can save far more on the build than the clearing costs. But it only counts if it's done before the assessment, and only if the assessor has signed off that it's the right vegetation to remove.

That's the single biggest thing people miss. Clearing after the assessment does nothing for your rating. You've paid for the work and you're still building to the higher standard.

What we need from you

Bring us the report, or at least the plan showing the dwelling location and the defendable space radius. From there we can walk the property, mark what's coming out, flag anything that looks protected and put a written quote together. If a tree is native and outside an exemption, we'll tell you to check with the council before we touch it.

• Bushfire planning provisions, Clause 53.02

  The Victorian planning requirements for defendable space, access and water supply.

• Bushfire Management Overlay guidance, DTP

  What the overlay requires and what has to go in with a permit application.

• VicPlan planning maps

  Check whether a Bushfire Management Overlay sits over your property.

Rules, overlays and mapping change. We check the links in this article regularly, but always confirm the current requirements with your council or the relevant Victorian department before you clear anything.

Got a job in mind? Send your address and we'll come out, have a look, and put a written quote together. No obligation.