Before you send a drawing set

Carbon Edge Consulting prepares Deemed-to-Satisfy Section J reports for commercial fit-outs, refurbishments and new buildings, and NatHERS and BASIX for residential work. Andrew Costi is the principal. The fee is fixed from the drawings before any work starts.

Section J reports are From $650 inc GST. A fixed quote is given after the drawings are reviewed. The starting fee is for a straightforward project. A larger floor plate, more than one classification, or an incomplete set is priced before you commit. Residential assessment fees are published ex GST, from $399 + GST for alterations and additions and $595 + GST for a single storey dwelling. You do not pay until you accept the quote.

Section J reports are turned around in 48 to 72 hours from full drawings, after the quote is accepted and the drawing set is complete. NatHERS and BASIX are about 2 to 3 business days from complete plans. Priority residential turnaround is available at +40% on our fee only. Certificate fees do not change.

The work is done from drawings for projects anywhere in Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. There is no site visit and no travel charge. NatHERS is available nationally. BASIX is for New South Wales only.

Section J is the energy efficiency part of NCC Volume One, which covers Class 2 to 9 buildings. A Section J report from this practice is a Deemed-to-Satisfy assessment: it checks the work on your drawings against those provisions and records what complies, what does not, and what was assumed. It is not an energy model and it is not a performance solution.

The report uses the NCC edition that applies to that application. Western Australia and the ACT have been on NCC 2025 since 1 May 2026, and NCC 2022 is still accepted there until about 30 April 2027. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania move to NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027. Tell us the edition if the certifier has already named it. If not, it is confirmed before the report is issued.

Send the architectural set for the scope of work (plans, elevations and sections), wall, roof and floor build-ups where fabric is being assessed, a glazing schedule where glazing is new or altered, the lighting layout and luminaire schedule, and mechanical drawings or equipment schedules where air-conditioning or ventilation is in scope. Include the site address so the climate zone is taken from the site. A link is fine if the files are large.

The focus is Class 5 offices, Class 6 shops, Class 7b warehouses and Class 9b public assembly buildings, for fit-outs, refurbishments and new buildings. Houses are quoted as NatHERS, and in New South Wales as BASIX as well. Performance solutions are outside this service.

A 50% deposit is payable when you accept the quote. The balance is due before the report is released. One minor revision is included. A minor revision is a correction, or a small drawing change that does not add scope. A new tenancy, a different classification, or a redesigned façade is quoted again.

No. The work is done from drawings, specifications and the schedules you send. If something can only be confirmed on site, the report lists it as an assumption or as information still required, rather than guessing.

No. Section J reports are Deemed-to-Satisfy only. If a design cannot meet Deemed-to-Satisfy, the report says so. It does not invent a performance solution.

A sample Section J report is available on request. It is not published on this site. Use the quote form and choose “Sample report for a certifier”, or call 0459 231 743.

NatHERS is available for residential projects in every state and territory. BASIX is a New South Wales requirement and is prepared for New South Wales projects only. A New South Wales house is usually quoted as NatHERS and BASIX together. Outside New South Wales there is no BASIX line.

The published figure is our assessment fee, ex GST. A single storey dwelling is $595 + GST. A double storey dwelling is $849 + GST. A granny flat is $459 + GST. Alterations and additions are $399 + GST. Dual occupancy is $1,049 + GST for single storey and $1,369 + GST for double storey. NatHERS certificates are issued through NatHERS-approved software. BASIX certificates are lodged through the BASIX portal.

Certificate fees are passed through at cost with no margin. For a single storey dwelling, double storey dwelling or granny flat, the BASIX certificate fee is $60 (GST-free) and the NatHERS certificate fee is $65 ex GST. Alterations and additions are $35 and $35. Dual occupancy is $90 and $130. Outside New South Wales only the NatHERS certificate fee applies.

The Section J starting fee is $650 inc GST. That figure includes GST. NatHERS and BASIX assessment fees are shown ex GST. GST (10%) is added to the NatHERS and BASIX assessment fee and to the NatHERS certificate fee. BASIX certificate fees are GST-free. An example for a New South Wales single storey dwelling at standard turnaround is an assessment fee of $595 + GST, plus a BASIX certificate of $60 (GST-free), plus a NatHERS certificate of $65 + GST.

Priority turnaround is +40% on our fee only, rounded to the nearest dollar. Certificate fees are unchanged. A single storey priority fee is $833 + GST. Each quote states whether it is standard or priority.

One to two minor revisions are included. A major revision is $195 per hour + GST.

A 50% deposit is payable to start. The balance is due on issue of the final certificates. Each residential quote is valid for 30 days from the quote date.

Send the architectural plans, elevations, sections and window schedule, the site address, and the specification or construction notes if you have them. For a New South Wales project, say whether you need NatHERS, BASIX, or both. Missing items are listed in the quote rather than assumed.

Andrew Costi is the principal of Carbon Edge Consulting. The phone number on this site, 0459 231 743, is a direct line. Email andrew.costi@carbonedgeconsulting.com.

Professional indemnity insurance held.

No. Sending drawings asks for a quote. An engagement starts when you accept the written quote and pay the deposit described in it.