Usually it arrives as a certifier’s RFI: the cladding is not a DtS system, the window is in a shower, the wall build-up is not in the tables. None of that means the design is wrong. It means the compliance has to be demonstrated rather than looked up.
What you actually get
- The Performance Requirement, answered limb by limb. Not a general assurance that the system is good — a direct answer to the specific clause (F3P1 for external walls, F1V1 for a window in a wet area), addressed in its own terms.
- The assessment method, named. Under A2G2 that is usually expert judgement, evidence of suitability, comparison with DtS, or a verification method. The report says which one and why it applies.
- Project-specific numbers. Design wind pressures for your site with local pressure factors, an F3V1a weatherproofing risk score with the breakdown that produces it, and the certificate limits the system has to sit inside.
- Conditions and verification methods. What has to be built, inspected and documented for the solution to hold. This is the part certifiers read first.
When you need one
- Cladding that is not a DtS system. Fibre cement rendered systems, mineral wool ETICS, AAC panel, rainscreen and most proprietary facades are Performance Solution territory — either on a CodeMark certificate or by expert judgement.
- A window or glazed element in a wet area. AS 3740 DtS prohibits glazing in some shower configurations. The solution documents the sill detail, the sealed reveal and a heightened threshold under F1V1.
- An F3V1a risk score over 20. Above 20 the NCC calls for a specific weatherproofing design rather than the standard provisions. Sometimes the better answer is to reduce the score with a design change instead — we will tell you if that is on.
- Brick veneer, by contrast, usually is not. Masonry to AS 3700 and AS 4773 is Deemed-to-Satisfy under F3D5. Do not pay for a Performance Solution you do not need.
What makes one fail
- Answering a different question. A report that recites the system’s CodeMark certificate but never addresses the Performance Requirement itself is not a Performance Solution, and a good certifier will send it back.
- Wind pressures that do not match. The pressure in the wind report, the pressure in the solution and the pressure on the drawing notes have to be the same number. Mismatches across those three documents are the most common rejection we see.
- A risk score with no breakdown. If the score is stated but the factor selections that produce it are not shown, it cannot be checked, and an unauditable number is worth nothing to a certifier.
- Certificates that have expired. CodeMark certificates lapse and get revised. We check the register at the time of writing and state the status, revision and expiry in the report.
Indicative fees and turnaround
| Scope | Indicative fee (ex GST) | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Solution report (single system) | $2,500 – $4,500 | 5 – 10 working days |
| Wind assessment / wind report | $900 – $1,800 | 3 – 5 working days |
| F3V1a weatherproofing risk assessment | $900 – $1,500 | 3 – 5 working days |
| Facade / cladding compliance assessment | $2,000 – $4,000 | 2 – 3 weeks |
| Weatherproofing plan and details | $2,000 – $5,000 | 2 – 3 weeks |
Bands are the middle of our own fee book — the median to upper-quartile of 217 itemised fees on real ECE projects. They are indicative and ex GST. Every project is quoted on its own brief.
Common questions
Can you do the Performance Solution without a site visit?
For most cladding and weatherproofing solutions, yes. The work is desk-based: the architectural set, the wall types schedule, the wind data for the site and the product certificates. Where the building already exists and the question is about what is actually built rather than what was drawn, we will want to see it.
What do you need from us to start?
The architectural drawing set including the wall types schedule, the site address, the building class and storey count, and the certifier's RFI if there is one. If a wind assessment already exists for the project, send it — if not we will do one, because the solution cannot be written without the design pressures.
Is a Performance Solution riskier than Deemed-to-Satisfy?
It is not a lesser form of compliance — both are compliance pathways under the NCC, and a great deal of modern construction could not be built at all without Performance Solutions. What is true is that a Performance Solution carries conditions, and those conditions have to be built and inspected. A solution nobody follows on site is the real risk.
Do you also do the F3V1a risk score?
Yes, and on most jobs it comes with the solution rather than as a separate engagement. We publish the factor-by-factor breakdown that produces the total so the certifier can check it. Where the score lands just over 20 we will usually show you the design moves that would bring it under before writing a specific design.
Will a certifier accept it?
That is their call, not ours, and any consultant who guarantees acceptance is overselling. What we control is the things that get solutions rejected: answering the actual Performance Requirement, naming the assessment method under A2G2, using consistent design pressures across every document, showing the risk breakdown, and citing current certificates. If a certifier does come back with a query we respond to it as part of the engagement.
Send us the brief.
Tell us the address, the building class and what you have been asked for. We will come back with a scope and a fixed fee — not an hourly estimate. Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast; NSW, VIC and QLD.