A BA1 is the application form you lodge with your council to get a building permit when a private building surveyor has already assessed your plans. It is the certified route. You cannot lodge one without a completed BA3 certificate of design compliance attached, and every prior approval already in hand.
The BA1 is one of a series of forms approved by the Building Commissioner under the Building Act 2011 and the Building Regulations 2012. You can tell you have the current version by the “Building Commissioner Approved” line and date in the footer.
When You Use a BA1
You use a BA1 when you have gone the certified route: a registered private building surveyor has assessed your plans, checked them against the National Construction Code, and issued a certificate of design compliance.
The BA1 is you handing that package to your council and asking for council approval.
If nobody has assessed your plans yet, you want a BA2 instead.
What You Have to Lodge With It
A BA1 must be complete when it is lodged. This is the single biggest difference from a BA2 and the most common reason one gets rejected.
- the BA3 certificate of design compliance, signed by the registered building surveyor
- every document the BA3 refers to, including the assessed plans and specifications
- planning approval, where required, already issued
- the prescribed application fee and the Building Services Levy
- builder’s details, or owner-builder approval
- the estimated value of the work, including GST
- all owners’ signatures
You cannot lodge a BA1 with a planning application still pending. A BA2 can be lodged and put on hold. A BA1 cannot.
What It Costs
The application fee is prescribed by regulation, so it is the same at every council.
| Fee | |
| Certified application, Class 1 or Class 10 building | 0.19% of the value of the work, minimum $121 |
| Certified application, Class 2 to Class 9 building | 0.09% of the value, minimum $121 |
Plus the Building Services Levy: 0.137% of the value where the work is over $45,000, or $61.65 where it is $45,000 or less.
You pay the private building surveyor separately for the certificate of design compliance.
Note the comparison that surprises people: the uncertified fee is 0.32%, considerably higher than the certified 0.19%. The council charges you more to do the assessment itself.
How Long a BA1 Takes
Councils typically determine a certified application in 10 working days, because the technical assessment is already done. That is the main practical reason to go this route.
If the permit authority needs further information you generally have 21 calendar days to provide it, and they then have the balance of their period. Miss the 21 days and the application can be refused.
When a BA1 Is Worth It
Certified is faster, and the prescribed fee is lower. What you are paying for separately is the private surveyor.
On a small, simple job the sums usually favour uncertified. On anything with a variation, a boundary question, a fire separation issue or an unusual detail, certified is worth it for a reason that has nothing to do with fees: you find out what a building surveyor thinks before your council has the file.
Getting a “no” from a surveyor you are paying is a conversation. Getting one from a council is a refusal on your record.
Where the BA1 Sits in the Process
- Design and drawings prepared
- Planning approval, where required. See council approval
- Building surveyor assessment and certificate of design compliance
- Building permit application lodged with your council
- Permit issued, work commences
- Notice of completion lodged when finished
Full detail on the permit itself: building permits
The Other Forms You Might Meet
| Form | What it is |
| BA1 | Application for building permit, certified |
| BA2 | Application for building permit, uncertified |
| BA3 | Certificate of design compliance |
| BA5 | Application for demolition permit |
| BA7 | Notice of completion |
| BA8 | Notice of cessation |
| BA9 | Application for occupancy permit |
| BA13 | Application for building approval certificate |
| BA17 | Certificate of construction compliance |
| BA18 | Certificate of building compliance |
| BA19 | Request to amend building permit or builder’s details |
| BA20 | Notice and request for consent to encroach or adversely affect |
| BA22 | Application to extend time, building or demolition permit |
| BA23 | Application to extend time, occupancy permit or building approval certificate |
Also see the BA2 form , the BA3 form, certificates of design compliance
BA1 Questions
What is a BA1 form used for?
Applying to your local government for a building permit where a private registered building surveyor has already assessed the plans and issued a certificate of design compliance.
Do I need a BA3 to lodge a BA1?
Yes. A BA1 cannot be lodged without a completed BA3 certificate of design compliance and the documents it refers to.
How much does a BA1 cost?
The prescribed fee is 0.19% of the value of the work for a Class 1 or Class 10 building, with a $121 minimum, plus the Building Services Levy. The private surveyor charges separately.
How long does a BA1 take?
Councils typically determine certified applications in 10 working days from a complete lodgement.
Can I lodge a BA1 before planning approval?
No. A certified application must be lodged complete with all prior approvals issued. An uncertified BA2 can be lodged and held.
What is the difference between a BA1 and a BA2?
A BA1 is certified, meaning a private surveyor has assessed the plans. A BA2 is uncertified, meaning the council’s surveyors do it.
General guidance only, current at July 2026. Forms and prescribed fees are set under the Building Act 2011 and Building Regulations 2012 and change from time to time. Always download the current form from the WA Government and confirm fees with your local government.
