How Much Does a Fire Engineering Performance Solution Cost in Australia?
Direct answer: A single-issue fire engineering performance solution in Queensland typically starts from a fixed fee of around $750+GST for straightforward Class 1a and Class 10 matters (like a boundary setback or a shed/carport clearance issue), rising for more complex commercial or multi-storey projects, multiple performance issues, or projects requiring fire authority consultation and detailed modelling. The single biggest cost driver isn’t the building class. It’s how many separate DTS departures need to be resolved and how much analysis each one requires.
Why Fire Engineering Pricing Varies So Much
Ask five fire engineers what a performance solution costs and you’ll get five different answers, because the honest answer is: it depends entirely on scope. A performance solution addressing one clearly defined issue (say, a carport sitting closer to the boundary than the DTS provisions allow) is a fundamentally different job from a multi-issue commercial performance solution requiring quantitative fire modelling, egress analysis, and fire authority sign-off.
What Actually Drives the Fee
Number of performance issues. Each separate departure from DTS, i.e., boundary distance, sprinkler omission, travel distance, construction type is generally assessed and priced as its own item. A single-issue residential matter costs a fraction of a multi-issue commercial one.
Building complexity and class. A Class 1a home or Class 10a shed/carport is the simplest end of the spectrum. Class 2/3 (apartments, short-term accommodation) and Class 5-9 (commercial, industrial, healthcare, assembly) buildings involve more Performance Requirements, more stakeholders, and usually more analysis.
Whether fire authority consultation is required. Some performance solutions can be resolved between the fire engineer and the certifier. Others particularly larger or higher-risk buildings, require formal consultation with the fire authority, which adds both time and fee, and it depends on the applicable state legislation where the building is located in.
Modelling requirements. Straightforward qualitative comparisons (e.g. “this alternative measure offsets this departure”) cost less than projects requiring quantitative fire or smoke modelling (FDS, CFAST) to demonstrate tenable egress conditions.
Site-specific investigation. Projects with no reticulated water supply, unusual construction, or existing non-compliant buildings typically need more investigation time before the solution can even be scoped.
What a Fixed-Fee Model Looks Like
Some fire engineering practices quote on a fixed, per-issue basis rather than hourly, starting from $750+GST for a standard single-issue Class 1a/10 performance solution. The advantage for clients is straightforward: you know the cost before you commit, and it doesn’t change because the report took longer to draft than expected. More complex or multi-issue projects are quoted individually once the scope is understood, but the same principle applies; a clear, fixed number before work starts, not an open-ended hourly estimate.
What’s Usually Included in the Fee
A typical performance solution fee covers: – Site-specific technical assessment against the relevant NCC Performance Requirements – The written performance solution report itself, suitable for submission to your certifier – Reasonable liaison with your certifier during assessment – Revisions arising from certifier review (within a normal scope)
What often isn’t included, and should be clarified upfront: formal fire authority consultation meetings, construction-stage RFIs beyond a standard allowance, and site inspections for post-construction certification (these are typically separate, smaller fee items).
How to Get an Accurate Quote Fast
The fastest way to get a firm number is to send through: the site address, building class, a brief description of the specific DTS provision(s) you can’t meet, and architectural drawings if available. A fire engineer can usually turn a fixed quote around same-day from that information. No site visit required at the quoting stage for most residential and light commercial matters.
The Real Cost Comparison to Make
The number that actually matters isn’t the performance solution fee in isolation. It’s that fee compared to the cost of redesigning the project to force DTS compliance instead (moving a wall, losing floor area, re-engineering a structure). In almost every case we see, the performance solution is materially cheaper than the alternative, which is exactly why the pathway exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a fire engineer’s quote usually fixed or hourly?
Both models exist in the market. Fixed-fee, per-issue pricing (like Fyrewise’s $750+GST starting point for standard Class 1a/10 matters) gives cost certainty before work begins; hourly billing is more common for large, open-ended commercial projects.
Does the cost include liaising with my certifier?
Reasonable liaison during standard assessment is typically included; extended fire authority consultation or repeated re-scoping is usually quoted separately.
Is a performance solution always cheaper than redesigning to meet DTS?
In the large majority of cases, yes, particularly on infill or constrained sites where DTS compliance would require structural changes, lost floor area, or demolition.
What information do I need to provide for an accurate quote?
Site address, building classification, the specific DTS provision(s) you can’t meet, and drawings if you have them. This lets a fire engineer scope the number of issues involved and quote a fixed fee.
Fyrewise quotes fixed-fee performance solutions from $750+GST, with free, no-obligation estimates. Send your drawings and site details to admin@fyrewise.com.au or call +61 492 943 682 for a same-day quote.
