A Section J report assesses your commercial building against the NCC energy efficiency requirements. For Melbourne and Victorian projects under NCC 2025, we identify the most practical path, DTS or JV3, before documentation locks it in, not after the building surveyor asks.
Request a Fee Proposal →Send us your drawings, building class and project address. We'll confirm the pathway, scope and fee before you commit.
Section J rarely fails on the whole building. It fails on one element: a west-facing curtain wall, a dark roof, a glazing ratio fixed at town planning. By the time the building surveyor asks for the report, those decisions are drawn, priced and hard to reverse. The cheapest fix is the one made while the drawings can still move.
Window-to-wall ratios set at town planning often decide Section J compliance. Run the glazing check at schematic design and the facade can still change. Run it at building permit and the options narrow to expensive glass or modelling.
Victoria adopted NCC 2025 from 1 May 2026. For Class 3 and 5–9 buildings, Section J is tighter and the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of Part J9 (J9D5) now require on-site solar PV in most cases. Compliance advice prepared under the old edition may no longer hold.
When one element fails DTS, a J1V3 (JV3) assessment can show whether better performance in other envelope elements, such as roof insulation or shading, offsets it. HVAC and lighting cannot offset the envelope under NCC 2025. The design intent stays. The specification gets smarter, not more expensive.
A Section J report assesses a building against Section J (Energy Efficiency) of NCC Volume One. It covers the building fabric, glazing, building sealing, air-conditioning and ventilation, artificial lighting, hot water, and energy monitoring and on-site solar requirements. Your building surveyor relies on it before issuing a building permit.
There are two compliance pathways: Deemed-to-Satisfy and Performance Solution. Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) is prescriptive: every element meets its own requirement. It is fast and cost-effective for most buildings. J1V3, still widely called JV3, is a Verification Method used to support a Performance Solution. It models the whole building against a reference building. Envelope elements can offset each other, but services cannot offset the envelope.
In Victoria, NCC 2025 has applied since 1 May 2026. For Class 3 and 5–9 buildings it tightens Section J and requires on-site solar PV to be installed under Part J9. Class 2 apartment buildings stay on the NCC 2022 Section J provisions. Engage at town planning or schematic design, while glazing and roof decisions are still open.
Prescriptive compliance, element by element, against the NCC Section J Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions. Lower assessment cost. Best for straightforward designs where fabric, glazing and services fit the standard requirements.
Whole-building energy modelling against an NCC reference building. More flexible than DTS, because it allows trade-offs between elements. Higher assessment fee, but it can cut construction cost on complex or heavily glazed designs.
A Section J report from Makao does more than confirm compliance. Where an element fails, we name it, show why, and set out the most practical compliant fix. If DTS can't get there, we tell you whether JV3 can, before you pay for the modelling.
Fabric, glazing, building sealing, HVAC, lighting, hot water and Part J9 requirements, each checked against the Section J provisions that apply to your building class.
Where the design doesn't comply, we identify the specific element and the margin it fails by, so the design team can see exactly what needs to change.
A clear recommendation on whether a DTS fix or a J1V3 (JV3) assessment is the lower total-cost path, based on your glazing, fabric, services and programme.
A referenced compliance report for your building surveyor or council, written so the builder knows exactly what to deliver on site.
Section J gets flagged at different stages for different reasons. These are the situations we see most often on Melbourne and Victorian projects.
Building permit trigger — the most common one. In Victoria, the relevant building surveyor needs evidence of Section J compliance before issuing a building permit. We assess the most suitable pathway for your design and confirm the programme.
DTS glazing failure — DTS is prescriptive and penalises large east- and west-facing glazing. If the facade is fixed, J1V3 (JV3) modelling is usually the right move. We check whether the whole-building argument stacks up before you commit to the assessment.
Early-stage design advisory — this is where we add the most value. A short review of orientation, glazing ratio and insulation strategy at schematic design or design development can prevent costly compliance problems at building permit.
Mixed-use compliance — Class 2 apartments are typically rated with NatHERS, while common areas and the Class 6 retail are assessed under Section J. Under NCC 2025, Class 2 Section J requirements stay at NCC 2022 levels. We assess the whole building and map each part to the right pathway.
Fitouts and refurbishments — Section J applies to the new and altered parts of existing buildings. For significant fitouts, the report typically covers lighting, air-conditioning and building sealing for the tenancy. We scope what's required and advise on the most efficient pathway.
Construction-cost-heavy DTS — J1V3 (JV3) modelling often unlocks trade-offs between elements, such as shading strategies or enhanced roof insulation. The overall construction cost can be lower than the prescriptive DTS solution, even after the higher assessment fee.
Planning-stage energy evidence — some Victorian councils ask for early energy performance evidence as part of a Sustainable Design Assessment or Sustainability Management Plan. We prepare a preliminary Section J assessment from design-intent drawings and flag risks before documentation is finalised.
"We're targeting Green Star and need to know whether Section J DTS is enough or whether we need to go further."
Section J and Green Star — NCC Section J is the regulatory baseline. Green Star Buildings asks projects to beat a reference building, not just match it. We assess the gap between your design and the target rating and advise on the lowest-cost path to both.
Architectural drawings, site address, building class and any building surveyor or council correspondence. We confirm scope, pathway recommendation and turnaround before you commit.
We review your design against DTS requirements and advise whether DTS or JV3 is the right pathway — based on your glazing, fabric, services, and programme.
DTS or JV3 assessment completed, with clear compliance documentation for each NCC Section J element. Where issues are identified, we flag design interventions before the report is finalised.
A complete Section J compliance report, ready for your building surveyor or council. Clear, referenced, and structured so the builder understands what needs to be delivered on site.
A Section J report assesses a building against the energy efficiency requirements in Section J of NCC Volume One. It covers the building fabric, glazing, sealing, air-conditioning and ventilation, lighting, hot water, and energy monitoring and on-site solar. Building surveyors use it to confirm compliance before issuing a building permit.
Section J applies to Class 2 to 9 buildings under NCC Volume One: apartments, hotels, offices, retail, factories, warehouses, schools, hospitals and aged care. In Class 2 apartment buildings, the sole-occupancy units are assessed under NCC Part J3, usually with house energy rating software (NatHERS), and the common areas under the rest of Section J. Houses (Class 1) fall under NCC Volume Two.
Yes. Victoria adopted NCC 2025 from 1 May 2026. For Class 3 and 5–9 buildings, Section J is more stringent and the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of Part J9 (J9D5) now require on-site solar PV in most cases. Proposed Section J changes for Class 2 buildings did not proceed, so the NCC 2022 provisions continue to apply to them. Check which NCC edition applies to your building permit application.
DTS (Deemed-to-Satisfy) is prescriptive: each element must meet its own requirement. J1V3, commonly called JV3, is a Verification Method used to support a Performance Solution. It models the proposed building against a reference building. Envelope elements can offset each other, but services cannot offset the envelope. JV3 costs more to prepare but gives you design flexibility that DTS doesn't.
Building permit is when compliance must be shown, but town planning or schematic design is when engagement adds the most value. Section J can affect glazing selection, roof colour, insulation and mechanical design. Those decisions are much cheaper to change before documentation is locked.
Often, yes. A J1V3 (JV3) energy model can usually be extended for Green Star Buildings energy credits. If you're pursuing a rating alongside NCC compliance, engaging us for both avoids modelling the building twice.
Architectural drawings (PDF is fine), the site address, building class and any building surveyor or council correspondence. Mechanical, electrical and hydraulic information helps if it exists. We'll recommend a compliance pathway and confirm scope and fee before you commit.
We assess both pathways, so the recommendation follows your design, not the service we sell. If DTS works, we say so.
Assessments are prepared against the NCC edition that applies to your permit, including NCC 2025 in Victoria from 1 May 2026.
We review glazing, roof and services early, while changes are still cheap, so Section J shapes the design instead of overriding it.
J1V3 models can often be extended for Green Star Buildings work, so the building is only modelled once.
Clear, referenced reports structured for building surveyors and councils. Each element shows what was assessed and what must be built.
Local knowledge of Victorian councils, building surveyors and the facade systems common on Melbourne projects.
