NCC 2022 Section J3.5 Airtightness Requirements Explained – Aerotight – Blower door testing
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Standards Reference Architects Builders Array Array Array 09 December 2025

NCC 2022 Section J3.5 Airtightness Requirements Explained

A complete breakdown of the NCC 2022 airtightness requirements for Class 2 residential buildings — who it applies to, targets, testing methods, and compliance pathways.

Standards Reference

NCC 2022 J3.5 View Standard ↗
Airtightness of a Building Envelope
Buildings must be sealed to limit uncontrolled air infiltration. Maximum permeability is 10 m³/(h·m²) at 50 Pa for Class 2 buildings.
AS 9972:2015
Thermal performance of buildings – Determination of air permeability of buildings
Australian standard for blower door testing methodology.
ATTMA Technical Standard L2
Measuring the Air Permeability of Building Envelopes
Industry standard testing protocol used by Aerotight for commercial testing.

Overview

NCC 2022 introduced mandatory airtightness testing requirements for Class 2 (multi-residential) buildings in Australia under Section J3.5.

Who Does It Apply To?

All new Class 2 residential buildings with a building permit date on or after 1 May 2023 in Climate Zones 6, 7, and 8. From 1 October 2023 it applies nationally.

The Target

Buildings must achieve ≤ 10 m³/(h·m²) at 50 Pa for the whole building. Statistical sampling is permitted for large multi-residential developments.

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