Is your townhouse fire rated wall installation compliant and can you prove it?
As a company specialising in certifying fire rated walls, we are increasingly frustrated that the same simple mistakes are being made, resulting in thousands of dollars’ worth of re-works and program delays to bring a project up to compliance.
If you have a townhouse project with light weight fire rated walls, it is critical that you ensure they are installed correctly and that you have the evidence to prove it. What does the test report say? Is the install DTS or will you need a performance solution? Is that the best solution? These are questions you, or a licensed passive fire certifier will need to answer on your behalf.
You can be assured your fire rated walls and compartmentation will be inspected many times, by a passive fire certifier upon installation, by a Building Certifier during construction, and possibly by the QBCC on handover.
Regular inspections continue post-build and will likely occur within your warranty period, during a building and pest inspection. If defects are found, they can result in post-completion rectification costs ten times more expensive than what they would have been during the installation stage.
In light of recent tragedies, legislative changes, and media attention to ongoing defects, Building Certifiers are under increased pressure to ensure that work is done correctly. Our research suggests that passive fire constitutes 3-4% of construction costs yet represents 30-40% of all defect/rectification costs. With large sums at risk, you need to know you have done it right.
Legislation in each state varies and in Queensland to certify fire rated walls, a QBCC ‘Fire protection – Passive- Certify’ licence is required along with professional indemnity insurance. As of May 2025, fire-rated wall installers will also need to have a ‘Fire protection – passive - install and maintain – fire and smoke walls and fire-rated ceilings’ licence.
The QBCC has always been diligent, however due to ongoing rectification payouts, they have increased the number random inspections of fire walls, resulting in finding easily avoidable defects, including but not limited to:
Mixing systems – e.g. not using the same manufacturer for Shaftliner and internal linings.
Wrong internal lining failing acoustics – 10mm PB doesn’t cut it.
Open voids in roof spaces of eaves and verandas not being treated.
Not understanding Shaftliner clip locations and requirements – there are differences between the manufacturers.
Cantilevers and fire rated ceilings.
Boundary wall misconceptions – i.e. direction of fire, treatment above roofs.
Window treatment on boundary walls.
Not using steel fasteners – that is NO alloy anchors (sure drives), we still see Nylon anchors!
Substitution of insulation – needs to be as per the tested system.
Caulking joints – mixing brands, gaps, depth.
Roof fibreglass insulation can’t pass over fire wall Rockwool.
Drawings are not always right – nor an abdication of responsibility.
Poor certification documents that do not clarify systems details or reference test reports
New products and their installation guides are appearing on the market, but remember installation guides are simply that – a guide – not necessarily a route to compliance. There may not be a tested system even if the guide says there is, and assessment reports are being challenged, so you need to get pre-approved by a certifier before you start.
As an industry we cannot fall back on “I’ve always done it that way” – it doesn’t mean it’s right!
This is a simple overview of some of the many and complex issues to deal with, noncompliance has many ramifications both financial and legal.
To ensure that your townhouse is up to code, you will need to use a third-party passive fire certifier to provide an understanding of the fire rating level (FRL) required, check the drawings are certifiable, liaise with authorities to ensure the system you are installing is cost-effective, train your installers, provide inspections and rectification methods if needed! This way you will avoid costly reworks, saving time and money, and maybe better still, give you peace of mind that there will be a trouble-free handover.
To get a copy of our fire wall compliance guide click here
Written by Peter Blain – Passive Fire Educator, Expert Witness, Certifier, and Plus Systems Founder.
“But that’s not how Gazza showed me!”
”Do we really need to clip both sides of the wall?”
”When did that come in?”
“But we thought that’d be ok”
“I can’t keep up with these changes”
“I don’t have photos, but trust me we did it correctly”