Laundry Facility Requirements for Residential Buildings

What This Requirement Covers

This requirement sets out minimum provisions for laundry facilities in residential buildings under the National Construction Code (NCC) / Building Code of Australia (BCA). It explains what laundry fixtures and provisions must be provided in sole-occupancy units and shared residential buildings, how drying facilities are to be provided, and which rooms or fixtures cannot be counted as laundry fixtures. The rules exist to ensure adequate health, hygiene and amenity for occupants and to provide consistent, verifiable minimum standards for designers, builders and certifiers.

The requirement applies primarily to housing and other residential classes described in the NCC (notably Class 1, 2 and 3 where applicable and Class 4 parts). It references both the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions and the Performance Requirements of the NCC and cross-refers to plumbing, ventilation and condensation provisions in Volume Two and Volume One as required for installation, ventilation and drainage.

Key Requirements

1. Provision in sole-occupancy units (NCC Volume One, F4D2 and related clauses):
2. - Each sole-occupancy unit must provide clothes washing facilities comprising at least one washtub and a space for a washing machine, located in the same room as the washing facilities (as specified in NCC Volume One, F4D2 and related Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions).
3. - Each sole-occupancy unit must also provide clothes drying facilities, being either:
4. - - a clothes line or hoist with not less than 7.5 m of line; or
5. - - space for one heat-operated drying cabinet or appliance in the same room as the clothes washing facilities (NCC Volume One, F4D2 and F4V1 cross-references).
6. Shared laundry option for multi-unit residential (NCC Volume One, F4D2):
7. - A separate shared laundry may be provided in lieu of individual in-unit facilities where there is one separate laundry for each 4 sole-occupancy units, or part thereof. Each shared laundry must comprise:
8. - - at least one washtub and space for a washing machine; and
9. - - clothes drying facilities with 7.5 m of line per sole-occupancy unit served, or space for a heat-operated drying cabinet or appliance (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
10. Counting fixtures (NCC Volume One, F4D2 / F4V1):
11. - A kitchen sink or washbasin must not be counted as a laundry washtub for the purposes of satisfying the laundry requirement (explicit statement in F4D2 / F4V1).
12. Ventilation and condensation (NCC Volume Two and cross-volume references):
13. - Laundry ventilation must satisfy Performance Requirement H4P5; compliance can be achieved by complying with Part 10.6 of the ABCB Housing Provisions or by mechanical ventilation installed in accordance with AS 1668.2, except exhaust from laundry fans is specifically noted in H4D7 (NCC Volume Two, H4D7).
14. - Condensation management is covered by H4P7 and associated deemed-to-satisfy provisions; compliance with Part 10.8 of the ABCB Housing Provisions satisfies this (NCC Volume Two, H4D9).
15. Plumbing, drainage and heated water (cross-volume references):
16. - Installation of sanitary plumbing and drainage relevant to laundry fixtures is governed by NCC Volume Three (plumbing provisions) and associated Australian Standards for plumbing and drainage; designer must ensure compliance with Parts C1 and C2 cross-referenced in Volume Two documentation.
17. Applicable building classes and references:
18. - Primary application: Class 1 (single dwellings, attached dwellings), Class 2 (apartment buildings - sole-occupancy units) and Class 4 parts where residential facilities are required (see NCC Volume One, F4D2 and F4D1 family of clauses).
19. - For multi-residential buildings and other classes where residents share facilities (Class 3 residential care, Class 9c etc.), additional or alternative provisions apply as set out in NCC Volume One F4D2 to F4D3 (see specific clauses for numbers and types of facilities required).
20. Australian Standards and referenced documents (where relevant to installation and systems):
21. - Ventilation: AS 1668.2 (mechanical ventilation installation) referenced in NCC Volume Two, H4D7.
22. - Structural and other standards may apply to supporting equipment and fixings as relevant (e.g., load-bearing fixings for laundry appliances in accordance with applicable design standards such as AS 1684 for timber framing where penetrations / supports are required) - check project-specific references.

Residential vs Commercial

1. Residential (Class 1 and Class 2 sole-occupancy units):
2. - Requirement is explicit: each sole-occupancy unit must have its own clothes washing facilities (washtub + washing machine space) and drying facilities (7.5 m line or space for heat-operated dryer) unless a shared laundry is provided under the 1:4 rule (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
3. - Focus is on amenity and personal hygiene; provisions are modest (single washtub, space for typical domestic washing machine).
4. Commercial or non-domestic residential (Class 3 boarding houses, Class 9 commercial buildings etc.):
5. - Requirements vary widely: for example, Class 3 buildings have provisions for baths/showers and sanitary fixtures based on number of residents (NCC Volume One, F4D2 and related), while Class 9c (health care) requires laundry facilities for cleaning linen and clothing with different counts and potentially separate clinical handwashing basins (see NCC Volume One F4D2(5)).
6. - Where facilities are provided for employees (e.g., staff facilities in commercial buildings), F4D provisions for employee facilities such as F4D4 may apply and different counts or fixtures may be required.
7. In short: domestic residential provisions are prescriptive and limited (washtub + space + 7.5 m drying line), whereas commercial and institutional buildings are judged by occupant numbers, function and may require larger or specialised laundry installations (see NCC Volume One clauses for each class).

Exceptions and Exemptions

1. Shared laundry alternative: a permitted alternative where one separate laundry is provided for each 4 sole-occupancy units or part thereof instead of individual in-unit facilities (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
2. Heat-operated drying appliance alternative: where a clothes line or hoist is impractical, space for a heat-operated drying cabinet or appliance in the same room may be accepted as satisfying drying facility requirements (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
3. Performance Solutions: Where a Deemed-to-Satisfy solution is not appropriate, a Performance Solution may be developed under the NCC (A2G2/A2G4 process) provided the Performance Requirements (e.g., F4P1, H4P5, H4P7) are met and supported by evidence; this is appropriate for atypical developments or where an alternate arrangement provides equivalent amenity.
4. State or local variations: some states include schedule amendments which may modify or add to these provisions (see State and Territory Variations below). Always check the relevant state schedule in NCC Volume One for changes.

State and Territory Variations

1. The NCC is national but includes state and territory Schedules which may alter or add requirements. Designers must check the relevant state schedule in NCC Volume One (Schedules 4-12) for local amendments.
2. Example guidance (non-exhaustive):
3. - Queensland: check Schedule 7 of NCC Volume One for any Queensland-specific modifications that could affect sanitary and laundry provisions.
4. - Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory: each jurisdiction's schedule within NCC Volume One should be reviewed for local amendments to F4D2, ventilation or condensation management provisions.
5. - Where local planning or health departments impose additional requirements (for example in boarding houses, aged care or other specialist accommodation), those requirements take precedence in their jurisdictional context.
6. Always verify the current state schedule in NCC 2022 Volume One (Schedules 4-12) for up-to-date local amendments before final design or certification.

Practical Compliance Tips

1. - Do not count a kitchen sink or washbasin as a laundry washtub; provide a dedicated washtub where required (explicit prohibition in NCC Volume One, F4D2).
2. - Where space is limited in apartments, consider the shared laundry option only if the ratio (one laundry per 4 units) will be acceptable to the client and certifier; document the ratio and calculations for approval (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
3. - Provide at least 7.5 m of drying line per unit when designing communal drying areas, and ensure layout provides adequate circulation and sunlight/ventilation or allow space for a heat-operated drying appliance (NCC Volume One, F4D2).
4. - Verify ventilation and condensation controls for laundry rooms with reference to H4P5/H4P7 and the ABCB Housing Provisions (Part 10.6 and Part 10.8) and use AS 1668.2 for mechanical ventilation installations when applicable (NCC Volume Two, H4D7 / H4D9).
5. - Coordinate with plumbing documentation (NCC Volume Three and relevant Parts C1/C2 cross-references) to ensure drainage and access for maintenance are compliant; include heated water temperature control where laundry facilities could be used for personal hygiene (cross-volume references in NCC Volume Two explanatory information).
6. - When proposing an alternate design or Performance Solution, prepare queuing or amenity evidence and refer to the Performance Requirements (e.g., F4P1) and the A2G2/A2G4 pathway so the certifier can readily assess equivalence to the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions.
7. - Check the relevant state schedule in NCC Volume One for amendments before construction documentation is finalised; retain citations to the exact NCC clauses (for example, cite NCC Volume One F4D2 and the applicable state schedule clause) for certifier review.

Citations: NCC 2022 Volume One - Building Code of Australia, F4D1 to F4D3 (Facilities in residential buildings), F4V1 (Sanitary facilities), and cross-references in NCC 2022 Volume Two H4D7 and H4D9 for ventilation and condensation management; referenced Australian Standard AS 1668.2 for mechanical ventilation installation and project-appropriate structural standards such as AS 1684 where relevant to supporting components.

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