Sunday was not the end of NCC 2022 in the ACT. It was the cut off for lodging an application that keeps the old code available beyond May 2027. Projects without one now work to a single date.

The 1 November 2026 date in the ACT’s building code transition passed on Sunday.

What it marked is narrower than it may look. It was not the day NCC 2025 became mandatory in the ACT. That date is 1 May 2027.

Instead, 1 November was the cut off for one concession. A development application or works approval lodged before it keeps a choice of code for longer. Every other project now runs to the May deadline.

The ACT runs a 12 month choice window to 1 May 2027

NCC 2025 commenced in the ACT on 1 May 2026, according to the ACT Government’s NCC page. For building approvals issued from then up to 30 April 2027, a project can comply with either NCC 2022 and the ACT 2022 Appendix, or NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix.

For building approvals issued on or after 1 May 2027, NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix apply. The governing instrument requires a project to nominate its edition and not mix provisions from the two.

The ACT Government says the 12 month transition aligns its timing with New South Wales. Its stated reason was to give industry flexibility during a period of global uncertainty.

The original timetable ended the old code on 1 November

The 12 month window is not what the ACT first announced.

The original timetable, announced in December 2025 and summarised by Master Builders ACT in January, set a six month transition. Under it, building approvals issued after 1 November 2026 would have had to comply with NCC 2025. The ACT said at the time it was investigating further arrangements for projects that were substantially progressed.

On 2 April 2026, the ACT Government announced the longer window, together with the rule for projects with a lodged DA or works approval. The 1 November date stayed in the rules, but its job changed.

A DA or works approval lodged before 1 November keeps the choice

Under the ACT’s published arrangements, a project with a development application or works approval application formally lodged before 1 November 2026 can keep seeking building approval under either NCC 2022 or NCC 2025. The ACT Government says that choice lasts until the DA expires.

Lodged has a specific meaning here. Under the instrument, it means the completeness check was finalised to the ACT’s satisfaction and all relevant application fees were paid.

Those projects are not bound by the May 2027 date. Their choice of code runs with the life of the DA.

Projects without a DA or works approval lodged before 1 November have no such extension. To be approved under NCC 2022, they need building approval by 30 April 2027.

The ACT Government’s NCC page advises that projects unlikely to reach building approval by 1 May 2027 should focus on meeting NCC 2025, unless they lodged a DA or works approval before 1 November 2026.

What was the ACT’s 1 November 2026 NCC cut off?

In the ACT’s transition to NCC 2025, 1 November 2026 is the lodgement cut off for an extended choice of code. A project with a development application or works approval application formally lodged before that date can keep seeking building approval under either NCC 2022 or NCC 2025 until the DA expires. Other projects can use NCC 2022 only if building approval is issued by 30 April 2027.

Many single dwellings had no DA to lodge

This is where the cut off may matter most for house builders.

In the ACT, a new single dwelling generally does not need development approval if it is the only dwelling on the block, complies with the relevant development controls, neighbours have been given information about the proposal and it meets the general exemption criteria, according to ACT Planning. It will generally still need building approval.

The published transition arrangements tie the extended pathway to a lodged DA or works approval. They do not describe a separate pathway for exempt projects.

On the rules as published, an exempt house can be approved under NCC 2022 only if its building approval is issued by 30 April 2027. The published material does not address exempt projects directly, so the treatment of any individual job sits with its certifier.

The edition decides what the house has to do

The ACT lists the main NCC 2025 changes as including measures to prevent condensation and mould in new homes, along with improved waterproofing and drainage requirements. For existing buildings other than houses that need building approval, the ACT has varied the new waterproofing requirement so the earlier one applies.

Most of the other listed changes sit outside detached housing. They cover energy efficiency for commercial buildings, fire safety for carparks attached to commercial and apartment buildings, and toilet provisions in commercial and public buildings.

For a house, the edition shapes the design, the specification and what gets inspected. A late slip in approval timing can move a job from one edition to the other.

A late slip in approval timing can move a job from one edition to the other.

The ACT 2025 Appendix carries its own local rules

Choosing an edition also means choosing an ACT Appendix. The instrument now in force, the Building (ACT Appendix to the Building Code) Determination 2026 (No 2), was made by Planning Minister Chris Steel on 29 April 2026. It holds both appendices, one for use with NCC 2022 and one for NCC 2025, and sets out the transition dates.

For housing, the 2025 Appendix’s ACT variations include a certified Passivhaus option for new buildings under the energy efficiency provisions, local rules on swimming pools and building over drains, and livable housing provisions for alterations. It also adds explanatory notes on condensation.

Those local rules apply on top of whichever national edition a project is approved under, so the Appendix is part of the same edition decision.

The cost argument has not gone away

Master Builders ACT welcomed the 12 month window when it was announced, but said it did not address rising costs and complexity. It said NCC 2025 could add between $14,000 and $55,000 to the cost of new builds. Its release did not set out how that range was calculated.

It called for the delay to be made permanent, a detailed review of NCC 2022, and a full cost benefit analysis before NCC 2025 is enforced. It also asked for funded technical training, a formal industry readiness assessment and no ACT variations that are not adopted nationally.

The ACT Government has tied the code to building quality, alongside its goal of enabling 30,000 new homes by 2030.

Just under six months remain for NCC 2022 approvals

For ACT projects without an early DA, the window for an NCC 2022 approval now runs just under six months.

For builders with ACT work in design, the edition question has become a scheduling question. Whether approval is issued by 30 April 2027 or later decides the code the house is built to.

New South Wales also makes NCC 2025 mandatory from 1 May 2027. Our state by state breakdown sets out where every other jurisdiction sits.

The date that passed on Sunday mattered for projects with paperwork already lodged. For most ACT house builders, the date that matters now is 1 May 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related articles

• NCC 2025 State by State: Where the New Building Code Applies Now, When It Becomes Mandatory, and What It Costs You
• NCC 2025 Is Delayed in QLD and NSW
• Construction Licensing and Compliance in Australia
• Building Better Guide

Last updated 5 November 2026. Sources: ACT Government NCC page; ACT Government media release, 2 April 2026; Building (ACT Appendix to the Building Code) Determination 2026 (No 2).

General Information Only. This article provides general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not legal or professional advice. Building code requirements and transition arrangements can change. You should confirm how they apply to a specific project with a registered building certifier or the ACT Government.

Author: TGB Editorial