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NCC 2025 code assistant for engineers

Ask a plain-English question about NCC 2025 and get an answer based on entries from a curated knowledge base, mainly NCC summaries, with the sources it used and a check on every clause it cites. Australian Standards are named by designation and clause number only.

  • 25 CodeLens queries per month
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The problem

Engineers spend real time finding where something is covered before they can read it. Is it in the NCC performance requirements, the Housing Provisions, or a referenced standard? A general-purpose chatbot will answer confidently, but it may invent clause numbers you then have to check one by one.

CodeLens is a faster starting point for that search. It searches its own knowledge base, answers only from the entries it finds, and shows you which ones it used. Where those entries don't cover the question, it is told to say so and stop rather than answer from its own training.

How it works

  1. Type your question in plain English, for example about a structural pathway, a referenced standard or a design action.
  2. Optionally pick your state or territory. CodeLens is asked to note state variations only where the entries state them. You can also narrow the search to a single source, such as NCC 2025 or one Australian Standard.
  3. CodeLens searches the Australian entries in its knowledge base; another country's are never searched. If nothing matches, it declines to answer and tells you so. A match can still be weak, so check the sources it lists.
  4. When it finds entries, it writes an answer from them, citing clause numbers only where they appear in those entries. For an Australian Standard it is told to point you to the clause or table to read, never to state the standard's values or requirements, even if you ask, and to end with the link to Standards Australia. A sentence stating a number CodeLens cannot trace to the entries or to your question is withheld and marked. Models can ignore instructions, so check each answer against the current edition. Matching is by keyword, and no relevance score or confidence label is shown.
  5. Every clause reference is checked and marked with how far that check went: clause found in an Australian entry we hold, standard held but clause not found, standard not indexed, another country's standard, or matching no standard at all. Each links to the official text.
  6. Comparing NCC 2022 with NCC 2025 is switched off until both editions are summarised to the same depth.

The knowledge base is made of short entries, not the full text of the codes. NCC 2025 content is drawn from ABCB material published under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY 4.0). NCC 2022 content is a short outline of Volumes One and Three only. Standards Australia does not license its standards for AI products, so the entries for AS 3600, AS 4100, AS/NZS 1170 (Part 0 only), AS 2870, AS 1720.1 and AS 4055 are pointers: each names the standard, its edition, the clause or table numbers to look in and what to look for there, and none carries a value, requirement or wording from the standard. The knowledge base also holds entries on the bushfire attack levels of AS 3959. Read the full text of a standard from Standards Australia: https://www.standards.org.au/access-standards/buy-standards

Worked example

Illustrative inputs:

  • question: "Which NCC 2025 provisions set the structural requirements for a new Class 1a house, and which Australian Standards do they reference?"
  • state: Queensland
  • source filter: all sources

A typical result is a short answer that names the relevant NCC 2025 parts and the referenced standards, points to where in each standard to read, and ends with the link to Standards Australia. It is told to note Queensland variations only where the entries state them. We haven't quoted an answer here, because the wording is generated fresh each time.

What you would do next: read the NCC 2025 volumes and each referenced standard at the parts named. Check which edition your state has adopted for the application date. Treat any reference marked not found as unconfirmed.

What it doesn't do

  • It does not search the full text of the NCC or Australian Standards, or give a standard's values. Answers come from a stored snapshot of entries that may not reflect current amendments or errata. Ask for a cover and it names the clause to read.
  • It can miss relevant clauses entirely. A topic the knowledge base doesn't cover is not evidence that no requirement exists.
  • A ticked reference is not a checked quotation. A tick means that clause number appears in our entry for that standard, not that the clause says what the answer claims. Always read the cited clause in the published document.
  • It does not decide which edition applies. Adoption of NCC editions differs between states and territories. Confirm the applicable edition with the relevant authority.
  • It is not legal or professional advice. It is a starting point for a qualified engineer, who remains responsible for checking every answer.

Codes and standards our tools refer to

We refer to Australian Standards by name, designation and clause number only, and show none of their text, values or requirements. Our NCC 2025 entries are summaries of ABCB material published under CC BY 4.0. Buy the full text of a standard from Standards Australia. How we use standards.

  • NCC 2025
  • AS 3600 — Concrete
  • AS 4100 — Steel
  • AS/NZS 1170 — Loads
  • AS 1720 — Timber
  • AS 2870 — Footings
  • AS 3959 — Bushfire
  • AS 4055 — Wind

Questions engineers ask

Does it search the full text of the NCC or the Australian Standards?

No. It searches a curated knowledge base and answers only from the entries it finds; where they don't cover the question, it is told to say so and stop. NCC 2025 content is drawn from ABCB material published under a Creative Commons licence. It holds no text, values or requirements from the Australian Standards: it can name a standard and a clause number, and the full text is sold by Standards Australia. Read the published edition for anything you rely on.

Which documents does the knowledge base cover?

Mainly NCC 2025 and a short outline of NCC 2022 Volumes One and Three, summarised from ABCB material, plus our own notes from government sources, such as how each state designates bushfire-prone land, and pointer entries for some Australian Standards that name only the standard and the clause or table numbers to read. Coverage within each is a fraction, so a missing topic is not evidence that no requirement exists. A question about what an Australian Standard itself requires is not something it can answer: read the standard. Only these Australian entries are searched: another country's entries are never searched, whichever source you pick.

What happens if it can't find anything relevant?

If the knowledge base holds nothing matching your question, it declines and tells you so, and you can rephrase or widen the source filter. When it does find entries, they may cover the question only partly. The AI is then told to say what they don't cover and stop, rather than answer from its own training, and an answer that cites none of the entries it was given is withheld. A model can ignore an instruction, so check the sources listed with each answer.

How do I know whether a cited clause is real?

Each clause reference in an answer is checked against the entries we hold and marked with how far the check went: clause found in an Australian entry we hold, standard held but clause not found, standard not in our knowledge base, a real standard from another country, or not in our catalogue at all. Another country's standard is flagged, not passed. Even a found clause only means that clause number appears in one of our entries, not that it says what the answer claims, so read the clause in the published document before acting on it.

Which edition applies to my project?

That depends on your state or territory and on when the application was lodged, because NCC editions are adopted on different dates. You can tell the assistant your state, but confirm the applicable edition with the relevant authority.

Can I rely on an answer as professional advice?

No. It is a research starting point. Answers can miss relevant provisions, and the knowledge base is a snapshot that may not reflect the latest amendments or errata. A qualified engineer must check the answer against the current published edition.

Related tools

Try it on your next job. Every output is a starting point for a qualified engineer to check.

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StructBy AI outputs are automated or AI-assisted and must be reviewed by a qualified, registered engineer before anyone relies on them. They are not professional engineering, legal or regulatory advice, and they do not replace a site inspection or a formal assessment. Our NCC entries are summaries of ABCB material, not the text of the NCC. Australian Standards are referred to by name, designation and clause number only; their full text is sold by Standards Australia. Verify every value and clause against the current published edition before you use it in design or documentation.