Under the NCC there are two ways to show a building complies: a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution, which follows the code's prescribed recipe, or a Performance Solution, which meets the underlying Performance Requirement in its own way. Both are equally valid paths to compliance. This is a plain-English explainer of what each one is, how a Performance Solution is assessed, and how to check a design against either, with links to the official ABCB guidance so you can confirm the detail.
What are the Performance Requirements?
The Performance Requirements are the heart of the NCC. The ABCB describes them as the minimum level that buildings, building elements, and plumbing and drainage systems must meet. They are mandatory: a building complies with the NCC when it satisfies the Performance Requirements. The two compliance pathways are simply two different ways of demonstrating that you have met them.
What is a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Solution?
A DTS Solution follows a set recipe of what, when, and how to do something. The NCC's Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions prescribe specific materials, components, design factors, and construction methods that, when used as specified, are accepted as meeting the Performance Requirements. If you follow the recipe, compliance is deemed to be satisfied, which is where the name comes from. It is the most common and the most straightforward pathway, because the code tells you exactly what to do.
What is a Performance Solution?
A Performance Solution meets the Performance Requirements directly, rather than by following the DTS recipe. The ABCB notes it is unique for each individual situation and often more flexible in achieving the outcome. It is the pathway that allows innovation: a design, material, or method that does not match the DTS Provisions can still comply if you can demonstrate it meets the relevant Performance Requirement. That demonstration is done using Assessment Methods.
How is a Performance Solution assessed?
The NCC sets out four Assessment Methods for showing a Performance Solution meets the Performance Requirements:
- Evidence of Suitability: documentation showing a material, product, or design meets the requirement.
- Verification Methods: tests, inspections, calculations, or other methods that verify compliance.
- Comparison with the DTS Provisions: showing the solution is at least equivalent to the prescribed DTS outcome.
- Expert Judgement: assessment by a suitably qualified professional, drawing on their expertise.
The NCC allows any combination of these methods, and a project can also blend pathways, using DTS Provisions for most of the building and a Performance Solution for the specific parts that need flexibility.
DTS vs Performance Solution: which should you use?
Neither is better in the abstract. They are different tools. A DTS Solution is faster and more certain when the prescribed recipe suits the design, which is most of the time. A Performance Solution is the right choice when the design does something the DTS Provisions do not cover, or when following the recipe would be impractical or more costly than an equivalent alternative. Many projects use both.
| Aspect | Deemed-to-Satisfy | Performance Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Follow the code's prescribed recipe | Meet the Performance Requirement directly |
| Flexibility | Fixed and prescriptive | Flexible, unique to the design |
| How compliance is shown | Use the DTS Provisions as specified | Assessment Methods (evidence, verification, comparison, expert judgement) |
| Best when | The recipe suits the design | The design needs an alternative approach |
| Documentation | Lighter | Heavier; the solution must be justified |
How do you check a design against the NCC pathways?
Whichever pathway you use, the drawings still have to be checked against the relevant provisions, and that is where UptoCode helps. Upload your drawing set or BIM model along with the NCC volume you are working to, and UptoCode checks the design against the DTS Provisions and cites every finding to the clause and the drawing. For a Performance Solution, that shows you exactly which DTS Provision you are departing from and where, which is the starting point for a comparison-based assessment or a conversation with your certifier. You can also upload a state variation or your own QA checklist and check against it the same way.
See how UptoCode reads a set on the NCC compliance page, or read what changed in the current edition in NCC 2025: what's changed. Create a free account and run a cited check on your next project.
Last reviewed 16 July 2026 against the ABCB's Understanding the NCC guidance. This article is general information, not compliance advice; confirm the current requirements and pathways with the ABCB and a qualified building professional for your project.