AS/NZS 1170 is the engineer's loads standard — the rulebook for the forces a building has to withstand. For a house, you meet it mostly through the wind classification it underpins.
What AS/NZS 1170 actually means
AS/NZS 1170 sets out the design actions — the loads — that structures must resist: permanent (dead) loads, imposed (live) loads, wind, snow and earthquake. Each is covered in a part of the series. Part 2 deals with wind actions, and it is the basis for the housing-specific wind classifications in AS 4055.
Where it applies in your new home
Every structural element of your home is designed to carry the loads AS/NZS 1170 defines. For most houses this reaches you indirectly, through the engineer's design and — for wind — through the AS 4055 wind class assigned to your site.
What VG Inspect checks against it
An inspector does not re-derive the loads; that is engineering. What is verified on site is that the built structure matches the engineered design that accounts for those loads — particularly the wind-related bracing and tie-down at frame stage, where the consequences of getting it wrong are greatest.
What it does and doesn't cover
AS/NZS 1170 covers the loads. How the frame is built to resist them is covered by AS 1684 (timber) or the NASH Standard (steel), and the wind class by AS 4055.
A VG Inspect QBCC-licensed inspector (QBCC Licence 1318443) verifies your frame against its engineered design at frame stage. Call 07 3180 8041 or book a frame inspection online.