Blower Door Testing
Calibrated airtightness testing, leak location diagnostics and written reports for new builds, renovations and Passive House projects across Adelaide and South Australia.
- ATTMA / ISO 9972 methodology
- Passive House experience
- Detailed written reports included
- Servicing Adelaide & regional SA
Get an indicative blower door testing cost in less than 30 seconds
Select your project details to receive an instant estimate. Final pricing is confirmed in your formal quote.
Estimated testing cost
$880
incl GST · indicative estimate
Includes calibrated blower door testing, airtightness measurement, test certificate and review of findings.
Get your detailed quote
We’ll email your estimate and follow up with a detailed quote tailored to your project.
Which blower door test do I need?
First Fix Airtightness Test
Performed during construction, before finishes conceal the air barrier.
- Identify leakage pathways while they remain accessible
- Allow builders and trades to rectify issues early
- Reduce costly rework later in the project
- Ideal for high-performance and Passive House projects
Final Airtightness Test
Performed on a completed home before handover or after renovation works.
- Measure overall airtightness performance
- Verify project targets
- Provide documented test results
- Confirm the quality of the completed air barrier
Existing Home Investigation
Designed for homeowners experiencing draughts, condensation, mould or comfort issues.
- Identify uncontrolled air leakage
- Locate likely leakage pathways
- Understand causes of comfort and moisture problems
- Receive practical recommendations for improvement
Included with every test
- Calibrated blower door equipment
- Airtightness measurement (ACH50 and q50)
- Building pressure test
- Smoke-pencil leakage investigation
- Written test certificate and report
- Verbal review of results
- Plain-English explanation of findings
- Guidance on next steps
Thermal imaging may be used where conditions permit, to help pinpoint hidden air leaks and insulation gaps. Reports are formatted to ATTMA TSL1 / ISO 9972 and suitable for Passive House certification or NCC compliance.
Why test for airtightness?
Comfort
Identify draughts and uncontrolled air leakage that can make a home uncomfortable.
Moisture Control
Understand how uncontrolled air movement can contribute to condensation risk.
Construction Quality
Verify that the building envelope has been constructed as intended.
Energy Efficiency
Reduce unwanted heat loss and improve overall building performance.
Mechanical Ventilation
Confirm that airtightness levels are suitable for high-performance ventilation systems such as MVHR.
Why choose HiPer Haus?
Experienced Airtightness Testing
Testing high-performance homes, renovations and new builds across South Australia.
Passive House Knowledge
Certified Passive House Tradesperson experience and understanding of airtightness requirements.
Independent Advice
Clear test results, practical recommendations and no product sales agenda.
South Australian Service Area
Servicing Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula, Barossa, Mid North, Riverland and Limestone Coast.
How the test is conducted
Preparation
The home is prepared in its normal operating condition. External windows and doors are closed, heating and ventilation systems are switched off, and internal doors are opened so the whole building can be tested as a single air volume. Installed components — bathroom exhaust fans, range hoods, exhaust grilles and trickle vents — form part of the completed building and are tested as they are, in line with ATTMA TSL1 and ISO 9972.
Fan installation
The Retrotec blower door fan and adjustable frame are fitted into a suitable external doorway. Pressure gauges are connected inside and outside to measure the pressure difference and fan airflow.
Pressurisation / depressurisation
The fan is run at multiple speeds to build a pressure-flow curve. The key result is taken at 50 Pascals, expressed as ACH50 and q50 (m³/h/m²).
Leak investigation
With the building depressurised, a smoke pencil is used to locate air leakage at suspected problem areas — window frames, service penetrations, structural junctions and roof connections.
Results & report
A written report documents the ACH50 and q50 results with calibration records. The report is formatted for Passive House certification, NCC compliance, or handover to the homeowner.
Want your home ready on the day? See our full blower door test preparation checklist for builders and homeowners.
When to test — and why it matters
Before lining — while you can still fix it
Testing at lock-up stage, before internal plasterboard is lined, gives you the most actionable diagnostic result. Air leakage paths can be located using smoke pencils and sealed before they are buried in the structure — at a fraction of the cost of remediation after completion.
This is particularly valuable for builders targeting a specific airtightness level — it confirms whether the construction approach is on track and gives time to rectify any shortfalls before handover.
See the 10 details to seal before we test →Completed building — verified and documented
A final blower door test after completion confirms the building has achieved its airtightness target. For Passive House certification, this is a mandatory step. For high-performance new builds, it verifies the energy model assumptions used in the NatHERS or PHPP assessment.
The written report we provide is formatted for Passive House certifiers, NCC compliance documentation, and handover to the homeowner as a permanent record of building performance.
Existing home — diagnose and improve
For an established home, a blower door test measures how airtight the building is right now and pinpoints where it’s leaking — the source of draughts, cold spots, dust, noise and condensation. It gives you a clear baseline before spending on upgrades.
Testing before and after sealing or renovation works quantifies the improvement achieved, so you can see exactly what your investment delivered and prioritise the areas that matter most.
Who needs a blower door test?
Passive House Certification
A blower door test is mandatory for Passive House certification. Results must meet the ≤0.6 ACH50 threshold, and the test must be carried out by a qualified tester. We provide the test report in the format certifiers require.
Mid-Construction Diagnostics
Testing during construction — before plasterboard is lined — lets you locate and seal air leakage paths while they are still accessible. This is the most cost-effective time to intervene.
Final Pre-Handover Test
A final blower door test confirms the completed building has achieved its airtightness target. Results can be documented for NCC compliance, energy rating or certification.
Renovation Assessment
Understanding the baseline airtightness of an existing home before — and after — fabric improvements gives you quantified evidence of the improvement achieved.
Comfort Diagnostics
Persistent draughts, cold spots, condensation or unexpectedly high energy bills often trace back to air leakage. A blower door test with leak location can identify the sources.
NCC Compliance Support
Support NCC 2022 energy efficiency verification with an independently measured, documented airtightness result. Relevant for assessors and certifiers requiring verified performance data.
Builders
Confirm your construction approach is delivering the airtightness target. Mid-construction testing catches problems before they’re locked behind plasterboard. Final test documentation supports handover and NCC compliance. See our air sealing checklist for builders for what to seal before we arrive.
Architects & Designers
Quantify the performance of your airtightness strategy against design intent. An early airtightness schematic identifying your air barrier is one of the most effective tools for communicating sealing requirements to the construction team.
Homeowners
Find out if draughts, cold spots or high energy bills are caused by air leakage — and where it’s coming from. Whether you’re building new or upgrading an existing home, a test gives you certainty that your building envelope is performing.
Why airtightness matters — and how it is measured
Uncontrolled air leakage through a building envelope is one of the largest contributors to heat loss, moisture damage and comfort problems in Australian homes. According to CSIRO’s 2024 study of 233 newly built homes, the average new Australian home leaks at 6.86 m³/h/m² — and older, existing homes are generally understood to leak considerably more. See how airtight is the average Australian home? for the full breakdown by dwelling type.
A blower door test is the accepted method for quantifying how airtight a building actually is. A calibrated fan is temporarily installed in an external doorway and used to pressurise or depressurise the building to a standard test pressure of 50 Pascals. The airflow required to maintain that pressure reveals the total area of uncontrolled air leakage paths through the building envelope.
Results are expressed as ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 Pascals) and q50 (m³/h/m²). Both describe the same measurement — just referenced to volume or envelope area respectively. We report both in every test. Passive House certification requires ≤0.6 ACH50. For MVHR ventilation to work effectively, ≤3 ACH50 is the recommended minimum.
NCC 2022 uses airtightness as a ventilation trigger. Where a new home is at or below 5 ACH50, mechanical ventilation becomes mandatory — and a blower door test is the only way to confirm which side of that line you’re on. Learn what this means for SA homes →
Building or managing the site? See 10 Air Sealing Details That Are Easy During Construction (But Expensive to Fix Later) for exactly what to seal before we arrive for a pre-lining test — including a free downloadable checklist.
Testing an existing home before a renovation? A baseline test — like our Nairne, Adelaide Hills test — gives you a measured starting point, so any air sealing or MVHR retrofit work can be verified against a real number rather than assumed.
Choosing a heating and cooling system? Your tested airtightness result is exactly what a proper heating and cooling load calculation needs — see heating and cooling for Passive Houses for why a smaller, correctly sized system almost always outperforms one sized like a conventional home’s.
Understanding the metrics — ACH50 vs q50
ACH50
Air Changes / Hour
Leakage rate divided by the building’s internal volume. Used for Passive House certification (≤0.6 ACH50) and most international standards. Useful for comparing buildings of different sizes.
q50
m³/h per m² envelope
Leakage rate divided by the surface area of the building envelope (walls, roof, floor). Used in NCC energy compliance and some European standards. Removes the effect of ceiling height on the result.
Both metrics appear in every HiPer Haus report. Which one you need depends on your certification pathway — we’ll make sure you have what your certifier or assessor requires.
What do blower door test results look like?
Results are reported as ACH50 — the number of times the building’s air volume is exchanged each hour at 50 Pascals. Lower numbers indicate a tighter, more controlled building envelope. Here’s how typical buildings compare.
Common in older or untested Australian homes, especially before airtightness was considered during construction.
Based on CSIRO's 2024 study of 233 newly built Australian homes. Measured as q50, a different metric to the ACH50 figures used elsewhere in this table.
Actual results vary depending on construction quality, detailing and building design.
Where we provide blower door testing
HiPer Haus provides blower door and airtightness testing across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia — including the Adelaide Hills, Mount Barker, the Barossa Valley, the Fleurieu Peninsula and Victor Harbor, Murray Bridge, the Riverland, the Mid North and the Limestone Coast around Mount Gambier.
Regional travel is available by quotation. Enter your postcode in the estimate tool above, or contact us with your location and we’ll confirm availability and any travel costs.
Blower door testing by region
Explore how airtightness testing applies to homes in your part of South Australia — each guide covers the local housing styles, climate and common leakage points we see in the region.
Adelaide
Metro new builds, custom homes and volume-builder estates — no regional travel charge.
Blower door testing in Adelaide →Adelaide Hills
Cold winters, bushfire-rated construction and high-performance homes.
Blower door testing in Adelaide Hills →Barossa Valley
Custom homes, straw bale and high-thermal-mass builds.
Blower door testing in Barossa Valley →Fleurieu Peninsula
Coastal homes, sea-wind exposure and salt-air durability.
Blower door testing in Fleurieu Peninsula →Mount Gambier
Limestone homes, a windy, cooler climate and energy efficiency.
Blower door testing in Mount Gambier →Riverland
Extreme summer heat, high cooling loads and dust infiltration.
Blower door testing in Riverland →Frequently asked questions
Book a blower door test in South Australia
We serve Adelaide and wider South Australia — including the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Barossa Valley. Contact us with your project details and we’ll confirm timing and availability.