Owner-builder in Victoria: what you need and what you must do

Owner-building in Melbourne? Get structural drawings for your building permit or call 03 7048 4006.

When do you need an owner-builder certificate of consent in Victoria?

You need a certificate of consent before carrying out domestic building work as an owner-builder in Victoria when the work costs more than $20,000. The rule is section 25B of the Building Act 1993. The certificate comes from the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), the trading name of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

The BPC says the cost of the work includes labour and materials, estimated as if a registered builder did it. Under its certificate of consent rules, you don't need one if the work isn't domestic building work, if a registered building practitioner is nominated on the building permit as responsible for it, or if you're working under an emergency order, building notice or building order.

Some guidance, including the Consumer Affairs Victoria owner builders page, still shows $16,000 rather than $20,000.

Who can be an owner-builder in Victoria?

You can be an owner-builder in Victoria if you own the land, the work is for a single home you live in or intend to live in, and you meet the knowledge and five-year rules in section 25E of the Act, set out on the BPC's eligibility page.

Requirement	What it means
Ownership	You own the land, or are a director or beneficiary of the company or trust that owns it, with written authority
One home	A single dwelling, or work ancillary to it such as a garage, pool, fence, pergola or retaining wall
Living there	You live there or intend to, unless it is a small second dwelling
Knowledge	You pass the BPC's eLearning assessment and complete construction induction training (a white card)
Five-year rule	No owner-builder building permit for a different property, issued to you or a co-owner, in the previous 5 years, unless the BPC exempts you for special circumstances
Past sales	The BPC must refuse you if you ever contracted to sell an owner-built home without the required insurance

You also can't be in the business of building.

What work can't an owner-builder do in Victoria?

Owner-builders in Victoria can't carry out demolition or subfloor work, such as restumping or reblocking, and can't relocate a home; the BPC says registered building practitioners must do it. Consumer Affairs Victoria's owner builders checklist also says to use registered builders to reblock, restump, demolish or remove a home, regardless of value.

When you hire others, the BPC's during the build page says work over $10,000 needs a major domestic building contract with a registered builder, unless a single-trade exemption applies. Section 25B(1A) of the Act makes signing that contract with an unregistered builder an offence, and section 25B(1B) excuses you if you took reasonable steps to check the builder's registration.

What are an owner-builder's duties in Victoria?

An owner-builder in Victoria takes on the responsibilities, risks and liabilities of a professional builder, according to the BPC's owner builder information and study guide. The guide, the BPC and Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations 2018 list duties including:

• getting a building permit, paying the levy, and telling the BPC if the estimated cost has risen by the end of the project;
• supervising all the work and making sure it complies with the Act and the Regulations;
• site safety under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, including inducting each worker before they start;
• arranging any required protection work for neighbouring property;
• a site sign with your contact and permit details, and the permit and approved plans kept on site;
• fixing defects or non-compliances for a later owner for 10 years from completion.

Do owner-builders still need a building permit and structural drawings?

Yes: a certificate of consent only lets you act as the builder, so you still need a building permit, and the permit application needs drawings that show the structural members. Section 16 of the Act makes it an offence to carry out building work without a permit in force.

You can appoint your council's municipal building surveyor or a private one. They must not issue a permit if a required planning permit hasn't been obtained or the work won't comply.

Regulation 25 of the Building Regulations 2018 says an application to construct or alter a building must include drawings showing plans, elevations, sections and the sizes and locations of structural members; specifications; an allotment plan; and any computations or reports needed to show the work will comply. Section 238 of the Act lets the building surveyor rely on a certificate from an endorsed building engineer or a registered building practitioner that proposed building work complies.

Which inspections does an owner-built home need?

An owner-built home needs an inspection at each mandatory notification stage the building surveyor lists on the permit, chosen from regulation 167 of the Building Regulations 2018. The study guide says the owner-builder must notify the building surveyor at each stage, and failing to do so attracts 120 penalty units.

Stage	When to notify the building surveyor	Notes
Footings	Before placing a footing	BPC practice note MI 01: a pre-slab inspection also checks siting
Reinforced concrete	Before pouring an in situ reinforced concrete member specified in the permit	MI 01 examples: concrete stairs, bond beams, reinforced retaining walls and columns
Frame	On completion of the framework	The study guide suggests asking about voluntary pre-plaster or waterproofing inspections
Final	On completion of all building work	Then an occupancy permit (new home) or certificate of final inspection (extension or alteration)

The building surveyor may leave out a stage that isn't relevant (regulation 170). MI 01 says an engineer you engage doesn't replace a mandatory inspection; only the building surveyor can cause one.

What do you need to sell an owner-built home in Victoria?

If you sell an owner-built home within 6 years and 6 months of the completion date, section 137B of the Act requires a defects report, compliance with the statutory insurance scheme, a notice of cover for the buyer and set warranties in the contract. The completion date is the date of the occupancy permit or, if none is issued, the certificate of final inspection.

What you need	Detail
Defects report	From a prescribed building practitioner, such as a registered architect, registered building surveyor or building inspector, or endorsed building engineer; no more than 6 months old at the contract; copy to the buyer
Insurance	Bought before the contract of sale, where the project was valued over $20,000 (BPC). The BPC's page also refers to Home Warranty, which replaced domestic building insurance for new eligible work from 1 July 2026
Notice of cover	Given to the buyer; the BPC says to include it, with the defects report, in the section 32 statement
Warranties	Section 137C: proper and workmanlike work, good and suitable materials (new unless the contract says otherwise), and compliance with all laws

The BPC says defects listed in the report are excluded from the cover, and later owners can also rely on the warranties (s137C). Breaching section 137B attracts 100 penalty units, and the contract is voidable at the buyer's option before completion. Some BPC wording gives six years instead, so check your dates with the BPC before listing.

What else applies to owner-builders in Melbourne?

Melbourne owner-builders follow the same Victorian rules, plus their council's planning scheme. The BPC's study guide also flags these points:

• Planning permit. Many new buildings, additions and renovations need a planning permit from your local council, which decides whether you need one.
• Bushfire prone areas. Check the state's bushfire prone area maps early.
• Asbestos. A home built before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos, so find out before you start.

When to call a structural engineer

Call a structural engineer before you apply for the building permit if your project includes new footings or a slab, beams, an upper floor or a retaining wall, so the member sizes and computations regulation 25 asks for are ready. Our residential structural design service prepares permit drawings and calculations, including for owner-builders. Also call if:

• your building surveyor asks for computations, a design certificate or an engineer's stage inspection (structural inspections, reports and certifications);
• you plan to sell and want the structure checked before you commission the defects report.

To get a quote, send your drawings, photos of the existing house, your suburb and any request from your building surveyor.