Owner Builder Info

All you need to know before becoming an Owner Builder?

Becoming an Owner Builder

An owner-builder is someone who takes responsibility for domestic building work carried out on their own land. If you become an owner-builder, you will be responsible for:

Ensuring a building permit is obtained and paying the building permit levy

Supervising or undertaking the building work

Ensuring the work meets building regulations and standards

Notifying the VBA if the estimated cost of works has increased at the end of the project.

If the value of the domestic building work you'll be doing is over $16,000, you'll need to have a certificate of consent from the VBA to be an owner-builder. The value of the building work includes labour costs and materials. It's the estimated cost if you were to engage a registered builder to do the work. Your building surveyor or architect can help with calculating the cost of the work.

To become an owner-builder in Victoria, you'll need to meet several eligibility criteria. For instance, an owner-builder can only build or renovate one house every five years and must intend to live in the house once it is completed.

If you are planning on being the owner-builder for a swimming pool or spa, or installing safety barriers, see the regulations and requirements on our Swimming pools and spas pages.

What's required for Owner-builder eligibility?

To be eligible for an owner-builder certificate of consent, you must meet the following requirements as outlined in Section 25E of the Building Act 1993:

You're the owner of the land (or the director of a company or beneficiary of a trust that owns the land).

Your building work is in relation to, or ancillary to, a single domestic dwelling. See Owner-builder project types below for more information.

You reside or intend to reside in the dwelling.

You are not in the 'business of building'.

You have not previously entered into a contract to sell an owner-built home without obtaining the required insurance.

You have not been issued with a building permit as an owner-builder in the previous five years for a different property. (However, you may request an exemption if there are special circumstances relating to this requirement, such as economic hardship that might result if the application were refused.)

Types of Owner-builder projects or building works

Owner-builder projects must relate to single domestic dwellings. The projects can be the construction of new dwellings, or alterations, renovations or additions to existing dwellings.

Owner-builder projects may also include completing building works to a home that has been relocated.

Work on ancillary buildings or structures are also acceptable owner-builder projects. Ancillary buildings are non-habitable, such as a garage, carport, shed or bushfire shelter. Ancillary structures include pools, spas, fences, pergolas and retaining walls.

Owner-builders can not carry out demolition work, subfloor work (e.g. re-stumping or reblocking), or the relocation of a home (which includes re-stumping or subfloor work). Registered building practitioners need to do these types of work.

You will need to specify the description of building work when you complete your application for an owner-builder certificate of consent. You can often find the description of building work on drawings provided by an architect or draftsperson. If you don’t have drawings, you can contact your building surveyor to find out the description of the work.

When an owner-builder certificate of consent is not needed?

You do not need an owner-builder certificate of consent if:

The total cost of work is $16,000 or less

The building work does not relate to domestic building work

A registered building practitioner has been engaged to oversee all the work

You are carrying out the work in accordance with an emergency order, a building notice or a building order made under Part 8 of the Building Act 1993.

An owner-builder certificate of consent is also not necessary if the owner of the property is:

A builder whose registration authorises the carrying out of that type of work

A registered architect

The Director of Housing.

Owner Builder Helpful Downloads

At Owner Builder Support, we care about our Clients & their families, That's why we hide nothing from the Public. The same information used to obtain Town Planning Permits or Building Permits along with the Standards & Regulations used by the construction Industry, We provide you.

Curious about Rescode Standards? How about wanting to know when you require a building permit or planning permit? Maybe you want to find out more information about Pool Safety Barriers. Then take advantage of our download Portal where you can download industry Standards to help you through the construction process.

Most importantly, once your project is completed, don't accept the phrase "good enough", download our Building Standards & Tolerances to make sure the quality of the build & safety of your family is not compromised, because at the end of the day, nothing is more important that the safety & well being of your family.