You must be registered to perform building work worth more than $10,000- Your registration must be approved by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) before you commence work.
Registration applies to individuals, not companies or businesses.
Builders and tradespeople are increasingly working with informed and empowered consumers who know their rights, responsibilities and obligations.
When is registration required?
You must be registered with the VBA in Victoria to:
- perform domestic building work where the cost (including labour and materials) exceeds $10,000
- carry out re-blocking, re-stumping, demolishing, removing a home, or any building work that requires a permit, regardless of the cost of the project
- provide more than one type of building work, such as plastering and painting, where the cost (including labour and materials) exceeds $10,000.
If you do domestic building work under a corporate entity, then one of the directors of that entity must be registered.
Your application for registration must be processed and confirmed by the VBA before you start work – it is not enough for you to have simply submitted an application for registration.
If you are not registered, it is an offence to enter into a contract to perform work that requires a registered building practitioner, and to carry out that work. You may face a range of penalties. For more information, view our Penalties page.
Victorian Building Authority
The VBA:
- administers a registration system and monitors the conduct and ability of registered building practitioners – for example, building designers, building surveyors, building inspectors, engineers, bathroom and kitchen providers, and some trades
- registers individuals, not companies
- registers applicants on the basis of their qualifications and experience
- requires registered building practitioners to carry domestic building insurance to protect consumers.
How to register with the VBA
To register with the VBA you should:
- complete and submit an application form available from the Building registrations section of the VBA website
- nominate the registration class and code you wish to be registered in and provide all documentation required
- include with your application for registration the appropriate application fee and proof that you have the required insurance cover.
The VBA conducts seminars to help and guide people applying for registration. You can book online or by phone (1300 815 127).
The three classes of domestic builder in Victoria
- Domestic Builder – Unlimited (DB—U) may personally carry out, manage or arrange for sub-contractors to carry out all domestic building work.
- Domestic Builder – Manager (DB—M) may manage or arrange for domestic builders registered in another class to carry out domestic building work specified in the Certificate of Registration.
- Domestic Builder – Limited (DB—L) may carry out, manage or arrange to carry out domestic building work specified by the Building Practitioners Board.
For more information about the qualifications and experience required for registration, visit the Building registrations section of the VBA website.
What complaints can the VBA investigate?
The VBA may hold disciplinary inquiries into a registered practitioner’s conduct and ability to practise. This may be at its own discretion or when requested by a building owner or another person. It may impose penalties, including suspending or cancelling registration, if it finds a practitioner is guilty of unprofessional conduct.