Owner builder

An owner builder is a person who constructs or renovates a building on their land.

Victoria’s owner-builder laws give property owners, genuine owner-builders, and registered building practitioners much greater protection. It is unlawful for unregistered builders to operate as a surrogate owner, or to persuade owners to be the 'builder' so they can avoid registration or insurance costs.

For domestic building work, an owner-builder may only obtain building permits for one single dwelling and/or associated work on a single domestic property in any 5-year period (previously it was 3 years). Owner-builders must intend to live and continue to live in the dwelling

As an owner builder you must obtain a certificate of consent from the Victorian Building Authority, for any works over $16,000. This certificate of consent enables you to obtain a building permit.

A building surveyor must be provided with the certificate of consent before a building permit can be issued.

Note: The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) manages this process - not the Council.
To apply for a certificate of consent to become an owner-builder, you will need to:

• Complete the VBA application form

• Attach evidence of land ownership with a Certificate of Title from Landata

• Attach evidence that you have successfully completed the owner-builder eLearning assessment

• Attach evidence of the White Card issued by WorkSafe Victoria

• Pay the VBA non-refundable application fee.

Once you have provided all the documents, the application takes about 28 calendar days to process. This process is managed by the VBA so please direct any queries about your Certificate of Consent to VBA.

More information on your duties and responsibilities as an owner builder can be found on the VBA's  Owner-builder information and study guide.