Building Regulations for Owner Builders in Australia

An owner-builder is one who takes responsibility for home building work carried out on their own land.He obtains building permits, supervises the building work, and makes sure the work meets building regulations and standards.

As an owner builder, you are responsible for:

• Getting relevant permits from your local council

• Getting a Certificate of Consent from the VBA before starthome building works over $16,000

• Ensuring that the work meets building regulations, standards and other laws

• Arranging for building inspections as necessary by law at specific stages of the building work

• Obtaining domestic building insurance if you sell within six years of obtaining the Certificate of Final Inspection or Occupancy Permit

• Ensuring that the financial, taxation and insurance requirements of the building work are met and fully comply with all laws

Owner builders are prescribed by law to meet the same legislative requirements relating to building work as certifiedor licensed builders. These requirements are contained in the Development Act 1993 and Development Regulations 2008

Under the Act, owner builders proposing to undertake building construction must:

• Obtain a Development Approval

• Lodge all copies of certificates of indemnity insurance for building or construction work to be undertaken by a certified building work contractor with the council before commencing that stage of building work.

• Advise the council of the name and contact information of the person who will be supervising the building work and construction.

• Undertake the building work in accordance with the approved documents 

• Submit a signed Statement of Compliance   (Schedule 19A) to the relevant authority on completion of the building work.

Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is a joint initiative of all levels of Australian Government. The ABCB is responsible for:

• Managing and developing a nationally uniform way to technical building requirements, embodied in the Building Code of Australia (BCA)

• Developing a simpler and more efficient building regulatory system