Owner builder advice

You are an owner-builder if you:

• intend to use your own skills to build, extend or renovate your home
• intend to manage sub-contractors to do the work
• are a registered builder who builds, extends or renovates a home on your property

As an owner-builder you take on many of the responsibilities of a registered builder and accept any associated financial risks. Responsibilities include:

• doing all or part of the work yourself, except work that must be carried out by licensed trades people
• contracting out all or part of the work to trade people and checking they are registered and licensed if required
• engaging a building consultant to check the quality of work
• arranging insurance
• ensuring occupational health and safety of works
• obtaining permits and organising inspections
• taking on most of the responsibility for domestic building work carried out on the land.

Owner builders must also obtain a Certificate of Consent from the Building Practitioners Board before being able to obtain a building permit to carry out domestic work costing more than $16,000 (including labour costs and materials).

Before deciding to do-it-yourself it is advisable to weigh up the risks and responsibilities faced by owner-builders. Further advice, information kits and application forms for Certificates of Consent can be found by following the links below.