People with disability can often benefit from modifications to their home. If these renovations cost more than $10,000, the works must be carried out by a registered building practitioner. It’s not just the law – it's an important consumer protection.
The builder or tradesperson must be registered with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). This includes carpenters, bricklayers and concreters.
The builder must also use a written domestic building contract, even if the contract is split into several smaller amounts – for example, a pre-construction contract worth $4,000 and the main contract worth $7,000.
Unfortunately, some unregistered operators take advantage of customers who are unaware of the rules and their rights.
International Day of People with Disability
To mark International Day of People with Disability, which was on 3 December, we ask the disability sector and building industry to help us inform people with disability. The easiest way to do this is to share our checklist: Extensions and renovations costing more than $10,000 - checklist
We also hope stakeholders will help by sharing our related social media posts over the next month, on our Facebook page and on X (formerly Twitter).
Consumer Affairs Victoria Director Nicole Rich encouraged consumers with a disability to exercise their rights.
‘I am keen to learn more about issues people with disability are having with building works, or with any disability-related products and services,’ she said.
'Most disability service providers do the right thing. Any that engage in unfair business practices should know that we are looking closely at their sector.’