Do you need to register?
You must register with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) if you work in domestic building in Victoria and either:
- handle a contract worth more than $10,000
- reblock, restump, demolish or remove a home, regardless of the value of this work.
You do not have to register with the VBA for jobs that involve only one of the following:
- plastering
- tiling (wall and floor)
- electrical work
- glazing
- installing floor coverings
- insulating
- painting
- plumbing, gas-fitting and draining
- attaching external fixtures (awnings, security screens, insect screens and balustrades)
- erecting a chain wire fence around a tennis court
- erecting a mast, pole, antenna, aerial or similar structure.
Note: You must register with the VBA if you are using a combination of skills (such as plastering and painting) to complete a job.
To register, you must have the required qualifications, knowledge and expertise, and carry domestic building insurance (formerly builders warranty insurance). The VBA registers individual builders, not businesses and companies.
For more information, visit the Building registrations section of the VBA website.
Categories of building practitioner
Building practitioners include:
- building surveyors
- building inspectors (unlimited/limited)
- quantity surveyors
- engineers (civil/mechanical/electrical/fire safety)
- draftspersons (building design - architectural, interior, services)
- commercial builders (unlimited/limited)
- domestic builders (unlimited/limited/manager)
- demolishers (low-rise buildings/medium-rise buildings/unlimited)
- erector or supervisor (temporary structures - Class 1 and 2).
Some categories in the building profession, such as electricians and plumbers, must register with other industry organisations.
To access specific information (including detailed guides) on each type of building practitioner, visit the Building registrations section of the VBA website.