The former Building Commission is now the Victorian Building Authority (VBA)

The Building Commission (Victoria) is now known as the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). The VBA combines the previous Building Commission and the Plumbing Industry Commission.

What does the Victorian Building Authority do?

The VBA is a regulatory body that regulates building and plumbing practitioners. It is there to protect the consumer and to promote good building practices. The VBA website has information sheets available to the public. These information sheets promote good building practices.

There is a wide range of information sheets relating to building. There are information sheets on Balconies, Building insolvency, Termites and so on. If you have a question about houses, you may find a VBA information sheet on the topic. For example, there is a VBA information sheet on Basketball rings. There are guides for building in Victoria after bushfires. And a guide to retrofit your home for better protection from bushfire.

Builders and building practitioners register with the VBA. Registration is for any domestic building work that costs more than $10,000. The $10,000 includes labour and materials. The VBA registers and licenses building practitioners and plumbers. They oversee the building permit system in Victoria and Building Surveyors. And it is also the body that disciplines builders. The VBA also issues owner builder certificates.

If I have a dispute with my builder, do I complain to the VBA?

If you have a dispute with your builder, you do not complain to the VBA. You first seek help from the
domestic building dispute resolution Victoria (DBDRV).

The DBDRV is a government service. It is there to help building owners and builders resolve their domestic building disputes. If you had an issue with your builder, you would contact the DBDRV as the first point of call.

If you cannot resolve the dispute with your builder, the next step is to apply with the DBDRV. This application is for dispute resolution. If you go through dispute resolution and you cannot solve the conflict between yourself and your builder. Then the next step is for Victoria administrative and civil tribunal (VCAT) to hear the matter. You would apply to VCAT.

What is a registered building practitioner?

A building practitioner doesn’t just mean a builder. There are several categories of building practitioners. They 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)

How do you check if a builder is registered?

You can check the registration of your builder or plumber at the VBA. The VBA has a practitioner sanction register (Register). This register records disciplinary sanctions made against building practitioners in Victoria. So you can see if your builder is on this register. And check to see if your building practitioner has had disciplinary action taken. This register describes details about the complaint.

Eco home Sunbury, designed by BP Architects

The eco-home Sunbury, designed by BP Architects features in the Building Commission Inform Magazine. To learn more about the eco-home Sunbury, you can visit our projects page.