An overview of the different parties and professionals that can be involved in your project, whether it’s a new build, a renovation or small job.
On this page:
Your building team
The owner of the land or property plays a central role in the building process. This includes communicating with the builder, checking the progress of the building work, and requirements outlined in the building contract such as making payments.
The owner must appoint a building surveyor and ensure the required permits are obtained (unless another person has signed authorisation to do so on their behalf). They must give the builder reasonable access to their property so they can carry out work. They must provide the builder any items and materials they have agreed to supply and make scheduled payments on time.
An owner-builder is a person who uses their own skills to build, extend or renovate their house or manages sub-contractors to do the work. They can also be a registered builder who builds, extends or renovates a home on their own property.
Owner-builders take on many of the responsibilities of a registered builder, including ensuring the work is compliant with building regulations and that the worksite meets safety requirements.
The builder should have the appropriate registration and insurance for the work they are hired for. They must complete the work to the standard required by the building laws as well as your plans and specifications in the contract. A builder who enters into a contract with an owner to do building work is responsible for all of that work, even if there are tradespeople or subcontractors doing the work under them. They are known as the head builder.
See 'Classes of builders and trades' below to understand the different types of builders and trades that may be involved in a project.
Registered through: Victorian Building Authority (VBA)
The building surveyor is responsible for issuing the building permit and ensuring the work is compliant with the building laws. They carry out regular inspections to ensure building work is being undertaken correctly.
An owner can engage either a municipal building surveyor, who works for the council, or a private building surveyor. Once an owner has appointed a building surveyor for their project, they are called their relevant building surveyor (RBS). It is illegal for a builder to appoint a building surveyor for you. They may recommend one, but you are free to choose your own.
Architects produce plans and specifications for building projects. They can assist in building or planning permit applications and work with builders, engineers and other professionals to ensure the work meets legal or contractual requirements. Architects understand building materials, methods, standards and costs and can prepare and manage building contracts. While architects may do similar work to draftspeople and building designers, they must complete a higher level of education and training.
To protect the public, architects must conduct themselves in a professional manner and comply with a range of legal obligations set out in the . For example, they can't provide architectural services for a client unless they have entered into a written agreement with the client to provide those services. They must also practice in accordance with the National Standard of Competency for Architects.
Registered through: Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV)
Draftspeople and building designers produce plans and specifications for building projects. They can assist in building or planning permit applications and work with builders, engineers and other professionals to ensure the work meets legal or contractual requirements. They understand building materials, methods, standards and costs and can manage building contracts.
Unlicensed or unregistered draftspeople can provide drawings for building projects. They may study drafting at TAFE or have no formal training but gain experience on the job. They may work under licensed architects or building designers and can be a cost-effective option for small projects like renovations that don’t require a building permit.
Registered through: N/A
Building consultants aren't a regulated class of building practitioner. This means there aren’t any registrations or licences specific to them. They may be registered or previously registered as a builder, engineer, or other practitioner, and can use their industry experience to provide expert advice. They can help to manage building projects and communicate with other practitioners such as builders, architects and engineers.
Building consultants may have specialisations such as construction, design, or energy efficiency.
Building and construction lawyers have expert knowledge in building contracts and law and can assist in complaints or disputes lodged with the building agencies or disputes with your builder. They review building contracts and provide advice about contract terms, variations, payments, defects, insurance, warranty claims and other issues arising during or after work.
Conveyancers assist with the legal process of buying and selling land or property. They are responsible for preparing and managing the documents to ensure a property is legally transferred from one party to another. They review sale contracts and provide advice on contract terms and the settlement process.
Council planners assess planning applications and decide whether to approve or refuse a planning permit in line with its planning scheme. They can advise if a project requires a planning permit.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) oversees the planning system.
Project manager (Domestic) is a building practitioner who can manage a building project. They can arrange for registered Domestic Builders to carry out the work but can’t act as a builder themselves. This means they can’t enter into a major domestic building contract or be listed on a building permit as the builder.
Engineers can advise on the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and can monitor building work for compliance. A registered engineer who works in the building industry is called an endorsed building engineer.
There are five areas of engineering:
Civil engineering deals with design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, which includes bridges, roads, railways and buildings.
Structural engineering deals with the structural design of buildings so they can withstand weight, movement and rough weather. In domestic building, they can provide advice on foundations, frames, load-bearing walls, archways, roofs, multi-storey construction and soil conditions.
Fire safety engineering aims to ensure buildings are safe from fires through an understanding of fire risks, building materials, and design.
Electrical engineering deals with any equipment, devices or systems that use electricity.
Mechanical engineering deals with devices, machines and structures and systems such as mechanical equipment, cranes, lifts, or conveyors.
Registered through: Business Licensing Authority (BLA)
Electrical work should always be done by a qualified electrician. Never do your own electrical work. This is dangerous as it can kill or injure someone or start a fire.
Electricians and electrical contractors are licensed and registered through Energy Safe Victoria (ESV). A certificate of electrical safety must be provided by a licensed electrical worker or a registered electrical contractor for all electrical installation work done.
Plumbers and gasfitters are responsible for installing, testing, repairing and maintaining water and gas appliances or systems. This includes pipes, drainage systems, roof and stormwater drainage systems, hot water systems, toilets, sinks, taps, showers, heating, stovetops and air-conditioners.
Some types of work must be done by a plumber with a specialised licence. For example, installing stormwater piping requires the plumber to have a Roofing (stormwater) licence.
Some plumbing work requires the licensed plumber to issue a compliance certificate to the owner.
Demolishers completely or partly dismantle buildings and other structures. Because demolitions can be unsafe to people and surrounding property, they must be done by a registered demolisher.
Domestic building relates to construction, renovation, improvement or maintenance of a home. If you hire a builder for work that costs $10,000 or more, the builder must be registered for the work you are hiring them for.
Builders with a domestic builder (limited) registration can carry out specific types of building work that are allowed by their class of registration. For example, a builder with a registration of Domestic Builder (Limited to carpentry) can do carpentry work such as framing, cabinet making and joinery and can be hired for this work if the cost is $10,000 or more.
Some types of work, such as re-stumping, always require a registration regardless of cost, while others don’t need one or only need them under certain circumstances.
General concreters must be qualified and registered with the VBA for work that requires a major domestic building contract. They may also be registered for swimming pool construction, or for constructing floor slabs and footings. For other types of work concreters do not need to be registered.
Restumping and re-blocking work involves levelling and supporting existing sub-floors in homes to ensure they have solid foundations. Re-stumping and re-blocking must always be done by a registered builder, regardless of the cost.
A person registered in the class of Domestic Builder (Unlimited) can carry out, manage, or arrange the carrying out of all parts of domestic building work for the construction, renovation, improvement or maintenance of a home. They can enter into major domestic building contracts for work worth over $10,000.
