From 1 September 2016, builders must give a copy of the new Domestic Building Consumer Guide to their clients, before the client signs a major domestic building contract, following changes to Victorian building laws.
The guide includes information about key things to consider before and during your building project, as well as what to do if something goes wrong. You can find most of the information referred to in the guide on our Domestic Building Consumer Guide page.
To complement the new guide, we have updated the checklist that must be included in a major domestic building contract. Download the updated Contract checklist (Word, 70KB).
Consumer Affairs Victoria encourages Victorians to always do their renovation homework. Over the past few months, four unregistered builders have been ordered to pay a total of close to $35,000 in fines, refunds and costs, following court cases we have prosecuted.
By law, builders must be registered before entering into major domestic building contracts, which are mandatory for work worth more than $5,000.
The builders were caught out for failing to complete jobs, charging excessive deposits, and even harassing clients. Our actions resulted in:
- fines and refunds totalling almost $14,000 for an unregistered Hampton building company and its director, who charged deposits five times the legal limit
- fines and costs worth $3,500 for an unregistered Frankston builder who harassed his client after they complained about the quality of the building services provided
- an unregistered builder from Kallista, who charged excessive deposits and failed to complete work, being fined $2,400
- a Bendigo pool company and its unregistered director being ordered to pay fines totalling $15,000 after taking payments but never supplying the pool.
If you are considering construction work on your home, make sure the builder is registered. You can search for a registered builder on the Victorian Building Authority website.