PRACTITIONERGUIDEWhat is Domestic Buildingwork?A practitioner’s guide to registrationDo you have theskills,knowledgeandexperienceto apply for registration as abuilding practitioner in domestic buildingwork? To help you, this guide explains thetypical tasks of a registered domestic builderor project manager (domestic). If you areasked to an assessment interview, some ofyour interview questions will be based on thisinformation.What is Domestic Building work?Domestic building workis work associated with theconstruction, renovation, improvement ormaintenance of a home. Ahomeis any residentialpremises, and includes any part of a commercialbuilding or industrial premises that is used as aresidential premise. Itdoes notinclude:a.a caravan within the meaning of theResidential Tenancies Act 1997, orany vehicle used as a residenceb.any residence that is not intended forpermanent habitationc.a rooming house within the meaning of theResidential Tenancies Act 1997d.a motel, residential club, residential hotel orresidential part of licensed premises underthe Liquor Control Reform Act 1998e.a nursing home, hospital or accommodationassociated with a hospitalf.any residence that the Regulations state isnot a home for the purposes of thisdefinition.Things to remember:•If a builder intends to carry out, manage orarrange the carrying out of domesticbuilding work for another person, and thecost of that work is more than $10,000,then the parties must enter a majordomestic building contract (this increasedfrom $5,000 on 1/7/17).•A builder must not enter a major domesticbuilding contract unless they are registeredas a building practitioner under theBuilding Act 1993. If the value of the workis $16,000 or over, the works must becovered by domestic building insurance.And they must not enter into a contract orcarry out the work unless they have beenauthorised to carry out that work by theregistered building surveyor who issuedthe building permit for the work (when apermit is required).•A building surveyor must not issue abuilding permit for domestic buildingwork to be carried out under a majordomestic building contract unlessthey are satisfied (among otherconditions) that the work is to becarried out by a builder who is:oregistered in the appropriate class ofDomestic Builder, ororegistered in the class of DomesticBuilder (Manager), ororegistered in the class of ProjectManager (Domestic), andocovered by the required insurance.For the full definition, see sections 5 and 6 of theDomesticBuilding Contracts Act 1995.Registered building practitioners must perform theirwork in a competent manner and to a professionalstandard, contributing to the safety and health ofpeople who use dwellings.1egis/vic/consol_act/db ca1995275/© State of Victoria, Victorian Building Authority 2017 (published August 2017)1
