Figures checked 1 October 2026.
Victoria requires a written major domestic building contract with the client when major domestic building work is worth more than $10,000, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria’s guidance, updated 24 September 2025. The rule extends beyond constructing a new home to renovations, alterations, extensions, repairs, demolition or removal, and associated site work. Signing a building permit as an owner-builder does not remove the builder’s obligation to use a major domestic building contract when the threshold is met.
Date context: Consumer Affairs Victoria records that the Domestic Building Contracts Amendment Bill 2025 passed the Victorian Parliament on 11 September 2025.
What kind of domestic work does the rule capture?
The listed scope is broader than a contract described simply as “building a house”.
| Work category | What Consumer Affairs Victoria includes |
|---|---|
| New-home construction | Erecting or constructing a home, including associated landscaping, paving, retaining structures, driveways, fencing, lighting, heating, air conditioning, water supply and sewerage |
| Home improvements | Renovations, alterations, extensions, repairs and other improvements to a home |
| Work connected with home improvements | Landscaping, paving, retaining structures, driveways, fencing, garages, workshops, swimming pools and spas |
| Demolition | Demolition or removal of a home |
| Permit-related construction | Work associated with constructing or erecting a building on residential-zoned land when a building permit is required |
| Site work | Site work needed to ensure access to the property |
| Planning work | Preparing plans or specifications for carrying out the listed work |
The connection to the home matters. Consumer Affairs Victoria says the examples it lists count as domestic building work only when carried out in association or conjunction with constructing or renovating a home. A contract solely for landscaping work, such as planting a lawn, would not generally be considered domestic building work.
How do work type and contract value work together?
Both the scope and value of the work need to be considered.
| Job position | Consumer Affairs Victoria’s position |
|---|---|
| Major domestic building work worth more than $10,000 | A major domestic building contract must be in writing |
| Building work worth $10,000 or less | A written contract is recommended for all building work |
| A job involving only one of the listed standalone trades or structures | A major domestic building contract is not required |
For example, a renovation worth more than $10,000 falls within the major-contract requirement, while a job consisting only of painting is listed separately as work that does not require a major domestic building contract.
Which jobs are listed as not requiring a major contract?
Consumer Affairs Victoria says a major domestic building contract is not required for a job involving only:
- plastering;
- wall or floor tiling;
- electrical work;
- glazing;
- insulating;
- painting;
- plumbing, gas-fitting and draining;
- installing floor coverings;
- attaching external fixtures, including awnings, security screens, insect screens and balustrades;
- erecting a chain wire fence around a tennis court; or
- erecting a mast, pole, antenna, aerial or similar structure.
These exclusions are expressed around jobs involving only the listed work. A standalone painting job should not be treated the same way as painting forming part of a broader renovation or improvement project. For mixed work, check the actual scope against the regulator’s guidance.
Does owner-builder status change the requirement?
No. Even if the client is the owner-builder named on the building permit, Consumer Affairs Victoria says the builder must still:
- be registered with the BPC to handle a contract worth more than $10,000;
- be registered with the BPC to reblock, restump, demolish or remove a home, regardless of the value of that work; and
- use a major domestic building contract for work worth more than $10,000.
Owner-builder status therefore changes neither the contract requirement above the value threshold nor the stated BPC registration obligations.
Is a written contract the same as building insurance?
No. The two requirements have different thresholds.
| Requirement | Consumer Affairs Victoria’s stated threshold |
|---|---|
| Written major domestic building contract | Work worth more than $10,000 |
| Domestic building insurance for the client | Work worth more than $16,000 |
Domestic building insurance must be taken out for the client when the work is worth more than $16,000. That is a separate requirement from using a written major domestic building contract.
What should a builder check before signing?
- Confirm the actual scope of work and whether it falls within major domestic building work. | Work value | Practical position | |---|---| | More than $10,000 | Use a written major domestic building contract for covered major domestic building work | | $10,000 or less | Use a written contract as Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends for all building work |
- Give the client a copy of the Domestic Building Consumer Guide before they sign a major domestic building contract.
- Check whether the value requires BPC registration.
- Check whether the work involves reblocking, restumping, demolition or removal, because the stated BPC registration requirement applies regardless of value.
- If the work is worth more than $16,000, take out domestic building insurance for the client.
For a new home, Consumer Affairs Victoria provides a free model domestic building contract. It says the model balances the parties’ rights and obligations and provides a clear path to the law’s requirements if a dispute arises.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Check Consumer Affairs Victoria’s regulator page for current requirements and the relevant policy’s PDS for insurance terms.
Sources
FAQ
Is a building job worth exactly $10,000 exempt from the requirement?
At exactly $10,000, the major-contract requirement stated by Consumer Affairs Victoria does not apply because the threshold is work worth more than $10,000. A written contract is still recommended for all building work, including work worth $10,000 or less.
Does demolition always require a written major domestic building contract?
Demolition or removal of a home is listed as major domestic building work, so the written-contract requirement applies when that work is worth more than $10,000. BPC registration is required to demolish or remove a home regardless of the work’s value.
Can a builder rely on the client being the owner-builder?
No. Owner-builder status on the building permit does not remove the stated requirement to use a major domestic building contract for work worth more than $10,000 or the applicable BPC registration obligations.
Does landscaping always require a written major contract?
Not on its own. Associated landscaping may be included when carried out with construction or renovation of a home, but a contract solely for work such as planting a lawn would not generally be considered domestic building work.
Are the contract and insurance thresholds the same?
No. The written major domestic building contract requirement applies to work worth more than $10,000. The separate requirement to take out domestic building insurance for the client applies when work is worth more than $16,000.