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What is domestic building work?

Classes of registration

Work that can be undertaken and experience needed for each class is outlined below.

Domestic Builder (limited)

Registration in the following classes is only required if you intend to carry out 2 or more of these classes of domestic building work under one contract.

Understanding domestic building work

This guide explains the typical tasks for domestic building work. If you are asked to an assessment interview, some of your interview questions will be based on this information. 

Domestic building work is work associated with the construction, renovation, improvement or maintenance of a home.

A 'home' is any residential premises, and includes any part of a commercial building or industrial premises that is used as a residential premise. It does not include:

  • a caravan within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, or any vehicle used as a residence
  • any residence that is not intended for permanent habitation
  • a rooming house within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997
  • a motel, residential club, residential hotel or residential part of licensed premises under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998
  • a nursing home, hospital or accommodation associated with a hospital
  • any residence that the Regulations state is not a home for the purposes of this definition.

For the full definition, see sections 5 and 6 of the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995.

Things to remember:

  • If a builder intends to carry out, manage or arrange the carrying out of domestic building work for another person, and the cost of that work is more than $10,000, then the parties must enter a major domestic building contract (this increased from $5,000 on 1/7/17).
  • A builder must not enter a major domestic building contract unless they are registered as a building practitioner under the Building Act 1993. If the value of the work is $16,000 or over, the works must be covered by domestic building insurance. And they must not carry out the work unless they have been authorised to carry out that work by the registered building surveyor who issued the building permit for the work (when a permit is required).
  • A building surveyor must not issue a building permit for domestic building work to be carried out under a major domestic building contract unless they are satisfied (among other conditions) that the work is to be carried out by a builder who is:
    • registered in the appropriate class of Domestic Builder, and
    • covered by the required insurance.

Registered building practitioners must perform their work in a competent manner and to a professional standard, contributing to the safety and health of people who use dwellings.

How to apply

Learn how to complete your builder application and more.

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