Answering Your FAQs 

Yes. Learn more about being an owner builder here Owner-builders | Victorian Building Authority (vba.vic.gov.au) 

Building surveyors provide independent oversight of buildings and building work throughout the construction process and upon completion of construction to ensure that buildings are safe for use, accessible and energy efficient. They do this by: 

• assessing and approving (where appropriate) applications for building permits 
• undertaking inspections of buildings and building work 
• approving building occupation/use (where appropriate). 

A person registered as a building surveyor in Victoria may carry out the following functions under the Building Act 1993: 

• issue building permits 
• carry out inspections of buildings and building work 
• issue certificates of final inspection and occupancy permits 
• approve temporary occupation of buildings, and 
• enforce safety and building standards  

Further information about what a building surveyor is and our role in the construction industry can be viewed here:  Victorian Building Authority Appointing a building surveyor | Victorian Building Authority (vba.vic.gov.au) 

Most houses have 4 mandatory inspections but there can definitely be more. The main mandatory inspections we do are:

• Pre-slab

• Steel

• Frame

• Final

Other mandatory inspections include piers, subfloor, retaining walls, fire separation walls and more. Your builder may request additional non-mandatory inspections like pre-plaster, waterproofing and more. If you have questions about any additional inspections, then you best speak to your builder and ask if it’s possible to have more.  Often, it’s a good sign if your builder includes extra non-mandatory inspections as they want to make sure that your house is built to the best standards and compliant with the National Construction Code (NCC). If you’d like any additional inspections, speak to your builder. It may cost you a little more but in the long run it will guarantee peace of mind. 

More information can be found here: Building Practice Note MI-01: Mandatory notification stages and inspection of building work (vba.vic.gov.au) 

As part of the Building Act 1993, we are required to issue the builder with a written direction if they fail to fix problems we’ve found during an inspection, within a prescribed timeframe of 7 days. We send you a copy, so you are aware of what is happening, but you’re not required to take any action. Your builder will have also received a copy. It’s up to them to fix the issues we’ve listed within the prescribed timeframe. Often, they’ve already started working on most of them but we just haven’t re-inspected the house yet. That’s why the best person to discuss with is your builder or site manager. If you’ve still got concerns, please feel free to speak with us.

Our turnaround times do vary due to differing circumstances, but they are within 5-10 working days. As long as there are no issues, they usually arrive sooner.

We will email you a copy of the building permit once it’s issued. A copy is also sent to your builder, so you can always request it from them or contact us directly.