Important information for Building Surveyors regarding DB-M transition arrangements

Following extensive consultation with industry groups, the Victorian Government has made regulatory changes to assist with the phasing out of the Domestic Builder-Manager (DB-M) class of building practitioner, which will cease to exist from 30 June 2022.

Major domestic building contracts cannot be entered into after 30 September 2021

The regulatory changes mean registered practitioners in the DB-M, Company Domestic Builder (CDB-M) and Domestic Builder Unlimited with condition 40 (DBU-40), limited to managing or arranging building work that is carried out by registered building practitioners in the appropriate class, may continue entering into major domestic building contracts until 30 September 2021.

After this date, these practitioners will no longer be authorised to enter into major domestic building contracts.

Building permits cannot name DB-M or DBU-40 practitioner after 31 January 2022

The relevant building surveyor (RBS) can continue to issue building permits naming a DB-M, CDB-M or DBU-40 practitioner as the builder on a building permit for domestic building work to be carried out under a major domestic building contract until 31 January 2022. After this date, the RBS will no longer be able to propose DB-M, CDB-M or DBU-40 practitioners as nominated builders when lodging building permit number (BPN) applications.

Reporting prescribed events

To assist you with the reporting of prescribed events, a list of your open building permits can be obtained from the VBA’s BAMS Team by contacting BAMS@vba.vic.gov.au

Under regulation 47 of the Building Regulations 2018, an RBS is required to report prescribed events to the VBA, which may include issuance of a building permit, mandatory notifications such as completion of framework and final inspection.

Reporting the progress of prescribed events is carried out via the Building Activity Management System (BAMS).

Prescribed events must be reported to the VBA within seven days after the end of each month when the event occurred.

Useful resources, fact sheets and the BAMS Building Surveyor Guide are available to assist practitioners using BAMS to report prescribed events and can be accessed at: https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/surveyors/bams

For enquiries regarding BAMS, please contact BAMS@vba.vic.gov.au

For enquiries regarding changes to Building Registration, please contact dbmtransition@vba.vic.gov.au

We appreciate your cooperation and the important work you do in upholding the quality and safety of Victoria’s construction work and look forward to providing you with further updates on this reform.