Frequently Asked Questions
The VBA has provided answers to frequently asked questions about the building fees.
Victoria’s building industry has experienced strong growth since the current fee structure was set.
The new fee structure better reflects the costs involved in regulating Victoria’s building industry.
The new structure will allow the VBA to continue to protect consumers and to promote the integrity of the building industry through the benefits of registration and greater regulatory oversight.
The VBA is a self-funded regulator. This means your practitioner fees directly funds the work of the regulator to promote safety and compliance through effective and efficient regulation.
The new structure will allow the VBA to continue to help more practitioners continuously improve their skills through our free Practitioner Education Series, technical guidance and resources hub. Practitioners have told us they want more of this help so that they can do the right thing and comply. This support will ensure those who do the right thing flourish and those who ignore the rules face the consequences.
In supporting the building and plumbing industries in 2020/21, the VBA responded to close to 23,000 technical queries and supported 11,000 practitioners through online educational webinars.
The new structure will also allow the VBA to continue to improve processes to reduce the administrative burden on practitioners and address industry preferences for digital channels. For example, improvements to processes will make it easier for practitioners to interact with the VBA when they are applying for or renewing their registration. This means a simpler interface for practitioners, through the development of online exams, new e-forms and digital identity verification.
As a self-funded regulator, the VBA is expected to fully recover the costs of providing regulatory oversight over building practitioners.
The new building practitioner fee structure will deliver fairer fees for a growing Victoria. It will direct the VBA’s regulatory efforts to support those who want to do the right thing and hold to account those who don’t do the right thing.
In addition to assessing if a person or company is eligible to be registered and checking they continue to be fit and proper and meet the registration requirements each year, there are additional regulatory costs. These include the free education and technical resources for practitioners targeted at improving their skills and competencies, and the costs of assessing complaints, investigations and enforcement action.
The new structure will allow the VBA to continue to help more practitioners continuously improve their skills through our free Practitioner Education Series, technical guidance and resources hub. Practitioners have told us they want more of this help so that they can do the right thing and comply. This support will ensure those who do the right thing flourish and those who ignore the rules face the consequences.
In supporting the building and plumbing industries in 2020/21 the VBA responded to close to 23,000 technical queries and supported 11,000 practitioners through online educational webinars.
The new structure will also allow the VBA to continue to improve processes to reduce the administrative burden on practitioners and address industry preferences for digital channels. For example, improvements to processes will make it easier for practitioners to interact with the VBA when they are applying for or renewing their registration. This means a simpler interface for practitioners, through the development of online exams, new e-forms and digital identity verification.
Under the current fee structure, domestic builders pay significantly more for registration, annual and renewal fees compared to all other categories of registration. The new fee structure re-balances the registration, annual and renewal fees across all practitioner categories to better reflect the value and benefits derived from the scopes of each category of registration.
Under the new fee structure, the initial registration fee for a domestic builder will be lower than current fees. This also reflects a fairer alignment with the fees charged for other categories of registration.
Individual practitioners will now pay lower fees under the new structure compared to corporate practitioners. Current corporate practitioner fees do not reflect the significant value and benefit practitioners gain from using a company structure for their business. The new fees for corporate practitioners better reflects the value gained from using a company structure.
The new fee structure is now aligned with other jurisdictions, with fees for commercial builders and domestic builders over the registration lifecycle comparable to that charged in other jurisdictions.
Fees for other categories of practitioners – such as building surveyors – remain lower compared to some other jurisdictions, as an incentive to attracting new entrants into this field due to critical industry shortages.
For the first time, the new fee structure includes provision for the VBA to offer fee relief to support practitioners who are experiencing financial hardship or facing special circumstances.
We will support those practitioners who are experiencing financial hardship or facing special circumstances. For more information, visit the Building practitioner fees page
Under the new structure, individual practitioners will now pay lower fees compared to corporate practitioners.
Current corporate practitioner fees do not reflect the significant value and benefit practitioners gain from using a company structure for their business.
A company structure protects practitioners’ personal assets from claims by others and limits the company’s liability. A company structure allows easier transaction with consumers. These are important benefits that flow from a company structure.
There are more risks to the community through practitioners using corporate vehicles because of the limitation to liability, and the risks of phoenixing that leave consumers with little or no protection. There are higher costs to regulate corporate practitioners because of this.
The new fees for corporate practitioners reflect the value gained from using a company structure and the increased oversight required by the VBA.
Under the new fee structure, the initial registration fee for a domestic builder will be lower than current fees. This also reflects a fairer alignment with the fees charged for other categories of registration.
Previously, domestic builders paid significantly more for their initial registration compared to all other practitioner categories.
Under the current fee structure, domestic builders pay significantly more for registration, annual and renewal fees compared to all other categories of registration.
The new fee structure re-balances the registration, annual and renewal fees across all practitioner categories to better reflect the value and benefits derived from the scopes of each category of registration.
Domestic builder fees also include the costs of regulatory oversight over domestic building contracts by other agencies under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 2005, as required under the Building Act 1993.
A registration fee is charged to an applicant seeking registration. It is a one-off fee. This registration fee covers a practitioner’s first year of registration. This registration fee also covers some costs of regulatory oversight of new practitioners including education, training materials and technical resources.
An annual fee is charged in the second, third and fourth years of a building practitioner’s registration with the VBA. The annual fee covers insurance checks and some of the costs of regulatory oversight over the registration lifecycle including education, training materials and technical resources, assessing complaints and investigations and taking enforcement action.
A renewal fee, paid once every five years, covers the ongoing monitoring of a practitioner within Victoria’s building regulatory system, and whether the practitioner continues to meet the criteria for registration. This fee also covers some of the costs of regulatory oversight over the registration lifecycle including education, training materials and technical resources, assessing complaints and investigations and taking enforcement action.
Registration fee:
- The new fees will apply to registration applications received by the VBA on or after 2 May 2022.
- For registration applications received before 2 May 2022, the current fees will apply.
Annual fee: The due date of an annual fee and insurance (AFI) obligations will determine the fee you will pay.
- If your AFI is due on or after 13 June 2022 (you will receive notice of this from 2 May 2022 onwards), the new fees will apply.
- If your AFI is due before 13 June 2022, the current fees will apply.
Renewal fee: You are required to lodge your five yearly renewal application with the VBA at least three months before your registration expiry date to avoid a late fee.
- If your registration is due to expire on or after 2 September 2022, the new fees apply.
- If your registration is due to expire before 2 September 2022, the current fees will apply.
See Building practitioner fees for more information.
Your registration gives you the right to practice, it shows people you are qualified, skilled and experienced to do the job. To be registered you need to have met strict criteria.
It is unlawful for a person who is not registered to carry out building work requiring a building permit for work valued at more than $10,000.
By being registered, practitioners benefit through the legitimisation of their services over unregistered persons who may be unqualified or lack the qualifications or competencies to deliver safe and compliant building work.
Consumers benefit by knowing that registered practitioners are competent and qualified to complete building work in the classes in which they are registered. Consumers have additional protections because of the increased level of regulatory oversight over registered practitioners.
The Victorian Building Authority is also reviewing the fees for plumbing practitioners and will release more information in due course.
Different regulatory requirements are involved in the resetting of plumbing fees under the Plumbing Regulations 2018.
The grounds for application are available on the Building practitioner fees page.
To apply for fee relief, you must lodge a Financial Hardship – Fee Relief application form along with the required supporting evidence, when you submit your application for registration, annual renewal or 5-yearly renewal.
You will be notified of the outcome of your application via the email address you provided in your application form.
A person may seek a review a VBA delegate’s decision by submitting a Request for Review of Decision – Fee Relief application. This request is to be made within 30 calendar days of the VBA’s decision and identify the below ground/s on which the review is sought:
- New information, facts or circumstances have arisen since the initial request for fee relief was made.
- The decision made was wrong or not properly made.
- The information provided by the applicant was not properly considered by the decision maker.
- Application for review should be sent via email (buildingreg@vba.vic.gov.au), with ‘Review of Fee Relief Decision’ in the subject line.
From the date of the outcome/decision you have 14 days. If you require further time to pay, please contact the VBA via email (buildingreg@vba.vic.gov.au).
Note: Expiration or suspension processes cannot be stopped while the person makes fee payment.