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regulation Glossary 6 min read

Building Act 1993 (Vic): the building control framework

The Building Act 1993 is Victoria's building-control law: permits, surveyors, occupancy, and practitioner registration. Now administered by the BPC, not the VBA.

By Chalkline. Last updated 25 May 2026. Verified 25 May 2026.

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The Building Act 1993 (Vic) is the Victorian law that controls building work: it sets up the building-permit system, registered building surveyors, occupancy permits, building practitioner registration, and the enforcement and dispute framework. It is the law a Victorian builder works under, residential and commercial.

Since 1 July 2025, it is administered by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), the new regulator that brought together the former Victorian Building Authority (VBA), Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria, and the domestic building insurance arm of the VMIA (verified 2026-05-25). So references to “the VBA” now mean the BPC.

The 2025 reform

The BPC was created as part of a major overhaul of Victorian building regulation. The Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Act 2025 (in effect from 1 July 2025) amended both the Building Act 1993 and the Sale of Land Act 1962, introducing stronger consumer protections. Further reform is in train, so on a live matter check the current position; the framework is moving.

What the Act sets up

  • Building permits: issued by a registered building surveyor (private or municipal), not the council planning department. The building surveyor is central to the Victorian system.
  • Occupancy permits and certificates of final inspection: the completion documents, issued by the building surveyor when the work complies.
  • Building practitioner registration: builders, surveyors, and other practitioners must be registered; registration is administered by the BPC.
  • Enforcement: building orders, building notices, and the powers to deal with non-compliant or dangerous work.
  • Dispute resolution: the domestic building dispute framework (now within the BPC).

Section 137B: the owner-builder on-sell trap

A provision worth flagging: section 137B governs an owner-builder selling the home. An owner-builder who sells within the statutory period after the work must provide the buyer with a defects inspection report, and (for work above the threshold) domestic building insurance, before sale. Skipping it is a real liability and a common owner-builder mistake. The exact period and threshold are the kind of detail the 2025 reforms touch, so confirm the current requirement before relying on it.

Where it sits among the Victorian laws

  • Building Act 1993: building control, permits, surveyors, occupancy, practitioner registration (this Act).
  • Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995: the rules for domestic building contracts.
  • Planning and Environment Act 1987: the planning permit (where one is needed), a separate process from the building permit.

It is the Victorian counterpart to NSW’s EP&A Act 1979 plus Home Building Act, and the WA Building Act 2011 / Qld Building Act 1975.

For a builder

  • Your building surveyor issues the permit. In Victoria a registered building surveyor, private or municipal, issues the building permit and the occupancy permit; engage one early.
  • “VBA” is now the BPC. Since 1 July 2025 the regulator is the Building and Plumbing Commission; older documents and signage saying VBA refer to the same function.
  • Owner-builders: mind s137B. Selling an owner-built home within the statutory period triggers the defects-report and insurance obligations; do not list without sorting them.
  • Registration is mandatory. Confirm your (and your surveyor’s) practitioner registration is current with the BPC.

Also known as: Building Act 1993 Vic, Victorian Building Act, Building Act 1993.

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-25. Verified: 2026-05-25. Quarterly review for currency.

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