The owner-builder guide library
Written by a construction professional, reviewed against how builds actually go wrong. Start with your state, or jump to the topic in front of you.
By state
Rules are state business — start with yours
By topic
Or jump to the decision in front of you
Approvals & permits — Permits, certifiers, the legal path
ACT owner-builder licence: the complete guide
How the ACT owner-builder licence works: eligibility, the training requirement, application steps, your obligations on site and when you sell.
NSW owner-builder permit: the complete guide
Who needs an NSW owner-builder permit, the course requirement, costs, insurance obligations and the 7.5-year sale-disclosure tail — in plain English.
NT owner-builder certificate: the complete guide
When NT owner-builders need Building Practitioners Board consent, the $25,000 certificate threshold, the fidelity fund certificate and the 3+3 year rules.
The owner-builder course: what it is, what it costs, and who needs one
The approved owner-builder course explained: which states require it, online vs classroom, how long it takes, what it costs, and how it fits the permit.
QLD owner-builder permit: the complete guide
Who needs a QBCC owner-builder permit, the course requirement, what you can and cannot build yourself, and the 6-year sale disclosure rules.
Owner-building in SA: no permit — but rules that still bite
South Australia has no owner-builder permit or course. What SA actually requires: PlanSA approvals, the $20,000 insurance threshold and the 5-year rules.
TAS owner-builder permit: the complete guide
Who needs a Tasmanian owner-builder permit, the CBOS course and White Card, the two-in-10-years limit, insurance requirements and the 6-year warranty tail.
VIC owner-builder certificate of consent: the complete guide
How the BPC certificate of consent works, the eLearning assessment, what you can build yourself, and the 6.5-year sale rules — s137B report and insurance.
WA owner-builder approval: the complete guide
Who needs Building Services Board approval in WA, the course and white card, the once-per-6-years rule, and the 3-year notify and 7-year insurance sale rules.
Trades & quotes — Choosing trades, comparing quotes
Contract & price negotiation for owner-builders (before you sign)
What is actually negotiable in a trade quote, the contract clauses that matter more than price, and how to negotiate without losing the good trades.
How to compare builder quotes properly (the levelling method)
Why quote totals lie, how to level trade quotes line by line, and the exclusion traps that make the cheapest quote the most expensive decision.
How to review a builder quote (and what to do when it seems too high)
A review checklist for builder quotes and the building contract: what a proper quotation includes, how to tell high from padded, and how to lower the price.
Money — Budgets, deposits, finance, traps
Deposit rules and payment schedules, state by state
What deposit a builder can ask for in NSW, VIC, QLD and the ACT, why oversized deposits signal trouble, and how to structure a payment schedule.
The owner-builder finance reality check
Fewer lenders, lower LVRs, stricter evidence: how owner-builder construction loans really work, and the order of operations that protects your money.
The owner-builder money traps guide
The seven traps that cost Australian owner-builders $15k+ — oversized deposits, allowance lowballs, variation creep — and how to spot each one early.
NSW owner-builder insurance & selling rules: the real position
What NSW owner-builders must insure, what contractors must provide, the s95 warning when selling within 7.5 years, and the warranties that follow the house.
Cost to build a house as an owner-builder: the per-square-metre reality
What it really costs to build per square metre in Australia, why online cost guides run behind the market, and how owner-builder savings actually work.
Owner-builder insurance: every policy, in plain English
Construction works, public liability, personal accident, volunteers and workers comp — the insurance an owner-builder actually needs, and what each covers.
Owner-builder loans: which lenders, what LVR, and how the money arrives
Which lenders do owner-builder construction loans, the LVR reality, how drawdowns work and the broker path — the finance detail that decides the build.
PC and PS items explained: prime cost, provisional sums and variations
What prime cost (PC) items and provisional sums (PS) are, how they differ, why they blow budgets, and how to check an allowance before you sign the contract.
VIC domestic building insurance for owner-builders: selling rules
Selling an owner-built home in Victoria within 6.5 years: the DBI policy over $16,000, the s137B defects report, and the 10-year liability tail explained.
Build stages — Slab to handover, stage by stage
Site preparation: the stage before the stages
Soil reports, demolition, service connections, set-out and site establishment — the owner-builder walkthrough of the work that happens before the slab.
The slab stage: what the certifier checks
An owner-builder walkthrough of the slab stage — the pre-pour inspection, pour-day discipline, and the mistakes that cost five figures to fix.
The frame stage: what the certifier checks
The owner-builder walkthrough of frame stage — frame inspection, tie-downs, engineering compliance, and keeping trades off the frame until it passes.
The lock-up stage: closing the building in
Roof, cladding, windows and external doors — what lock-up actually means, the payment milestone it triggers, and the water-entry traps to catch now.
The fixing stage: where the money runs fastest
Linings, cabinets, doors, tiling and trims — the owner-builder walkthrough of fixing stage, selection deadlines and the variation pressure that peaks here.
Waterproofing & wet areas: the defect that defines disputes
Why wet-area waterproofing is the costliest defect class in Australian homes, what a compliant membrane job looks like, and the checks owner-builders must make.
Handover & occupancy: finishing the build properly
The final inspection, occupancy certificate, defect lists, final payments and the handover pack — how owner-builders close a build out cleanly.
Reading done — want the answer for your build?
Guides cover the pattern; the services cover your project. Start with the free quiz or bring us your quotes.