pbbuilds

🧱 What Is a Licensed Builder in Victoria?

A licensed builder is someone who holds official registration through the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), the state’s governing body for building professionals.

To get licensed, a builder must:

  • Pass assessments in building knowledge, construction law, and project management

  • Have practical experience (usually several years on-site)

  • Maintain appropriate insurance

  • Adhere to a strict code of conduct and workmanship standards

This means when you hire a licensed builder, you’re hiring someone who’s:
✅ Qualified
✅ Experienced
✅ Regulated
✅ Insured

…and accountable if anything goes wrong.

🛑 When Is It Legally Required to Hire a Licensed Builder?

In Victoria, if your bathroom renovation or building project:

  • Is valued over $10,000, or

  • Involves structural changes, or

  • Requires waterproofing, plumbing, or electrical work, or

  • Needs a building permit

👉 Then YES—you must hire a registered building practitioner.

💡 Even if you’re managing the project yourself, you can’t legally hire trades to do these jobs unless the work is supervised by a licensed builder.

💎 What Is the Most Expensive Part of a Bathroom Renovation?

Here’s a breakdown of where your money tends to go:

  1. Labour & Trades – Around 40–50% of your budget

    • Plumbers, electricians, tilers, waterproofers, carpenters

  2. Waterproofing & Tiling – 20–30%

    • Especially with floor-to-ceiling tile layouts

  3. Custom Joinery & Fixtures – 10–20%

    • Vanities, shaving cabinets, storage

  4. Demolition & Rubbish Removal – 5–10%

    • Don’t forget to factor this in!

🚿 Waterproofing and tiling are often the most labour-intensive parts. They require skilled hands, compliance certificates, and must be done right—so this is not an area to DIY or skimp on.

⚠️ Risks of Hiring an Unlicensed Builder (or DIY)

Plenty of people think they’re saving money by hiring a “handyman” or doing parts of the reno themselves. But here’s what they often don’t realise:

🚨 What can go wrong:

  • No warranty insurance for work over $16,000

  • No VBA oversight or quality control

  • Potential fines for unpermitted or non-compliant work

  • Voided home insurance if a claim involves unlicensed work

  • Structural or waterproofing failure that can cost thousands to fix

  • Delays and rework when inexperienced trades don’t follow code

👎 We’ve been called in more than once to “rescue” a half-finished job where a client tried to cut costs… and ended up spending double to fix it.

 

🧰 The Benefits of Hiring a Licensed Builder (Like Us)

As licensed builders who specialise in bathroom renovations and structural carpentry, here’s what you get when you work with our team:

✅ 1. Peace of Mind

You know the work is done properly, safely, and in full compliance with Victorian building standards.

✅ 2. Full Project Management

We coordinate all the moving parts—plumbing, tiling, waterproofing, carpentry, permits—so you don’t have to.

✅ 3. Quality Trades, Vetted by Us

We only work with trusted, licensed professionals—no cowboys, no cutting corners.

✅ 4. Warranty Insurance

All jobs over $16,000 are covered by Domestic Building Insurance, which protects you if anything goes wrong post-reno.

✅ 5. Real-Time Problem Solving

If your floor isn’t level or your frame needs reinforcing—we fix it. On the spot. No delays, no blaming “the other guy.”

🔍 How to Check If a Builder Is Licensed in Victoria

Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Always check their registration number with the VBA Practitioner Search Tool.

Look for:

  • Domestic Builder – Unlimited or Domestic Builder – Limited to bathrooms

  • A valid registration number

  • Current insurance coverage

💡 Pro tip: If someone can’t give you their license number, don’t give them your deposit.

🏗️ Real-Life Scenario: Licensed vs. DIY Disaster

We had a client in regional Victoria who originally hired a friend-of-a-friend to tile and waterproof their bathroom. A few months later, the shower leaked into the hallway floorboards. No insurance, no compliance certificate, and a total rebuild was needed. We came in, stripped it back, corrected the framing, re-waterproofed it properly, and rebuilt the space with full compliance and sign-off. The client ended up paying twice—once to do it cheap, and again to do it right.

👆 Moral of the story? Hire a licensed builder from day one.

🤔 FAQs

Can I hire tradies directly instead of a builder?

Only if the work is minor. But if you’re doing a full reno or anything structural, a licensed builder must manage the project to ensure it’s compliant—and you’re protected.

Is hiring a builder more expensive?

It might look that way upfront, but you save long-term by avoiding delays, rework, compliance issues, and insurance drama.

How do I get started with a licensed builder?

Easy! Just contact us. We’ll visit your site, chat about your vision and budget, and provide a clear plan with all the details covered.

🧼 Final Word: Don’t Risk Your Reno—Build It Right

At the end of the day, your home is your biggest asset—and your bathroom is one of the hardest-working rooms in the house. Cutting corners with an unlicensed builder (or no builder at all) is never worth the risk.

When you work with a licensed builder, you’re not just getting a finished room. You’re getting:

  • Peace of mind

  • Full project management

  • Trade coordination and compliance

  • Work backed by insurance and standards

📩 Ready to renovate the right way?
Let’s chat. We’ll guide you through your bathroom project from design to handover—with everything built to last.

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