Checking a Registered Building Practitioner Before Buying

We get asked this almost every week by first home buyers looking at newer townhouses and apartments around Melbourne. The worry is simple: before you sign, how do you know the builder behind the property was properly registered, insured and accountable?

The short answer: In Victoria, the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) now brings together building regulation, dispute resolution and domestic building insurance functions. Before buying a recent build, search the practitioner’s registration, check the disciplinary history, and verify any Domestic Building Insurance policy if domestic building work was over $16,000. These checks will not replace a building inspection or legal review, but they can quickly flag whether you need to slow down, ask more questions, or negotiate stronger protection before signing.

Why should buyers check a registered building practitioner before signing?

A buyer should check the registered building practitioner because you are not just buying walls, windows and a car space. You are taking on the quality of the building work, the documents attached to it, and the practical headache if defects show up later.

This matters most with newer Melbourne stock: townhouses in Brunswick or Preston, off the plan apartments near the CBD, and recently completed dual occupancies across the south east. If waterproofing fails or structural movement appears after settlement, your options may depend on who did the work, whether they were registered for that type of work, and whether insurance or statutory protections still apply. For a broader look at what can happen once keys change hands, it helps to understand responsibility for property defects after settlement.

In our practice, we’ve seen this come up when a buyer loves a near new townhouse, then the Section 32 bundle shows a builder name that does not match the developer name on the contract. That does not always mean something is wrong, but it does mean the names need to be checked carefully.

What does the BPC practitioner check tell you?

The practitioner check tells you whether the builder, building company, surveyor or other practitioner is registered, what class they hold, and whether the registration appears to match the work. It is a quick first filter, not a full quality guarantee.

Look for the exact name on the building permit, not just the marketing name used by the developer. Companies and people can be listed separately, so search both if the permit names a company and a nominated person. Pay close attention to:

current status, such as active, suspended or cancelled
registration number
class of registration
limits or conditions on the registration
whether the class fits the work, such as a townhouse, apartment building or domestic renovation

A domestic builder limited to one narrow type of work should not be treated the same as a builder registered for the type of dwelling you are buying. If the search result feels inconsistent with the property, ask your conveyancer to review the permit, occupancy certificate and contract before you sign.

How do you check a registered building practitioner in Victoria?

Start with the documents in the Section 32 vendor statement, then cross-check the public register. The Section 32 bundle often contains the building permit, occupancy permit, certificate of final inspection, insurance documents and sometimes owner builder paperwork.

Use this process before you sign:

Find the builder, building company and building surveyor named in the permit documents.
Search the practitioner register by name and registration number.
Search both the company and the individual nominee where both appear.
Compare the registration class with the type of work.
Note any condition, suspension, cancellation or unexpected gap.
Ask your conveyancer to compare the search results with the contract and Section 32 documents.

If you are buying at auction, do this before auction day. Once the hammer falls in Victoria, there is usually no cooling off period, and your ability to renegotiate defects or missing documents is much weaker.

Why should you check the disciplinary register too?

The disciplinary register can show whether a practitioner has faced formal action, such as a reprimand, fine, suspension, cancellation, disqualification, training condition or prosecution. A clean registration result is useful, but it is not the whole story.

What you are looking for is the pattern. One older entry may need an explanation. Repeated entries, recent suspensions, dishonesty findings, unregistered work, uninsured work, or repeated failures to comply with orders deserve much closer attention.

This is where buyers can get caught. The builder may still be registered today, but the disciplinary record may show conduct that changes your risk appetite. A weekend open for inspection will not tell you that. The public register might.

How does Domestic Building Insurance fit into the check?

Domestic Building Insurance, often called DBI, is required for most Victorian residential building work over $16,000. It is designed to protect owners in set situations where building work is incomplete or defective and the policy triggers are met.

For a buyer of a recent build, the key question is not just whether the builder was registered. You also want to know whether a DBI certificate exists, whether the address matches the property, and whether the cover period may still be useful.

Under the current scheme, DBI commonly responds where the builder has died, disappeared, become insolvent, or failed to comply with a relevant court or VCAT order for policies issued on or after 1 July 2015. Consumer Affairs Victoria states that cover can extend to structural defects for six years and non-structural defects for two years, with a cover limit under the present policy settings.

Check the policy number through the BPC builder and policy check tool. If the Section 32 does not include the policy number for recent domestic work, ask why. Your conveyancer can request missing documents before you become locked into the contract.

What should the Section 32 show for a recent build?

For a recent build, the Section 32 should help you identify who did the building work and whether the right supporting documents have been disclosed. It will not tell you whether the balcony has been waterproofed properly, so do not treat it as a building inspection.

Useful documents to look for include:

building permits
occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection
DBI certificate for domestic work over $16,000
owner builder defects report, if owner builder rules apply
council or BPC notices affecting the property
owners corporation documents for apartments and townhouses

If something is missing, do not guess. Missing documents might be harmless admin, or they might point to work done without the right permit or insurance. The answer changes the next step.

What if the property involved owner builder work?

Owner builder work needs a separate check because the person who did the work is not the same as a registered builder engaged under a standard domestic building contract. If the property is being sold within six years and six months of owner builder work, Victorian disclosure rules can require a defects inspection report and insurance where the value threshold is met.

That is where Section 137B owner-builder disclosure becomes relevant. For buyers, the report can be a useful early warning because it may identify visible defects, incomplete work or second hand materials. It is not a promise that hidden defects do not exist.

If the Section 32 mentions owner builder work, compare the dates, permit details, inspection report and insurance. A renovated kitchen in Northcote, a rear extension in Coburg, or a garage conversion in Glen Iris can all raise different questions.

What is changing under Victoria’s buyer protection reforms?

Victoria’s buyer protection reforms are moving more building regulation, dispute resolution and insurance functions into the BPC. The BPC began on 1 July 2025, and further reforms are being staged, including wider consumer protections and changes to domestic building insurance.

For buyers, the practical message is steady: check the builder before you sign, check the insurance, and keep a record of what you relied on. The newer reforms may improve pathways for owners with building defects, but they do not make pre-purchase checking optional.

If the property is a newer apartment above three storeys, a standard domestic building insurance path may not be enough. Apartments, mixed use buildings and owners corporation repairs can raise extra questions, so get advice before assuming the same rules apply to every Melbourne building.

What should you do if the search results look messy?

If the search results look messy, pause before signing and turn the issue into a clear contract question. A vague worry does not protect you; a carefully drafted condition, further inspection or document request might.

Depending on the issue, your conveyancer may suggest:

asking the vendor for missing permits, insurance certificates or inspection reports
asking the building inspector to re-check a specific area
inserting a special condition before signing
seeking clarification from the council, BPC or building surveyor
walking away if the risk does not match your budget or appetite

This matters before settlement too. If defects or missing documents are found after signing but before settlement, read up on construction defects found before settlement and speak with your conveyancer before making demands through the agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I check if a building practitioner is registered in Victoria?

You can check a building practitioner through the public practitioner search connected with the Building and Plumbing Commission. Search by name, business name or registration number, then compare the result with the builder details shown in the building permit and Section 32 documents.

What is a registered building practitioner in Victoria?

A registered building practitioner is a builder, building surveyor, draftsperson or other building professional who is registered to carry out specified building work in Victoria. The registration class matters because it tells you what kind of work the practitioner is allowed to do.

Can a buyer check a registered building practitioner’s disciplinary history?

Yes. Victorian buyers can search the public prosecution and disciplinary register for formal action taken against building practitioners, building companies and plumbers. Check the individual and the company where both are named, because one result can look clean while the other raises concerns.

Do I get the benefit of Domestic Building Insurance as the second buyer?

Often, yes, because DBI is connected to the property and can protect later owners during the cover period. You still need to confirm the policy exists, the address matches, the relevant time period has not expired, and the policy trigger applies to your issue.

What is changing for buyers under the Buyer Protections Act 2025?

The Buyer Protections Act 2025 created the BPC and set up further reforms to building regulation, dispute handling and insurance. Buyers should keep checking the practitioner register, disciplinary history and DBI documents because those records remain central to understanding risk before signing.

What does it mean if a registered building practitioner has conditions on their registration?

Conditions may restrict the type of work the practitioner can do or require supervision, training or other compliance steps. A condition is not always a reason to walk away, but it is a reason to ask what caused it and whether it affects the property you are buying.

About the Pearson Chambers Conveyancing team

Pearson Chambers Conveyancing is a Melbourne-focused conveyancing firm helping buyers and sellers with contract reviews, Section 32 checks and settlements across the metro area. We work with first home buyers every day, including buyers looking at apartments, townhouses and recent renovations. Registered practitioner, permit and DBI checks are part of the practical due diligence our team deals with when a recent build comes across the desk.

Sources we consulted

Talk to Pearson Chambers Conveyancing

If you are looking at a newer townhouse, apartment or renovated home in Melbourne, we can check the builder details before you sign. Pearson Chambers Conveyancing offers a complimentary Section 32 contract review, including a review of the contract, vendor statement, key building documents, practitioner checks and DBI documents where relevant.

Email: contact@pearsonchambers.com.au

General information only, current as at the date of publication. Victorian conveyancing rules and legislation change frequently. Please contact the Pearson Chambers Conveyancing team for advice on your specific contract.