When do I need a major domestic building contract in Victoria?

Answers (1)

1. LE

   LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial

   Answered 24 September 2026

   Once the work is worth more than 10,000 dollars, Victoria calls it a major domestic building contract and the document has to look like one. Two pages for a 60,000 dollar job is unlikely to be it.

   The contract must be written in clear English, describe the work in detail, state the contract price, and give clear advice about the five-day cooling-off period. That cooling-off right is the one most people never learn they had until it has expired.

   Registration goes with the threshold. The builder must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission if the contract is more than 10,000 dollars — and separately, regardless of value, for restumping, reblocking, demolishing or removing a home.

   So there are two things to check before you sign: that the contract is a major domestic building contract in form as well as in price, and that the person handing it to you is registered for this work. Both are checkable in an afternoon, and both are much harder to fix afterwards.

Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.

Sources

Where the facts on this page come from.

1. 1

   Preparing a major domestic building contract — Consumer Affairs Victoria (accessed 24 September 2026)