about refined
- Why do I need to register with the Building Practitioner's Board?
- What happens if I don't register?
- What if I do not have the right qualification?
- What if I don't have all the paperwork that is required?
- What if my application doesn't go through the first time?
- How can I help the Board verify my knowledge and experience?
- Are Third Parties Allowed to Assist me with my Application?
- What is the interview process?
- How long will the process take?
- How do I know RefinedPM will be trustworthy with my information?
- How much will it cost?
- What do I receive at the end of the process?
- How can I get more information?
- What is involved in the complimentary assessment?
Why do I need to register with the Building Practitioner's Board?
In Victoria, it is a requirement to be a Registered Building Practitioner to carry out domestic building work for any contract where the price exceeds $5,000 in each case, whether labour or materials or both, unless the work involves re-blocking a home or the demolition or removal of a home. In this case, registration is required despite the cost.
Even though you are classified as a "Building" Practitioner, it does not only apply to builders. The following is a list of trades where you need to be a Registered Building Practitioner if you undertake work valued at $5,000 or more.
DOMESTIC BUILDER
- Concreting
- Carpentry
- Site works/House Relocating
- Garage/Carport
- Doors/Window
- Gates/Fences
- Brickwork
- External Cladding
- Sub-floor Works
- Improvements to Roof
- Bathroom/Kitchen/Laundry Renovations
- Earthworks/Excavation
- Cabinet-Making/Joinery
- Floor slabs/Footings
- Retaining Walls
- Swimming Pools
- Structural Landscaping
- Shade Structures
- Waterproofing
Sundry works, including the work of two or more trades which, if carried out as single works, would be exempt from registration. This work should be a combination of any of the trades listed below:
- Attached external fixtures (security screens, awnings, insect screens & balustrades)
- Glazing
- Insulation
- Plastering (sheet, hard) and rendering
- Tiling (floor/wall)
- Installing floor coverings (carpet, vinyl, parquetry, timber veneers)
- Painting
- Erecting a chain wire fence to enclose a tennis court
- Erecting a mast, pole antenna, aerial or similar structure
You do need to register as a domestic builder if you:
- are a 'builder' (as defined in the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995);
and - undertake to carry out domestic building work where the cost of the work exceeds $5,000 (including labour and materials);
or - are engaged in the business of re-blocking, restumping, demolishing or removing a home (regardless of the value or the cost).
A 'builder' is defined under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 as a person who: a) carries out domestic building work; b) manages or arranges the carrying out of domestic building work; or c) intends to carry out or to manage or arrange the carrying out of domestic building work.
You do not need to register as a domestic builder if you:
- undertake to carry out building work valued under $5,000 under a domestic building contract except if the work involves re-blocking, restumping, demolishing or removing a home (regardless of the value or the cost);
or - the work is comprised of certain single trades (Code DB-L Q ) Code List: DB-L Q Sundry works
COMMERCIAL BUILDER
- Blinds and awnings
- Fit-Out Structural
- Greenhouse
- Re-blocking
- Steel Erection
- Lowrise
- Medium Rise
- Sign Erection
- Shade Structures
- Damp Proofing/Waterproofing
BUILDING INSPECTOR
BUILDING SURVEYOR
DEMOLISHER
DRAFTSPERSON
ENGINEER
ERECTOR OR SUPERVISOR OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES
QUANTITY SURVEYOR
What happens if I don't register?
- You have not met your legal obligations;
- You will not have the legal ‘umbrella' to protect yourself against difficult clients;
- You will up against your competition, who are registered which gives them an instant competitive advantage;
- Your customers may be in doubt of your professional standing;
- You may be prosecuted by the Building Commission for undertaking works over the value of $5,000 and not being registered.
- You might have your site shut down which will mean laying off your staff and it would be detrimental to your reputation.
- You may be fined a substantial amount of money.
What if I do not have the right qualification?
The Board may register an applicant if it considers that an applicant holds a qualification equivalent to the prescribed qualifications for a particular class. Under section 170 of the Building Act 1993, the Board must register an applicant if it is satisfied that (amongst other things) an applicant holds:
- the appropriate qualification prescribed by the Regulations;
or
- a qualification that the Board considers is, either alone or together with any further certificate, authority, experience or examination, equivalent to a prescribed qualification, provided that the applicant has complied with other conditions for registration.
'Qualification' in this paragraph means any degree, diploma, certificate, authority, training, experience or examination obtained inside or outside Victoria.
The Board may, as explained above, ask you to provide any further information it reasonably requires to determine an application.
Note: If you do not have the prescribed qualification, consider seeking assistance from an education provider who may be able to help you gain a qualification by completing a course, by recognition of prior learning RPL) or recognition of current competencies (RCC). Further information can be obtained by going to the Building Commission website at www.buildingcommission.com.au
What if my application doesn't go through the first time?
While we work hard to ensure your application is ready for approval at submission, sometimes, there can be additional information required by the Building Commission. Don't panic. Our record is excellent so far, however, if any further information is required, you will simply receive a letter requesting the additional information. We will continue to assist you through this process.
How can I help the Board verify my knowledge and experience?
You can assist the Board by clearly demonstrating your relevant knowledge and experience. The following documents will assist the Board in determining this:
- Technical references (preferably two references from registered building practitioners or registered architects demonstrating your relevant experience);
- Schedule of works
- Site plan and working drawings
- Quantities and estimating worksheets
- Safe work method statement
- Site Induction
- Business and financial planning
- Health and safety coordination plan
- Major domestic building contracts
- Quality assurance documents
- Sustainable building procedures
- Site photographs and plans.
Are Third Parties Allowed to Assist me with my Application?
There is much confusion on whether applications for registration with the Victorian Building Commission for a Builder’s Licence or Certification must be completely prepared by the individual applying.
Some assert that if a third party prepares the application for you, it will be rejected by the commission and you will be failed in the exam. Is this statement true? Yes and No.
There are businesses who do prepare applications for the builder, using their own templates and forms, and then through cut and pasting create an application with little more than the name and contact details being changed to produce a one size fits all application.
The Building Commission can see through these as it is quite clear that they do not reflect the builders’ actual processes. It is strongly recommend you don’t do this, as the Building Commission is well aware of these practices. They have tested applications prepared by these businesses during the interview process and quickly established that builders who submitted them have no idea of what is in them and can very quickly spot applications prepared in this way.
However, if the third party prepares the application using the information that the builder supplies, and organises it into a format that is easy for the commission to review, they actually appreciate that effort as it saves them significant time. They also realize that the applicant is serious about obtaining their registration by having a reputable company assist them with their application to ensure it is professional and complete.
The commission tells of applications which are little more than a pile of papers in no order and in some cases illegible. While they put every effort into trying to determine whether these applications comply, it is necessary to contact the applicant to try and understand what they have done, and in many cases ask them to resubmit it.
The average DIY application to the Commission needs to be submitted 2-3 times. The average number of submissions for acceptance by the Commission for a professionally prepared application, using the builders own materials, by Refined Project Management is once. All applications prepared by Refined Project Management have been accepted by the Building Practitioner's Board.
Builders in our experience have a lot of the information the commission seeks, but usually not in a well organised form. Builders who complete the application themselves may spend 100 hours doing so, not including the resubmissions.
So the Victorian Building Commission will accept applications by a third party (and that is what Refined Project Management does), so if you are interested in discovering how far you are away from being able to make a submission that will be accepted, please contact us for a complimentary assessment.
What is the interview process?
Initially, a staff member of the Board will ensure that all the required information is provided with your application. When complete, you may be required to undertake a Q&A multiple choice examination in at the offices of the Building Commission. Once that has been undertaken, they will then forward your application for assessment to the Board member responsible for your registration category for final review and decision. In the case of domestic builders, assessment is undertaken by a Board-appointed competency assessor.
During the assessment process, you may be asked to provide additional information in support of your application or asked to attend an interview to demonstrate your competencies in the category of registration sought. Your interview could last from 1 to 2 hours or more – just you and the examiner. You will be expected to know about building matters and basic business operations such as invoicing and financial reports.
The recommendation of the Board member/Assessor is then made to a full meeting of the Board, held each month. In order for an application to be considered by the Board it must be submitted with all the required information.
The Building Practitioner's Board has provided a list of competencies. RefinedPM has developed this into a template of questions to make it easier to go over those you may be asked at your interview. It provides a brief guide to the knowledge expectations for the interview.
You may also take additional photographs, testimonials and evidence of experience with you to the interview. It benefits the examiner to know as much about your work and your business as possible.
How long will the process take?
Our contract is for a 3 month period. On average, it takes about 4 - 6 weeks to complete the process with us. It depends on how committed you are to finalising the process. After your application is submitted, it could take up to 4 weeks for your documentation to be assessed. During this time you will be asked to attend to undertake a Multiple Choice Q&A in at the offices of the Building Commission. After approximately 2 - 6 weeks, you will receive an interview appointment with your assessor. Your assessor will either be a member of the Building Practitioner's Board or a representative of the Board.
How do I know RefinedPM will be trustworthy with my information?
RefinedPM will provide a contract for the work to be undertaken and the fee structure. RefinedPM guarantee that all information obtained by us for the purposes of obtaining Registration with the Practitioner's Board will be kept absolutely confidential and no details will be released to any other party.
What do I receive to help me with my application?
Depending on the package you have purchased, the following may vary. For information purposes, we have included everything you can receive.
When you first enter into an agreement with RefinedPM you will receive a folder with all the component requirements, templates, a Step by Step Guide we have developed to assist you through the process and a CD containing all the templates in a digital format.
As you work through each component you can upload or email the finished document to us.
At the end of the first month we will forward to you, all the publication requirements.
Once we receive all your documentation, we have it professionally printed. A personalised folder is provided to you to enclose your application. The folder is tabbed in the appropriate manner to make it easier for the Building Commission staff to assess.
At the conclusion of the printing process we forward two folder to you. One for you to use as your submission, and one to keep. We also provide you with all your documents, those that have been supplied to us digitally, on a CD. Finally, we supply you with a stamped addressed envelope to submit your application to the Building Commission.
On completion of the application process, you will be provided with:
- A hard folder containing your application in a professional format for submitting to the Building Commission;
- A hard folder copy for your own personal records;
- Hard copy and digital (CD) with any work supplied to us in a digital format;
- A stamped addressed envelope to submit your application to the Building Commission.
What is involved in the complimentary assessment?
At your assessment at our office, we will review the documentation you already have for your business, and advise you of the gaps that may exist and the steps you must complete to achieve registration in your chosen category. In many cases, people are much closer to achieving registration than they think.
Book your Complimentary Assessment here.