Major domestic building contract — preparation checklist (Victoria)

Property & tenancy · VIC

What to gather and check before signing a major domestic building contract. A preparation checklist, not a contract.

Who it is for

Your job crosses into major domestic building contract territory in Victoria and you want to arrive at the contract — or at a lawyer — organised rather than guessing.

When to see a lawyer instead

This checklist deliberately does not generate a contract. A major domestic building contract has contents required by the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) and is of no effect unless properly signed; a defective one is a real risk to you. Have the actual contract prepared or reviewed by a lawyer before you sign, particularly where the price is significant, the work is structural, or the builder has proposed their own terms.

What you will fill in

• Describe the project
• Site address
• Estimated total price in A$
• Prepared by
• Date
• Which parts of the work do you think are building work?
• Builder's registration number
• Who is obtaining the permits?
• Questions you want the lawyer to answer

Source: BIXSO staff-drafted checklist from Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance, Building and Plumbing Commission guidance, and Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) ss 11, 29, 31, 34, 40.

This is legal information, not legal advice.