Can you believe this????

[Pulse]

http://www.somersoft.com/forums/show...253#post340253

Talk about protecting jobs for the boys! It's great how we need protection from ourselves!!!

Pulse

[Wood Butcher]

What complete and utter BS. How many thousands of people have done major renovations on houses and not had OB licences. Sounds like another revenue raiser from the government.

[Make it work]

That is as much of a rort as the long service leave levy that you have to pay even if you are an OB.

The role of council should be to ensure that the building is built to the code, but they don't even give consistant info about their own requirements. God help you if you want to build something that is a little left of centre.

No wonder so many projects are done without all the permissions.

[atregent]

That's odd. When I was watching Better Homes and Gardens on Friday night, as they were saying how easy it is to rip out your old kitchen and relplace it with new cabinets and appliances from Bunnings, there was no mention of permits and such. I'm sure a full kitchen replacement would be over the required dollar value...

[nev25]

I would have thought that someone who is replacing a kitchen,Painting,landscaping etc
Is a home renovator not a owner builder?
I have heard to build a house as an owner builder in some states you have to do a course to become a OB (not the case here in Vic).

I guess the question I would be asking is WHAT IS AN OWNER BUILDER?
IMO An owner builder is someone who is physically out there with a hammer and nail (where law allows).
Some one who employs contractors would Be a site supervisor!.

[pawnhead]

Some one who employs contractors would Be a site supervisor!.

That would be a builder (or owner/builder), who's not necessarily a hands on guy himself. The site supervisor may designate, but he's not the actual employer.

[silentC]

How many thousands of people have done major renovations on houses and not had OB licences.

I think you'll find that is one of the reasons we now have the system that is in place. I have seen some incredibly shonky things done in investment properties, having lived in plenty of them over the years. The whole point of the Owner Builder permit and the regulations covering contractors is to have some accountability. Whether it's job protectionism or revenue raising as well I'm not getting into. Something needed to be done about it though. All these clowns buying investment properties and doing their own renovation rescue then flogging them off is what brought the current state of affairs about in my opinion.

I agree that what you do in your own house should be your business (up to a point) but if you are 'doing up' a house or unit to rent or sell, I think it should be done properly and by the book. As a government, if you had no control over what people were doing, how could you protect unsuspecting tenants or buyers walking into a death trap?

[silentC]

I have heard to build a house as an owner builder in some states you have to do a course to become a OB (not the case here in Vic).

I am positive that you have to do an OB course in Victoria as well. The one I did the year before last was run from Victoria.

What is the alternative? You want people to be able to just do what they want, when they want and how they want? I hope you never buy a house that has been renovated by someone like this old Greek guy I rented from in Sydney.

[West OZ Mark]

I wanted to put a relocatable house on my property soI spoke to Builders Registration Board of WA and was told that I dont need a OB licence as long as the hookup value( electrical,plumbing) was under $10k. My Uncle was a shire building inspector in WA so I talked to him and he said that you dont need a OB licence until I start modifying the structure. I put a application into my shire and was told to get a OB licence because they include the cost of transportation in the total cost. When I went back to BRB they told me the Shire can override anything that they say so bad luck.

A couple of years ago I did some work for Department of Housing and Works renevating bathrooms, kitchens and external works that were well over the $10k value but I was able to because it didnt include any structural work.

[silentC]

1) Department of Housing make their own rules
2) Legally there's no way you'd be allowed to do work like that in NSW without some sort of contractor license. For residential building work over $1000 you'd have to provide a written contract and for work over $12,000 home owner's warranty insurance.

The above notwithstanding, people fly under the radar all the time. I think the post referred to above is an example of a very unlucky person who was caught out.

[pawnhead]

If the govt. had their way, then there probably wouldn't be any owner builders at all, but then there'd be too many people screaming about their right to work on their own house.

A lot of people are doing it just to make a profit, and turn over a property, which is sort of abusing a system that tries to only let people who are experienced supervise building work.

What's that old rule that a wise king put in place thousands of years ago now?
It went something like " If a builder builds a house, and it falls down, then the builder shall replace it from his own material. If a builder builds a house, and it falls down and kills the owner, then the builder shall be slain".
It's the first 'building code' and a part of a long list of laws that are quite famous now. Perhaps I'll do a Google later if someone doesn't find it first.

[nev25]

That would be a builder (or owner/builder), who's not necessarily a hands on guy himself. The site supervisor may designate, but he's not the actual employer.

Thats my point an owner builder should be someone who has does the hands on work (hammer in Hand)
After all SWMBO sits in the passenger seat of the car and issues instructions But she is not called the driver or doenst need a licence to do so.

I inquired some time ago about the relevents of Owner Builders courses in Vic
and was told the following from www.buildsafe.com.au

To answer your question about the course and if it's relevant in
Victoria. It isn't relevant for Victoria to get your owner builder
permit, you do have to go through the building commission to get your
certificate of consent. You can do a course for owner builders in
Victoria most tafe's have them, but it's not required for Victoria.

[silentC]

I honestly believe that the OB scheme was introduced purely to have some accountability. It allows you to do your own building work but puts the onus on you to make sure it's done properly and to make good any problems that arise down the track. We still have the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads from a renovation we did in Sydney. I think it lapses later this year.

At the time we completed it, we were required to provide 5 years warranty insurance to the new owner. Soon after they increased it to 7. This insurance covers the new owner in the event that something needs to be repaired under warranty and I have passed away, disappeared or become insolvent. If any of these three events have not come to pass, I am personally responsible for making it good.

Our mate in the post above is doing his own renovations to an investment property with no permit, no responsibility, no comeback. If someone buys the place off him and it falls apart, I don't think the new owner has a leg to stand on.

[silentC]

Thats my point an owner builder should be someone who has does the hands on work (hammer in Hand)

Not at all. My Dad was the owner builder on our house, because his name is on the land title and mine is not. But apart from the plumbing, which he did as a licensed tradesman, he had little else to do with the building of the house. I did most of the work that a builder would do, but the majority of the physical work was carried out by the two chippies I hired.

[nev25]

Not at all. My Dad was the owner builder on our house, because his name is on the land title and mine is not. But apart from the plumbing, which he did as a licensed tradesman, he had little else to do with the building of the house. I did most of the work that a builder would do, but the majority of the physical work was carried out by the two chippies I hired.

Thats the point I'm trying to make it shouldn't be
Read my above post