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Owner Builder Licenses

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Changes are proposed to the process of obtaining owner builder licenses in NSW.

At present, you can qualify for your owner builder license on-line. However, the Department of Fair Trading has recently indicated that as from 1 September 2010, the qualification requirements will change. As from that date, it will be necessary for prospective owner builders to attend a two day course conducted by Department of Fair Trading in order to qualify for their owner builder license. (In fact, it was originally proposed to change the requirements from 24 June 2010 but this date was recently changed to 1 September 2010.)

Click on www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au for details on how to obtain an owner builder license.

Important points to note include:

  • You must be over 18 years.
  • You must own the land or have a prescribed interest in the land. (If your name is not on the property title and you believe you have a valid reason to work on the property as owner builder, you should speak directly to the Department of Fair Trading for advice.)
  • You live or intend to live in the completed home (home warranty insurance issues arise if you sell the property within 6 years).
  • Once you have qualified for your owner builder license, it is essential that you physically go to the Department of Fair Trading and collect your owner builder permit, before doing any “DA approved” work whatsoever. If you undertake any “DA approved” work before you get the permit from the Department of Fair Trading, the Department cannot issue you an owner builder license.
  • Only one owner builder permit can be issued within any 5 year period unless the application relates to the same property or unless special circumstances exist.
  • The owner builder license remains current until the building works on the nominated property are completed. The license does not need to be renewed. According, if you are thinking about doing home building works as an owner builder, it would be in your interests to apply for your owner builder license prior to the 1 September 2010 changes.

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