Owner Builder Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to consider insurance?
Insurance requirements vary from state to state (see the state specific page on this website) and you need to carefully determine what insurance you will need.
We can offer the following generic advice, but please contact you local insurance broker for complete information relevant to your project location.
You will need, or at the very least should hold the following policies:
* Work Cover
* Public Risk
* Construction
* Personal Sickness and Accident (Loss of Income)
* Structural Warranty (Home Owner Warranty Insurance in New South Wales)
Australian Owner Builder Courses Online can offer our members and students, an insurance advisory and referral service with competitively priced packages that will cover all your project needs.
Can I do everything myself?
No, there are certain areas that must be carried out by suitable qualified and or appropriately licensed.
The following are the trades that cannot be carried out by other than qualified persons:
* Design
* Plumbing
* Electrical
* Drainage
* Gasfitting
* Waterproofing
* Pest – termite proofing
There are other areas that we strongly recommend that you do not attempt yourself unless you have considerable experience and or relevant qualifications or assistance:
* Roofing
* Bricklaying
* Concreting
* Rendering and internal linings
As with most things, you need to realistically assess your own capability, sometimes, hiring a mentor to provide guidance and advice can be a cost effective solutions.
When completing any works yourself, always refer to and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for fixing and finishing.
Can I do more than one project?
The short answer is no, although there are certain circumstances in some states which allow additional projects to be undertaken. (refer to the state specific pages on this website)
Most states have restrictions on the number of permits which can be obtained in a given time period and limit the construction to single residential dwellings unless otherwise stated.
Queensland for example restricts the issuance of permits to one in any 6 year period and includes all persons listed on the Title Deed.
New South Wales is one permit in a 5 year period, but does not place a restriction on other persons listed on the titles deed from gaining a permit in respect to another property.
You need to check with your state or territory regulations or contact your Owner Building Solutions consultant for further advice.
Can my partner or spouse do another project?
Within the restricted period:
Queensland: NO
New South Wales: NO
Victoria: YES
South Australia: YES
Western Australia: YES
Northern Territory: YES
Australian Capital Territory YES
Tasmania: YES
As with most things, rules, laws and exemptions change over time. Whilst we try to keep this information up to date, it is necessary to check with the local authority in your area to get the latest information on owner building.
Can I build a duplex?
Queensland: NO
New South Wales: YES
Victoria: YES
South Australia: YES
Western Australia: YES
Northern Territory: YES
Australian Capital Territory YES
Tasmania: YES
Can I do the course by correspondence?
Queensland: YES
New South Wales: YES
Victoria: YES
South Australia: YES
Western Australia: YES
Northern Territory: YES
Australian Capital Territory YES
Tasmania: YES
There is an additional charge for hard copy or paper based course to cover the cost of administration and production.
Can my family help?
Yes, but be careful of your insurance responsibilities, particularly in the areas of workcover and or public liability.
Ask your insurance broker for advice relevant to your specific circumstances, each individual may require their own insurance.
Is there a lower age restriction?
Yes, in all states the applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
Will it teach me how to use hand tools or power tools to build my project?
No, the course is not a practical training course, the emphasis is on your legal obligations and the administrative functions of required of an Owner Builder such as:
* Project Management
* Finance Administration
* Contract Requirements
* Scheduling
* Insurance
Are there any restrictions on selling an owner built house?
No, there is no restriction on selling an Owner Built property however, in some states and territories you may need to make a declaration on the “Contract of Sale” advising the purchaser of owner building works.
Do I need structural warranty insurance?
Structural warranty insurance is a difficult and complex area, and answering this question would take several pages.
In short, when people refer to structural warranty insurance, they are generally talking about the insurance that covers structural defects that become evident in a dwelling for a specified period of time post completion
(eg 6 years in Queensland).
This insurance is in many cases, underwritten by the state regulator or governing body and is in place to protect the consumer in the event the builder goes into liquidation or defaults on the contract.
These schemes normally only cover registered builders and or licensed contractors.
It is not available to Owner Builders.
In New South Wales, the Home Owner Warranty Insurance (HOW) is available to owner builders through certain nominated insurance providers. Check the Department of Fair Trading website for details.
Remember, much of the works can be covered through the individual warranties and insurance of licensed or registered contractors you engage to complete your works.
This is why it is so important to use a good filing and recording system which includes a “Register of Insurances”, such as the one included in the Owner Building Solutions Project Management System.
Are the courses the same for all states and territories?
No, however the core content of all Owner Building Solutions Australia and APEX Training courses cover those items which are generic and relevant to building in all states.
Each state or territory has it’s own unique set of rules and standards which detail the legal obligations of the Owner Builder.
We tailor each of the course contents to meet the requirements of the individual state or territories.
As we have discussed in previous questions, at this time, there is no mandatory requirement to complete a course in states other than Queensland and New South Wales.
However, our experience is that those people who undertake a formal course such as ours, generally realise greater savings during the construction of their new home
Can I build again in another state?
Yes, if you wanted to complete another Owner Builder project in another state or territory, you may, provided you meet all the requirements of that state or territory.
Do keep in mind however that the only way to successfully complete an Owner Builder project is to maintain good administrative control and management over the construction.
This may be difficult to achieve if the projects are remote.
Will it teach me how to schedule my project?
Yes, the course and the Project Management System both have considerable focus on the scheduling of the project.
Not only will it teach you the basics of scheduling, but also it will give you a basic understanding of how to reschedule in the event of delays to the building program.
The Project Management System provides the basic spreadsheet solution for recording and monitoring your project schedule.
Will it teach me how to read a plan?
The course will provide you with the basics of plan reading, remember, nominally the courses are of a very short duration to meet the basic requirements and legal obligations of the Owner Builder.
APEX Training does offer extension courses either by correspondence or on line which will provide you even greater knowledge, understanding and skills.
These courses include:
* Plan Reading and Interpretation
* Plan and Organise Work
* Basic Estimating
Each are based on the units of competency from the Nationally accredited qualification, Certificate II in General Construction.
A Statement of Attainment is issued after successful completion of the unit.
How long can I take to build or renovate?
This varies from state to state, however as a guide your local authority would generally like to see commencement within 12 months of taking out a permit.
Construction time should not exceed 12 months, however you may request an extension, (normally for a 6 month period).
You need to check with your council or your private certifier to understand the rules which pertain to your site or project.
Having said that, holding costs and finance generally dictate the maximum time a project can take before they start to eat into the savings realised by being an Owner Builder.
What happens if I do not proceed with my permit?
If you have taken out your permit and do not proceed, you will need to have the permit officially cancelled by the issuing body.
If you complete a course but do not take out the permit, the course remains valid however, you will need to check with the local authority before proceeding to make certain of any subsequent changes to legislation.
Do you offer any other services, products or assistance to Owner Builders?
Yes, we offer a range of services to assist Owner Builders in every state or territory of Australia and in fact we have assisted many international clients as well.
We remain as a group, committed to developing quality products to make the Owner Building experience more satisfying and financially rewarding.
Our members, clients and students have access to a range of support and services, some free of charge and others on a fee for service basis to assist them throughout their project.
These services and products include:
* Project Management System for Owner Builders (disk or hard copy)
* Purchasing Program for Owner Builders
* Project Management Agreement
* Extension Courses
Plan Reading and Interpretation
Plan and Organise Work
Basic Estimating
* Owner Builder Insurance
* Owner Builder Finance
* Owner Builder Club Membership
* Owner Builders Forum
* Interior Design Service
* General Site Safety Induction Training (Queensland)
Do you know any contractors?
We have access to a list of contractors for most areas in Queensland and a few in other states.
Owner Building Solutions has established a web based trade locator for our students and members to find qualified tradespersons in their area. The site is postcode search enabled.
For obvious reasons we do not get involved in recommending tradespersons or suppliers unless you are registered as a member or you are undertaking one of our programs such as a Purchasing or Project Management Agreement.
The trade search function on our website is accessible to members, students and clients and is constantly being updated to provide greater opportunities to identify trades, services and suppliers in specific areas and locations.
Can I purchase my materials more cheaply?
Yes, this is potentially one of the areas where Owner Builders can achieve real savings through putting in the time to chase deals.
Owner Building Solutions Australia has simplified this process by using our membership base as leverage and gaining access to even greater discounts for our members through our purchasing program.
See the details on this website.
Is there any limit on the building cost?
No, not at this time, our clients and students have undertaken works ranging in value from $11,000.00 to $3 million.
Can I build more than one project at a time?
Generally, the answer to this question is no.
In some states, you may use the same permit to complete various projects on the same property for the life of the permit.
In Queensland, you must state all works to be carried out under the permit and if there is any change to this you must notify the QBSA.
Will the tradesmen try to rip me off because I am an Owner Builder?
Good tradesperson will generally treat you fairly and with respect.
Always obtain three quotes or offers, in writing and if possible seek recommendations.
Demonstrating a sound knowledge of your project and coming across as being organised will help in gaining the respect of the tradesperson or supplier.
Professional, thorough, consistent and complete documentation as included in the Project Management System will help you achieve this.
If I have a dispute with a contractor, what should I do?
This is the classic case where prevention is far better than cure.
Having well constructed plain English written contracts will go a long way in preventing disputes which are generally the result of poor communications or a simple misunderstanding.
If a dispute does occur then your first course of action should be to try to resolve the matter amicably between the parties.
This is normally possible but will involve open honest communication.
There is generally little to be gained by involving lawyers or ending up in court.
Most states and territories will have a tribunal or arbitration process established to handle such matters.
Refer to the state specific pages of this website for further details and information.
Do you hold classes teaching practical skills?
Not at this time.
Being a national training organisation, it is difficult given the geographical diversity of our clients.
What we do offer however is a comprehensive do it yourself program which will be available on disk in the near future.
The disk will provide detailed step by step instruction on a range of projects that can be undertaken by Owner Builders.
At this time we envisage 10 projects to a disk which will be purchased from a selection of 100 or more projects.
Keep an eye on our website or talk to an APEX Training consultant for more information.
What is your Owner Builder forum?
Forums are not new, but they are an interesting way to access real time information on any subject that takes your interest.
Our forum has been developed to allow like minded Owner Builders to share ideas, information and support.
As the moderator, our APEX Training consultants regularly attend and enter the discussions providing invaluable advice, suggestions and comments to our members, students and clients.
Throughout 2009 we are for the first time scheduling regular blogs and podcasts which will see our qualified consultants bringing on, line learning and information to our students at no extra cost.
As a member, you will be able to suggest a topic or ask specific questions which may be developed into an informative podcast which will be of benefit to all our users.
Watch out for this exciting new program from APEX Training as we continue to improve the way we service our students and owner builder clients ..........