The duration of an apprenticeship varies depending on the trade. As an example, a standard carpentry apprenticeship may take four years whereas a standard bricklaying apprenticeship may take three years. It is very common for an individual to need this amount of time to complete their apprenticeship, however those who have more experience or who pick up the trade more easily, may complete the apprenticeship in a shorter timeframe than this.

Competency-based training is a flexible method of training where an individual is required to meet certain industry-defined skills and standards. In Vocational Education and Training, an individual studies Units of Competency whereby they can either be marked as ‘Competent’ or ‘Not Yet Competent’. If they are ‘Not yet competent’ they can be assessed against that unit again.

Importantly, competency-based training is not time-based. Once an individual reaches the required competency, they are able to progress. In the context of an apprenticeship, this means that an apprentice can progress to the 2^nd level (or 2^nd year) once they have completed their 1^st level (or 1^st year) units and so on.

For example, this means that you could have a 2^nd year apprentice who is not necessarily in their second year of employment as an apprentice with you.

• Coming Soon - Master Builders Victoria Employment Hub
• Recruitment services offered by your Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN)
• Contacting your local TAFE

Australian Apprenticeship Support Networks (AASNs) provide a free service to employers and apprentices to facilitate the sign-up of an apprenticeship and contacting one is your first step when taking on an apprentice. They can assist you with:

• Organising the Training Contract between you and your apprentice
• Assessing your eligibility for incentives and subsidies
• Finding an apprentice if you have not already found one
• Support throughout the apprenticeship – your ‘go-to’

You can search for your local AASN by visiting the Australian Apprenticeships website.

Yes. The majority of construction employers are able to access some sort of incentive for taking on apprentice. There are various incentives available and eligibility criteria apply. See our resources page for a summary of available incentives and subsidies. Your Australian Apprenticeship Support Network will be able to assess your eligibility and assist you with claiming.

For many construction businesses, the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2010 (the Award) will set the minimum rates of pay for their apprentices. Under the Award, the applicable minimum rate for an apprentice will depend on the following factors, including the:

• Trade being undertaken;
• Stage of the apprenticeship;
• Age of the apprentice;
• Industry where work is performed (residential or non-residential); and
• Whether the apprentice has or has not completed year 12.

The MBV IR team produces a Wage Bulletin to assist members to identify the applicable minimum rates of pay for employees under the Award, including for apprentices. You can download a copy of the Wage Bulletin for the Award here.

Please be aware, if your business has an enterprise agreement, the minimum rate for an apprentice may be set by the enterprise agreement rather than the Award.

If you would like to discuss minimum rates of pay further, we recommend that you contact the MBV IR team on (03) 9411 4555.

The Award has several allowances that may be applicable for apprentices.

For instance, an apprentice is entitled to an industry and a tool allowance. As these are all-purpose allowances, they are factored into the apprentice’s minimum rate of pay. If you utilise the Wage Bulletin for the Award produced by the MBV IR team, the industry and tool allowances are already built into the rates of pay.

Another allowance commonly applicable to apprentices is the travel allowance. The travel allowance compensates the apprentice for travel to and from the construction site. To be entitled to the travel allowance, the apprentice must start or finish work on a construction site.

An apprentice is not entitled to a travel allowance where you provide transportation from home to the construction site and return (i.e. you give them a lift), or where you provide a fully maintained vehicle to them free of charge.

The rate of the travel allowance payable to an apprentice depends on the apprentice’s stage of apprenticeship. You can view the applicable travel allowance rates in the Wage Bulletin produced by the MBV IR team here.

If you would like further information about allowances under the Award, please contact the MBV IR team on (03) 9411 4555.

Yes. Under the Award, an employer is required to reimburse the apprentice for the fees charged by the training provider, as well as the cost of any prescribed textbooks. The Award also allows you to pay these costs directly to the training provider.

Where you reimburse your apprentice, you must do so by the later of: 

• 6 months of starting the apprenticeship or a stage of the apprenticeship; or
• 3 months of starting training with the training provider.

If the apprentice does not achieve satisfactory progress, you are not required to reimburse the apprentice for the costs of training and textbooks.

Yes. Under the Award, apprentices may be engaged on a part-time basis.

However, to meet minimum training requirements, you may be required to engage your apprentice for a minimum number of hours per week.

Yes. While these FAQs are only designed as a starting point in engaging an apprentice, there are several other employment obligations you will need to meet. These may be required by the Award, the Fair Work Act or even other legislative instruments.

 For instance, the Award requires you to put certain particulars of employment in writing. This must be done at the time of engagement and is in addition to the contract for training that you have with your apprentice. To assist you in meeting this requirement, the MBV IR team has template letters of engagement that you can utilise.

For further information on the obligations under the Award, the MBV IR team has produced a guidance publication on the minimum employment conditions under the Award. You can download it here.

 In relation to other legislative requirements, you must have your apprentice covered by your WorkCover insurance and have them registered with CoINVEST, which is the construction industry’s long service leave fund. You should also be aware of your obligations to withhold tax and make superannuation contributions to the employee. At the time of engagement, you must also provide your apprentice with a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement.

 If you are engaging an apprentice and have further questions, we recommend that you call the MBV IR team on (03) 9411 4555.

A building permit is a legal document that is issued for proposed building works. A building permit will specify that either an occupancy permit is required or a certificate of final inspection is required on completion of the building work.

Building permits relate specifically to the carrying out of building construction. However, there are times when a planning permit may also be required.

A planning permit is a legal document giving permission for a land use or development, and may be required by your local council. If a planning permit is required, it must be obtained before a building permit can be issued, however, both applications can be made at the same time.

A planning permit does not remove the need to obtain a building permit.

There are many things to consider before starting your building, such as whether your job requires a building permit or a planning permit (or both).

The Building Act 1993 (the Act) and Building Regulations 2006 (the Regulations) legislate that all building work is subject to the issuing of a building permit, unless an exemption exists for the proposed work under the Regulations. This includes some minor alterations, demolitions and repair or maintenance work.

Penalties apply for individuals and/or companies who undertake illegal building work without a permit. Subsequent issues impacting insurance cover and in the event of a proposed sale can also result from such.

 The best practice is to seek the advice of a Building Surveyor for confirmation prior to carrying out any building work.

The best way to find out whether you need a building permit is to seek the advice of a building surveyor prior to any works. To find out whether you need a planning permit we suggest you contact your local council’s town planning unit.

Before applying for a building permit, you need to choose a building surveyor. You may choose either a municipal building surveyor or a private building surveyor.

 Your architect or builder can apply on your behalf for the permit but you must first authorise the architect or builder in writing to make the application.

Do not sign a blank form authorising others to obtain all permits for you and always check that a permit has been issued before any work commences.

Applying for a permit requires you to:

• apply for the building permit through your choice of a municipal or private building surveyor
• pay the appropriate fee, building permit levy and submit at least three copies of drawings, specifications and allotment plans along with the completed application form and other prescribed information.   

Master Builders has a team of qualified building surveyors, inspectors and service staff covering metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, including the Albury/Wodonga region. See the contact us page of this website to find the Master Builders office near you.

Building work may not be carried out in Victoria unless a building permit has been issued (or the works is exempt from a building permit under the building regulations), and work must be carried out in accordance with the building permit, the Building Act 1993, and the building regulations.

The purpose of the building permit system is to ensure that all buildings and building work comply with the building legislation and regulations prior to work commencing, and that they meet minimum standards and safety requirements once constructed. Building surveyors perform a critical role in implementation, monitoring and enforcement of building standards in Victoria through their administration of the building permit system.

Registered Building Surveyors provide independent oversight of buildings and building work throughout the construction process, and upon completion of construction ensure that buildings are safe for use, accessible and energy efficient. They do this by:

• Assessing and approving (where appropriate) applicaiotns for building permits
• Undertaking inspections of building s and building work
• Approving building occupation/use (where appropriat).

A person registered as a Building Surveyor in Victoria may carry out the following functions under the Building act 1993:

• Ìssue building permits
• Carry out inceptions of buildings and building works
• Issue certificate final inspection and occupancy permits
• Approve temporary occupation of buildings, and
• Enforce safety and building standers through :
  • Giving and enforcing directions to fix non-compliant building work
  • Causing a building notice to be serviced
  • Making building orders, and
  • Making emergency orders (municipal building surveyors only).

A building permit can be obtained by any person that has been given authorisation by the owner(s).

It is an offence for a builder that has entered into a Major Domestic Building Contract to appoint a building surveyor, the appointment in this instance must be by the owner(s).

Once the appointment of the relevant building surveyor is made by the owner(s), then any person that has authority from the owner can be the agent to apply for a building permit.

Minimum mandatory inspections are prescribed in the Building Interim Regulations 2006 however it is at the discretion of the building surveyor if further inspections are required.

Always check your building permit for the required inspections.

Mandatory building inspections are carried out to ensure that building works in accordance with the building regulations, building permit and approved documentation.

Mandatory building inspections are different from quality inspections.

Quality Inspections are not carried out as part of the requirements of a Building Permit. 

The person responsible for carrying out the building Work is the person(s) responsible for arranging the mandatory inspection.

If a mandatory inspection has been carried out and works on site are not deemed to comply then an ‘oral direction’ will be given to the person responsible for carrying out the building work. Usually an Inspection Report will also be issued.

If these are not addressed then a ‘direction to fix’ will be issued. The owner is also forwarded a copy as required by the provisions of the Building Act 1993, ensuring all parties are kept informed.

An extension of time can be requested by the builder should they consider it necessary to address the ‘direction to fix’.

If the matter is not addressed then the relevant building surveyor should register the non-compliance with the VBA.

Once your building permit application has been lodged with a building surveyor, they will check for compliance with the Act and Regulations and can then decide to issue a building permit with or without conditions.

In some instances they may refuse to issue a permit. If a permit is refused, you can either alter the application to comply with the Regulations or appeal the refusal of the permit to the Building Appeals Board.

The building permit issued may be a permit for the whole of the proposed building work or for a stage of the proposed building work. The building surveyor cannot issue the building permit until any required consent of a reporting authority is received. The consent could be in relation to such matters as building over an easement or the siting of a carport.

A building permit cannot be issued until a relevant planning permit (if required) is obtained.

The building surveyor who issues the permit must follow the project through to the end, carrying out building inspections and issuing an occupancy permit or a certificate of final inspection on completion of your building work.

The building surveyor must specify on the building permit the mandatory inspections that will be required throughout the course of the building work. There are no restrictions preventing the building surveyor from varying the required inspections or carrying out additional inspections, if they deem this to be necessary.

If you intend to carry out building work close to an adjoining neighbour's property the building surveyor can, in some cases, require you to perform work to protect your neighbour's property. This may include obtaining the appropriate insurance cover for the building work prior to commencing the protection work. This is generally determined during the building permit application process.

Building permit costs are generally based on scope of work , complexity  of the project, costs of building work and decisions required for consideration to assess for compliance.

Yes, building permits have time limits and are dependant on the scope of the work. The time limits are specified on the building permit once issued. If required, the owner/ agent is responsible for requesting an extension of time prior to any permit time limits expiring.

The Regulations specify the required commencement and completion dates for building works that are associated with a building permit. If works have not commenced or are not completed within the required time period, or an extension to the building permit has not been sought or approved, than the building permit will lapse.

Note: A building permit period may be extended, if it is warranted, by application to the building surveyor before the permit lapses.

What you need to know about building practitioners:

In Victoria, building practitioners must be registered with the Victorian Building Authority to:

• perform domestic building work that costs more than $10,000 (including labour and materials)

• carry out re-blocking, restumping or demolishing work, remove a home, or carry out any building work that requires a permit, regardless of cost

• provide more than one type of building work (such as plastering and painting) that costs more than $10,000 (including labour and materials).

Make sure you engage a registered builder when you want this type of building work carried out.  This will ensure your project is completed by someone with the necessary qualifications and expertise.

All registered building practitioners are issued with a Photo ID card that lists the type of work they are eligible to do. All practitioners should carry this ID card. Either of the ID cards shown below may be valid, depending on the practitioner's date of registration. All practitioners registered from 1 September 2016 onwards should have a VBA-branded ID card. Practitioners registered before that date will carry a Building Practitioners Board branded card until their next annual renewal date. From 1 September 2017 only VBA branded cards will be valid.

You can also check if a builder is registered online, using the VBA directory – Find a Practitioner.  www.vba.vic.gov.au

Domestic building insurance is provided by a builder when the cost of building work under the contract with the builder is more than $16,000 (including labour and material costs). A claim against the builders Warranty Insurance can only be made should the builder die, go bankrupt or otherwise cannot be found.

If a property owner sells their house within six years of the completion of building work, domestic building insurance, whether provided by an owner-builder or a registered building practitioner, will cover the purchaser of that property.

Owner-builders are required under Section 137B of the Building Act 1993 to provide Warranty Insurance for building work they have carried out on their property if the value of the work was $16,000 or greater for the remainder of the six year period.

It is important that owners understand that the insurance policy is for the benefit of the purchaser and that the owner-builder or registered builder will be responsible for ensuring that the building work complies with the relevant legislation at the time of construction.

Please note: Domestic building work more than $16,000 (previously $12,000) will require domestic building insurance and will cover costs up to $300,000 (previously $200,000) to fix structural defects for six years, and non-structural defects for two years from 1 July 2014.

Practitioners and consumers are required to have a formal written contract which meets the requirements of the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995.

The contract is a binding document between you and your practitioner, which includes a start and completion date, details about progress payments and specifications for your new home (building project).

When undertaking a building project you should always read your contract and make sure you fully understand its contents.

Your practitioner may use a standard industry contract for domestic housing from their industry association or have a lawyer draft one.

Whatever the contract, it is important that you educate yourself on the document and the contract process.

Contracts provide a baseline in case a dispute arises between you and your builder. If the correct information isn't recorded in the contract, either as part of the original agreement or in a variation, it is not binding. Here are some handy tips to help you with the contractual process:

• Ensure your contract includes a start and finish date, detailed plans and a clear statement about your cooling-off period
• Check your contract with a specialist consultant or solicitor before signing
• Cross out all blank sections in the contract
• Check insurance details, particularly warranty insurance
• Ensure you understand the costings and any subsequent variations
• Familiarise yourself with the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. The Act sets out a number of warranties that apply to all domestic building contracts, so the work carried out on your home meets its standards
• Understand the schedule of progress payments set out under section 40 of the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. Parties entering their own schedule of payments should seek expert advice
• Make sure any variations are documented, understood and signed before work is commenced
• Understand you have a five-day cooling off period after signing the contract
• Document all work conducted from day one - taking regular photographs and dating them is a good way of recording the progress of works.

Download a copy of Consumer Affairs Victoria's model domestic building contract for new homes. 

Read more about building contracts on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website or call Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 558 181.

You can also see Master Builders range of building contracts available online or in print here.

If the contract price is $20,000 or greater then the builder is entitled to no more than 5% deposit. If the contract price is less than $20,000 then a maximum deposit of 10% is allowed.

Failure to comply with this requirement may mean that the owner can terminate the contract at anytime, seek a full refund of all money paid as well as the builder receiving a substantial fine.

The star rating of a house is determined using the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS). A house is either built to the requirements of the National Construction Code or a computer simulation is used to determine how much energy will be required to heat or cool the house based on a number of characteristics of the home including;

• The design and aspect (what direction do the living areas face)
• The amount of insulation
• The types of windows

The house is them given a star rating out of ten. In Victoria the minimum rating is 6 Star. For more information see; http://www.nathers.gov.au/

All NatHERS Accredited Assessors must hold a Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment qualification (CPP41212). Course details can be found by searching for the Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment or ‘CPP41212’ on the MySkills website.

To practice as a NatHERS Accredited Assessor, you must maintain your accreditation with one of two Assessor Accrediting Organisations (AAOs), the Building Designers Association of Victoria or the Australian Building Sustainability Association.

www.yourhome.gov.au Australia’s most comprehensive guide to environmentally sustainable homes. Your Home continues a long-standing effort by the Australian Government, in partnership with the building and design industry, to give comprehensive, expert and independent advice to everyone interested in building homes for a sustainable future.

Commercial Builders are responsible for managing and arranging the carrying out of all components of building work for the construction of commercial buildings and structures in the class 2–9 while a Domestic Builder can do all work associated with the construction, renovation, improvement or maintenance of a home. A home is any residential premises, and includes any part of a commercial building or industrial premises that is used as a residential premise with the class 1, 2, and 4 buildings, and associated class 10 buildings, as classified in the Building Code of Australia.

This component of building work is limited to the construction of commercial buildings and structures:

• Up to 15 metres in height, and
• With bulk excavations up to a depth of 3 metres. 

The work permitted on these buildings includes structural and non-structural fit-out work and structural landscaping.

If you are registered in a limited class of domestic builder you are responsible for carrying out, or managing or arranging the carrying out of the limited classes set out in your certificate of registration.

A person can hold more than one limited class if they wish.

If you are intending to carry out, manage or arrange the carrying out of domestic building work for another person and the cost of that work is more than $10,000 then you are required to be registered.

Absolutely. We have a registration team who can answer any questions you may have. Members can access registration advice for free, please call our team on 03 9411 4555.

As soon as you become a member with us, you receive access to exclusive online resources to get you started on your journey towards Victorian domestic or commercial registration.

Master Builders has a lot of courses to assist you in the registration process. The course that will best suit you will be based on the class of registration you are applying for and your level of knowledge and experience.  Please contact us for more information on 03 9411 4555.

Under the Building Interim Regulations 2017 there are prescribed qualifications. These qualifications are not compulsory; you are able to apply with out a qualification if you have the relevant knowledge and experience for the category you are applying for.

When applying for a Domestic Builder (Unlimited) you need to show a minimum of  three years in the building construction industry. The VBA will ask that you show examples of 4 hero projects in your application.

There are 29 different limited classes of Domestic Building work, they consist of;

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of non-habitable building structures)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of gates and fences)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of retaining walls)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of swimming pools and spas)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of private bushfire shelters)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of shade structures)

Domestic Builder (limited to the construction structural landscaping)

Domestic Builder (limited to bathroom, kitchen and laundry renovations)

Domestic Builder (limited to earthworks and excavation work)

Domestic Builder (limited to footings and slab work)

Domestic Builder (limited to framing)

Domestic Builder (limited to bricklaying and blocklaying)

Domestic Builder (limited to external wall cladding)

Domestic Builder (limited to roof tiling)

Domestic Builder (limited to waterproofing)

Domestic Builder (limited to door and window replacement and installation)

Domestic Builder (limited to site works involved in relocating a dwelling)

Domestic Builder (limited to the re-stumping and re-blocking)

Domestic Builder (limited to cabinet making, joinery and stair construction)

Domestic Builder (limited to carpentry)

Domestic Builder (limited to the erection of poles, masts and antennas)

Domestic Builder (limited to sheet plastering)

Domestic Builder (limited to solid plastering and rendering)

Domestic Builder (limited to floor finishing and covering)

Domestic Builder (limited to glazing work)

Domestic Builder (limited to insulation work)

Domestic Builder (limited to painting and decorating)

Domestic Builder (limited to floor and wall tiling work)

Domestic Builder (limited to attaching external fixtures)

The process of applying for registration is:

Step 1 – Put your application together

Step 2 – Present application to the VBA

Step 3 – Initial Assessment (computer based examination and technical exercises)

Step 4 – Final Assessment (VBA assessor makes a recommendation)

Step 5 – VBA Panel accepts/declines your application.

The price of registration varies depending on the category of registration you are applying for.

You can check the price of registration here.

Under the Building Interim Regulations 2017 there are prescribed qualifications. These qualifications are not compulsory; you are able to apply with out a qualification if you have the relevant knowledge and experience for the category you are applying for.

Applying for a new or upgraded registration will require a new application to the VBA. The registration team can help you put this new application together.

To apply for registration you need to meet the skills, knowledge and experience as set out by the VBA. You can read up on the criteria here: http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/practitioners/building-registrations/domestic-builder/eligibility 

Master Builders registration team can help you assess your experience, please give us a call on 03 9411 4555.

The referee should be registered in the category and class (or higher class) of building work for which you are providing the Technical Referee Report.

If you have not worked for a builder registered in this component of domestic building work, the VBA will accept a technical referee report from a referee who is a site manager who is not a registered domestic builder but is reporting to a person who is registered as a building practitioner in the category and class (or higher class) than you are applying for.

Our registration advice is only available to Master Builders Victoria members. If you are interested in becoming a member you can apply online or call us on 03 9411 4555.

Regulators require that a certain level of health and safety is maintained for the benefit of not just your workers, but all workers on-site. Master Builders Victoria can assist members with advice regarding your OHS obligations.  

Call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 to find out more. 

According to legislation, an employer must, as far as it is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health for all employees. Regulators require that all businesses include OHS in the daily running of their business.  

Call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 to find out more about the OHS requirements and obligations for you and your business. 

Yes, we have a range of products and services to assist you and your business regardless of the number of workers on-site or the size and nature of the works you undertake. We also deliver WorkSafe Victoria’s free program called ‘OHS Essentials’. OHS Essentials can help you to take control of the OHS requirements for your business.  

Call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 to find out more. 

Safe Work Method Statements are often named ‘SWMS’ for short. SWMS  are a written methodology on how you and your workers will mitigate risks of high-risk works that you are required to conduct as a part of your day-to-day undertakings. WorkSafe Victoria has mandated that there are 19 high-risk criteria that must have SWMS prior to commencing works.  

Call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 to find out more about how we can assist you with SWMS.  

You are in control of your work site and it is your decision as to who can enter your site. Unless an authority visits, nobody can set foot onto your site without your permission. 

Call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 to find out more. 

The nature of the injury or incident you have had on-site will determine the course of action you will need to take. 

If it’s a small incident and requires a band-aid, then an incident report may be the only course of action required. However, if the incident is larger than just first aid on-site, you may be required to inform relevant authorities.  

If you are unsure if the incident requires reporting, give WorkSafe Victoria a call as they will be able to answer your questions and provide further assistance if required.  

If the incident involves external regulators and you may need legal advice, call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555.  

If the CFMEU has wants to visit your site and investigate alleged safety breaches that they have been informed of, they are allowed allowed to do so but, they must  have correct paperwork in place prior to entering your site.  

These circumstances can be complicated so if you are unsure of your rights, call the MBV assist team on (03) 9411 4555 and we will help you to work through the right of entry requirements.