Guides
Read this before you build.
Plain-English answers to the permit questions people ask us every week — written for anyone starting a compliant project in Victoria.
- Process
- Permits
- Commercial
- Inspections
- Owner-builders
- ProcessKnock-down rebuild: the demolition permit, step by stepHow a demolition permit runs in Victoria: appoint a surveyor, Section 29A council consent, service abolishments and asbestos, the permit, the cleared site. Who does what.
- PermitsThe 10 m² shed rule in Victoria, explainedHow the 10 m² shed exemption works in Victoria — floor area, height, boundary distance, front of house, attachment — as a step-by-step check with three worked examples.
- CommercialDoes a shop or warehouse fit-out need a building permit?Which fit-out works need a building permit in Victoria — partitions, ceilings, amenities, exits, mezzanines, change of use — and what to send a surveyor for a quote.
- ProcessHow long does a building permit take in Victoria?What actually sets the timeline for a building permit — complete documents, report and consent, planning permits and reports — and what a surveyor's fee covers.
- InspectionsThe mandatory building inspections explainedFootings, slab, frame and final: what the surveyor checks at each mandatory inspection on a Victorian home, how to book one, and what happens if a stage fails.
- Owner-buildersOwner-builder in Victoria: certificate of consent and inspectionsWho needs a certificate of consent, the eLearning and eligibility steps, the permit application, the inspection stages, owner-built sheds, and the rules when you sell.
- ProcessReport and consent explained: when council has a say in your building permitWhat report and consent is, which siting matters trigger it, who applies and decides, what it costs in principle, how long it takes and how to avoid needing one.
- PermitsPergola, verandah or alfresco: does a roof need a permit?When a pergola, verandah, alfresco or awning needs a building permit in Victoria: open roof or solid roof, and what changes if you roof or enclose it later.
- PermitsWhat drawings do you need for a building permit?The document checklist by project type — site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, engineering, soil and energy reports — and the gaps that stall assessment.
- PermitsWhen does a retaining wall need a building permit in Victoria?Do you need a building permit for a retaining wall in Victoria? The 1 m rule, boundaries, driveways and pools, easements and the engineer's design, in plain English.
Get a quote
Send the plans. Get a fixed fee.
No drawings yet? Send what you have — an address and a rough idea is enough to tell you whether you need a permit and what it'll cost.