# Forum More Stuff Debate & Technical Discussion  builders licence

## ScroozAdmin

having waded through the mountain of info on licensing with QBSA am now fairly baffled,  :Confused:  does anyone know the short version of what insurances/warranties you need (and the rough costs) involved to reno your own investment property if you have a QLD lo rise builders licence and the pitfalls of going this route (there's bound to be some).

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## ScroozAdmin

OK, think I've got a handle on it  :Eek:  just for info in case anyone else ever has this query.  *Any* work over $11,000 means you need council approval and a licence which can be either an owner builder permit or a builders licence. 
If you use an OB you have to put a clause in the contract when you sell the property stating the work was done under an OB and therefore is not warranted, you have to get the buyer to sign this notice before the contract can complete, needless to say it could be a dealbreaker for the sale. You can leave out this clause but then you are deemed to have entered a warranty contract and now you are personally liable for any defects up to 6 years after the sale, however, the most ridiculous point is you can only have 1 licence every 6 years so if you like doing your own big reno's you better go slow. 
If you use a builders licence you have to take out the BSA Home Warranty insurance which has a sliding scale cost based on the job value, this insures you against you going bust mid job  :Youcrazy: Using this licence with the warranty also means you are liable for any defects for 6 years after completion, and for not only your work but the work of any other trades  :Eek:  that were on the project. So if a pipe bursts, that you never even clapped eyes on, 3 years after you've sold the house and floods the place, you could get a call. Oh and you may have to do a H&S course as main contractor. 
No wonder so many people reno off the radar or virtually build a new house for $10,999.

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## rodmy

> No wonder so many people reno off the radar or virtually build a new house for $10,999.

  Yep, that about sums it up. Wading through this bureaucratic quagmire now. :Banghead:

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## zak83

Hi sorry to dig up old post but I was looking at going for my builder licence. I have done some unit developments with a builder and now will be doing one as owner builder to get my experience up. I am a civil engineer by trade in the road construction industry. My role is estimating jobs winning them and getting them built. I hvae been looking at how to go about it there are companies that say they will help by giving you practice multiple choice questions and develop your you application. Do these actually help has anyone done this before anyone that can help out??  My plan is to build for myself for a few years than start doing work for others once I am more comfortable. Just so I don't mess up a quote and dig myself a hole. I have tried calling the VBA to see if my experience will be enough but they are not very helpfull.

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## intertd6

> Hi sorry to dig up old post but I was looking at going for my builder licence. I have done some unit developments with a builder and now will be doing one as owner builder to get my experience up. I am a civil engineer by trade in the road construction industry. My role is estimating jobs winning them and getting them built. I hvae been looking at how to go about it there are companies that say they will help by giving you practice multiple choice questions and develop your you application. Do these actually help has anyone done this before anyone that can help out??  My plan is to build for myself for a few years than start doing work for others once I am more comfortable. Just so I don't mess up a quote and dig myself a hole. I have tried calling the VBA to see if my experience will be enough but they are not very helpfull.

  i can't speak for VIC but in NSW there is a list of qualifications you can have plus 2 years supervisory experience to automatically gain a builders licence, owner builders are limited to the amount of units / dwellings they can undertake at any one time, over a set period. With a shortage of builders the bar is being continually lowered.
regards inter

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## FOCharlie

> Hi sorry to dig up old post but I was looking at going for my builder licence. I have done some unit developments with a builder and now will be doing one as owner builder to get my experience up. I am a civil engineer by trade in the road construction industry. My role is estimating jobs winning them and getting them built. I hvae been looking at how to go about it there are companies that say they will help by giving you practice multiple choice questions and develop your you application. Do these actually help has anyone done this before anyone that can help out??  My plan is to build for myself for a few years than start doing work for others once I am more comfortable. Just so I don't mess up a quote and dig myself a hole. I have tried calling the VBA to see if my experience will be enough but they are not very helpfull.

  Sorry to say it but good luck getting any sense from the VBA (unless someone lodges a complaint against you). This was the building commission and is now re-badged after some issues with the former administration I believe.  
I'm a registered builder (limited) and have kept this registration current for the simple fact of helping get paperwork through council etc, and it did help with my recent reno.  
What I did find while I was working was that it's pointless as they only police very few jobs (those that require licensed trades, insurances etc) and I was constantly losing big $ work to those that had no such licences and insurances. I did bring this to their attention a number of times but eventually gave up and put the $4000 to gain my licence down as a loss.  
In saying all that, a licence is probably worth it if you use a private surveyor rather than council employee, much easier one on one. While my project was extension/reno on a private residence (Principal place of residence), this is very different to what you're describing I think (units as investment/selling?) so I would think a licence would be a necessity for you.

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