Aren’t all builders the same? Don’t they just build the same way?
No & No.
First of all, not just anyone can start as a builder.
In Victoria you are required to demonstrate to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) the experience & knowledge of not only construction, but other related issues to owning & running a construction business such as insurances, warranties, acts of legislation, finance, safety etc.
Once the VBA has granted a builder their license, the builder must remain registered with the VBA & can be fined or jailed for mis-practice.
The VBA website has a register of Building Practitioners, available to you for free to check your builder is who they claim to be, have the specific license they need & whether the VBA has fined, suspended or disqualified their builder’s license.
Okay, so now you know that we can get back to the original question.
Aren’t all builders the same?
Well, NO, although many of the disciplines and practices of construction are transferable to different sectors of the building industry.
At this point we break off our builders into two separate categories, domestic & commercial.
Domestic Builders
Domestic have the potential to build new homes, extensions on homes, decks & pergolas, domestic garages, carports. Basically, anything that is to be built on a property up to 2 stories high where someone will live.
Domestic Builders are then classified in two common ways, DBU or DBL.
DBU – Domestic Builder Unlimited: are able to build all construction works done on a residential property if it is classified in the Builders Act (the builders bible)
DBL – Domestic Builder Limited; are able to build only the specific construction works their license allows. This means you may need to get a different DBL if you want to do a deck & a bathroom renovation.
All builders are required to display their license number on advertising, contracts and other specific documents.
A license number will look like this – DBU-70606
Domestic Builder Unlimited – 70606 – this is Green with Envy Homes license number. Head over to the VBA website to check us out.
Commercial Builders
These are normally larger companies that build shops, factories, industrial sheds, schools, skyscrapers, hospitals & other buildings of commercial function.
It is possible for a builder to be both a Domestic & Commercial Builder.
(Green with Envy Homes does not do Commercial works, but may explore this possibility in the future)
The next step to find your correct type of builder is to follow this link to find out the difference between ‘Volume’ & ‘Custom’ Builders