Owner–builders take on the same responsibilities as a licensed builder to do or supervise building work and ensure the building work they are the licensee for:
- complies with the Building Act 2004
- is done in a proper and skillful way
- is done in accordance with approved plans.
Owner–builders:
- are legally responsible for any building work they have done or supervised
- may be given a rectification order to fix non-compliant work, even if the property has been sold
- can be subject to other regulatory actions including prosecution for offences under the building and licensing laws.
Owner–builders must operate according to:
- the Building Act 2004
- the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004
- any other relevant laws applying to the work
Licensing
Owner–builders must be licensed to complete work that requires building approval.
Owner–builders who employ or sub-contract other people to carry out building work, and other work such as electrical, plumbing and gasfitting, must make sure these people are appropriately qualified and, if required, licensed.
Insurance
Owner–builders do not need residential building insurance (also called warranty insurance). However, as you are in control of the building site, you do need to be aware of other insurance requirements such as workers' compensation for any workers that are involved in the project.
Owner–builders can check with their insurance provider for advice on insurance needs, including public liability and increasing the house insurance to cover additions.
Construction compliance
Owner–builders should stay up-to-date with:
- construction site management
- the latest safety advice, checklists and notes
- product safety alerts and warnings
- environment protection guidelines.
Notifications, inspections and approvals
An owner–builder will need to make an application for a commencement notice to their building certifier before they can start building work. The work can start once the certifier has issued the commencement notice. Owner–builders must inform the building certifier when the work requires inspection.
More information
Find out about:
- applying for an owner–builder licence
- updating your licence details
- disciplinary and other actions that can apply to a licence
- industry resources
- statutory warranties and insurance
Related links
Contact us for more information.