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Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent (VIC)

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What the Certificate of Consent is, when it’s typically required, and the mistakes that cause delays when you’re trying to get a building permit in Victoria.

General information only. Always confirm requirements with the relevant Victorian authority and your building surveyor.

In 30 seconds

  • In Victoria, an Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent is a common “gate” before a building permit can be issued for owner-builders.
  • It’s best treated as an early step — confirm it before you lock in design, quotes, and permit timing.
  • It doesn’t replace planning approval (if required) or the building permit — it sits before the building permit stage.

What is an Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent?

In plain English: it’s an approval that allows you to take on builder-level responsibility as an owner-builder for certain domestic building work in Victoria.

It’s not the same thing as a building permit. Your building surveyor issues the building permit — the consent step is about permission to act as the owner-builder for the work.

Where it fits in the VIC process

In your overall VIC flow, the consent check is best handled early so it doesn’t derail your building permit timeline.

  1. Decide if owner-building is suitable
  2. Confirm whether a Certificate of Consent is required
  3. Confirm planning approval needs (council) if applicable
  4. Appoint a building surveyor and apply for a building permit
Back to Step 2 Next: Planning pathway

What types of projects can trigger the consent requirement?

In practice, this check can apply to many common owner-builder project types, including:

  • New homes
  • Renovations, extensions and additions
  • Structural alterations
  • Significant domestic building work where a building permit is required
Common mistake
Assuming “it’s only a reno” means you can skip consent checks. Scope and value can trigger obligations even when the work feels “small”.

Common reasons people get delayed

  • They only discover the consent requirement when they try to get the building permit
  • They’ve already paid for drawings/engineering and are locked into a schedule that can’t move
  • They misunderstand “owner-builder” as “I’m doing the work myself”, instead of being responsible as the builder
  • They treat consent as a replacement for planning or building approvals (it isn’t)

Practical approach (keep it simple)

If you’re considering owner-building in Victoria, the cleanest way to avoid a late surprise is:

  1. Confirm your intended scope (new build / extension / structural changes)
  2. Ask early: “Do I need an Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent for this?”
  3. Then sequence planning (if required) and building permit steps around it
Tip
Your building surveyor will usually want clarity on consent early — it prevents rework and helps avoid permit timing blowouts.
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