Owner-builder approval

An owner-builder is a person who manages building work and carries out the following types of building work on their property:

• Construct a detached dwelling, including a granny flat.
• Carry out additions and alterations to an existing free-standing dwelling.
• Construct a non-habitable building such as a private garage, carport, shed or the like.
• Construct or make additions and alterations to a small commercial building – being a one or two-story building with a floor space of less than 500m² that is not a detached house, Class 10 building or farm building.

As an owner-builder you will be responsible for:

• Obtaining and complying with the building permit.
• Scheduling and managing the different trades on site.
• Maintaining a safe work site.
• Supervising the quality of the work.
• Obtaining certification as required on works completed.
• Rectifying any defective work.
• Maintaining appropriate insurance cover.

In Western Australia, an owner-builder approval allows individuals to apply for a building permit issued by the Local Government Authority (LGA) to carry out building work on their own property. But it comes with specific requirements and limitations.

An owner-builder assumes the responsibilities, risks and liabilities of a professional builder. The level of those responsibilities, risks and liabilities depends on the extent of the building work.

As a minimum, you will need to obtain the necessary building and planning approvals, supervise or undertake the building work, and ensure the work meets building regulations and standards.

How to apply to be an owner-builder

Online

Owner-builder approval online submission

By Post, or In Person.

If applying in person or by post your application also needs to be accompanied by a completed application payment form.

• Owner-builder application - Payment form

Details of how to apply in person or by post are included on the application form.

All applications must be made on a fully completed application form which can be found here:  

• Owner-builder application - Form 75

Applications made using the previous version of Form 75 (in the name of Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) will only be accepted up until 31 May 2026.  Applications received on the old versions of forms will not be accepted after 1 June 2026 and will be sent back to the applicant.

Should you have any queries regarding your application please contact 1300 489 099.

Application fee

Current application fees for owner-builders can be found in the fee schedule.

An application fee is payable at the time of lodging an application. The application fee is non-refundable and GST is not payable.

Time frame for application processing

The Licensing team aims to determine owner-builder approval applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. While many applications are processed promptly (approximately within six weeks), actual timeframes may vary depending on the volume of applications received and the completeness of each submission.

You can help us keep processing times to a minimum by:
•    Ensure the application form is fully completed and all required documents are attached—including a current Certificate of Title or Contract to Purchase (issued within the last 3 months)—before submitting.
•    Submitting your application using the online option.
•    Allowing sufficient time for your application to be processed before contacting us for an update.

Licensing officers will contact you if any additional information is needed to finalise your application.

Do you need a licence for your building project?

A registered building contractor or owner-builder approval may be necessary if a building permit is required and the estimated value of the building work exceeds $20,000.

Check with your relevant local government office or the licensing team at the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) to determine when owner-builder approval is required.

Where building work is substantially one job, it should be performed under one building permit by a registered builder or owner-builder. You may not split building work into separate projects, each valued below $20,000, to avoid occupational licensing.

What is owner-builder work - description of building works

Owner-builder work is building, altering or adding to a:

• detached house (Class 1a(i) building);
• domestic shed, garage, carport (Class 10 buildings); or
• small commercial building – shop, office, warehouse and factory.

What is a detached house? 

A detached house is a single, independent, Class 1a(i) dwelling that is completely separated from any other dwelling on the same or adjoining allotment.

Detached houses have no common walls, shared roof, or connecting floor plates with other houses. They are not connected to any other dwelling type.

Vertical or horizontal additions and/or alterations that create a separate tenancy (including granny flats or ancillary accommodation) that share any common building elements with another residential dwelling are not considered a detached house.

A detached house can have a garage, carport or shed attached to it. The house is still detached as long as it is not connected to another dwelling.

There are no limits to the height, floor area, financial value or number of storeys allowed for an owner-built, detached house.

More information on Class 1 buildings is in Part A6G2 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA), or contact the permit authority at your relevant local government for further advice on what is a detached Class 1a(i) dwelling.

An attached house

An attached house does not constitute owner-builder work.

Floor plans of an attached house, such as a townhouse or duplex, typically feature shared walls with neighbouring units, while maintaining separate living spaces and independent access to each dwelling.

What class of building is applicable ?

A Class 10 building is a non-habitable building or structure. It can be free standing or attached to another Class of building. There are no limitations on the size or financial value of owner-built Class 10 buildings.

Typical examples include private sheds, carports and garages.

A Class 10 building cannot be used for habitable purposes. Habitable outbuildings (sleepouts, games rooms, playrooms, pool houses etc.) or frequently occupied commercial use sheds are not Class 10 buildings.

More information on Class 10 buildings and structures is in Part A6G11 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Alternatively, contact the permit authority at your relevant local government for advice on what is a Class 10 building.

Note: Some low risk, low value Class 10a buildings do not need a building permit. ‘Farm buildings’ and ‘incidental structures’ (such as swimming pools, retaining walls, fencing, patios etc.) are also exempt from the need for occupational licencing.

What is a small commercial building?

Commercial buildings include shops, offices, warehouses and factories.

Owner-builder approvals for small commercial buildings are limited to a maximum of:

• two storeys high; and
• 500 m² of floor area.

Floor area

The 500m² maximum floor area applies to the entire building, and not just the part of the building affected by the proposed building work

The building’s floor area is calculated in accordance with the NCC definition of ‘Floor area’. It is measured over the enclosing walls of each storey, and includes all internal areas. It also includes unenclosed covered areas (balconies, canopies, verandas etc) and any mezzanine areas.

‘Floor area’ is different from the gross lettable floor area, floor area ratio or building footprint dimensions that are determined for planning or leasehold purposes.

Height

A storey extends from one floor level to the underside of a roof or the soffit of another floor level above it.

To calculate the number of storeys for a commercial building, count from the ground slab at the very bottom of the building (even if that storey is below ground) and include all floors between the lowest floor level and the top of the building. This includes enclosed and unenclosed floors. All habitable and non-habitable floors that can be accessed and occupied, including basements, roof terraces, swimming pools and plant rooms.

Applying to be an owner-builder

r.22 of the Building Services (Registration) Regulations 2011 defines the requirement to be approved as an owner-builder.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must:

• Be an owner of the land.
• Be an individual (not a corporate body, trust or other entity).
• Have sufficient knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder (either complete an appropriate owner-builder course or be a registered building practitioner).
• Not have been granted a building permit as an owner-builder within the last six years or must have applied to the board to waive that requirement at attachment A (page 6) of the Form 75.
• Intend to live on, occupy or use the land when the work is completed (i.e. no immediate intention to rent or sell the property).

Land ownership

S.39 of the Act defines what an 'owner' is whilst R24A defines the prescribed interests in the land.

An owner-builder must:

• be included as an owner on the certificate of title for the land;
• be named as a purchaser on a Contract to Purchase an estate in fee simple in the land; or
• be party to a lease agreement which explicitly grants the tenant a right to develop the land.

Evidence that the applicant is the owner of the land must be provided with an application for owner-builder approval.

Where a Certificate of Title is provided as proof of ownership, the Record (digital or otherwise) must have been issued by Landgate within three months of the date the application is made. A current Record of the Certificate of Title can be ordered from Landgate. The date of issue is displayed at the bottom of the Record.

A copy of a contract to purchase an estate in fee simple in the land (freehold purchase) showing the applicant as the purchaser must be dated within three months of the date the application is made.

If the applicant is leasing the land, the lease document must contain a specific term allowing the lessee to undertake building work without the consent of each person whose name is registered as a proprietor of the land. Further details of the lease requirements are noted on the application form.

More than one owner?

If the land is owned by more than one person, the application form (Form 75) must be signed by every person listed as a registered proprietor on the Certificate of Title, every buyer on a Contract of Purchase, or every lessee on a compliant lease agreement.

Each owner then becomes jointly responsible for supervising and managing the building work, however, only one person is required to demonstrate appropriate knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder.

Owner-builder duties and responsibilities

Owner-builder approval will only be issued if you have sufficient knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder.

To satisfy this requirement, at least one of the applicants must have a general construction induction training card (white card or blue card) and, either:

• hold a current, or previous, Building Practitioners registration in Western Australia;
• be registered as an architect, building surveyor or building engineer in Western Australia; or
• have completed owner-builder training with Western Australian specific content within the previous 24 months.

Evidence of recent owner-builder training or confirmation of your building practitioner registration details form part of the application.

Intent to occupy

If the owner-builder work relates to a house, you must intend to reside on the land on which the work is to be carried out, when the work is completed. Where multiple dwellings are created on one allotment, you can satisfy the requirement to reside on the land by occupying one of the dwellings.

If the work relates to a Class 10 building or a small commercial building, you must intend to occupy or use the land on which the work is to be carried out when the work is completed.

A small commercial building is intended to be the owner’s workplace.

If you intend to develop a property for immediate sale, then the owner-builder pathway is not appropriate. This would not satisfy the intention to reside on, occupy or use the land. The sale or disposal of an owner-built dwelling is restricted by the Home Building Contracts Act 1991.

Selling an owner-built dwelling within seven years of the date on which the building permit was granted is an offence (penalty of $10,000) unless you obtain home indemnity insurance.

Time between projects

The six-year limit between applications for owner-builder approvals starts when a building permit is granted. If an owner-builder approval is issued but not used, because a building permit was never issued, the person or people named on the approval may apply for a new owner-builder approval.

When a building permit is granted to an owner-builder, the person or people named on the owner-builder approval must wait six years from the date the building permit was issued before making any further applications.

The six-year restriction may be waived if:

• hardship would be suffered if the application for owner-builder approval was refused; or
• the new building permit will be for the same land as the previously granted permit/approval.

To apply for a waiver on the six-year limit, lodge an owner-builder application and complete the eligibility waiver section on the last page of Form 75.

Validity of owner-builder approval

If no application for building permit is made, an owner-builder approval expires 6 months after its date of issue.

If an application for building permit is made within 6 months of the approval’s issue, and a permit is not granted, the owner-builder approval expires when the application for building permit is refused. If the building permit is granted, the owner-builder approval remains valid for the duration of the building permit.

Building permits are valid for two years. However, you may request longer when you apply for the permit, or you can apply to the local government to extend an existing building permit at any time after the permit is granted.