ASTA Building Consultants

27/10/2025

It was great to be a part of the AIC presentation on owner builder works.

09/10/2025

Very excited to be a part of the final Saturday seminar of the year at Marvel Stadium, sharing our thoughts on Owner Builder 137b inspections.

astabuilderreports.com.au

09/07/2025

Our clients and conveyancers are often unsure when a building permit is required when it comes to owner builder 137b inspections.

In Victoria all building work requiresa building permit unless it is specifically exempted under schedule 3 of the 2018 building regulations.

I have put this flyer together to try and explain when a building permit is required. It should be noted that not all owner builder works need a building petmit, but can still be required to be included in the report.

I would recommend if you are unsure to contact a building surveyor to clarify, i would not rely on your local council for advice, unless you speak to a building surveyor in the council building department.

I hope this helps.l

24/01/2025

Hi All,
I have had a few messages regarding the owner builder information sheet I posted and the one trade exemption to a 137 b report.

The one trade exemption is derived from the Domestic Building Contracts Regulations 2017 - Reg 7 .

My interpretation is, that the single trade works listed in the Act on most occasions, do not constitute major works and if the works are under $10,000 then a Domestic Building Contract does not need to be in place. Even though the Act implies that it is still good practice to have a contract in place.

I hope this helps for those who asked the question. I am not a lawyer and this is my interpretation only and does not constitute legal advice.

Have a great long weekend.

16/01/2025

Its’s the start of a new year and I hope you are all well and looking forward to the year ahead.

I just thought I would add this owner builder information sheet, which is a basic reminder as to why an owner builder 137b defect report is important to the conveyancer/ lawyer, vendor selling the property, real estate agent as well as the buyer.

If the owner builder has performed any construction works within the last 6.5 years prior to the sale of their home, a 137b report is required to disclosure to the buyer what they are buying. If a 137b report has not been disclosed to the buyer prior to the Contact of Sale being signed, the buyer is legally entitled to cancel the Contract of Sale at any time right up until settlement. The buyer is able to cancel the contract with no penalties and receives their deposit back. The vendor is left with still paying the agent, conveyancers fees, starting all over again and still requires an owner builder 137b report.

If the Contract of Sale is cancelled, it can cause a massive amount of stress to the vendor and also potentially exposes the conveyancer/ lawyer and real estate agent to potential legal action.

I had to do several re-inspections last year for clients who were not aware of this inspection and the sale of the property did not proceed all because a 137b report was not included within the section 32.

There is a lot of confusion and even misinformation about these reports, so I am more than happy to answer questions and provide advice on whether you, or your client requires a 137b owner builder report if you are unsure.

ASTA Building Consultants specialise in 137B Owner Builder reports in Melbourne, Vic

01/01/2025

Happy New Year 🥳 to you all from Dolphin Sands in Tasmania.

This is our favourite place to stay at this time of year, as it is so peaceful, quiet and we are surrounded by by bush and wildlife.

Wishing you all an awesome 2025 with good health and happiness.

12/12/2024

This owner builder 137b inspection was done earlier this week and there was a building permit and a certificate of final inspection issued🙈

The building works completed within the last 6.5 years as advised by the property owner included the extension of the existing dwelling by converting an existing carport into two bedrooms, a play area, a laundry, a toilet and an entry.

I wont name the council involved,but how can this happen and be approved. ?

The clearance under the sub floor was less than the 400mm required, there was insufficent sub floor ventilation, the site drainage was insufficient and the outside ground level was higher than the floor level of the extension.

Being in a high termite prone area this is a recipe for disaster.

10/08/2024

It was really nice to do an owner builder report in beautiful Warburton this week, on a quirky little tiny house by Hangan.

Apart from another deck with no building permit, there were no other issues with the inspection of the tiny house.

Tiny houses on wheels are not currently required to be built to the Building Code of Austalia (BCA), as they do not fit the building classified in the BCA for being a permanent structure.

The best part of my job at times, is visiting beautiful places in Victoria like this property.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend . 😊