Owner-Builder Approvals in Western Australia

What it is

Western Australia runs an owner-builder approval framework under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (WA) and the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 (WA). An owner who wants to build or renovate their own home must obtain an owner-builder approval from Building and Energy before a local government building permit issues.

The approval exempts the owner from the ordinary builder registration requirement for that specific project. Building and Energy in the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety administers the framework.

When approval is required

Owner-builder approval is required for residential building work on the owner's own property that requires a building permit. That includes any structural work, most alterations and any work over $20,000.

Below the building-permit threshold, an owner can do minor work without approval. But once a permit is required, either a registered builder or an owner-builder approval must be in place.

Application process

Applications are made to Building and Energy. The applicant must:

• own the land or hold a long-term registered lease
• be an individual (not a company)
• complete the Building and Energy owner-builder online course
• pay the application fee
• provide proof of ownership and identity

The approval is issued for a single property and specifies the work covered.

Section 25F HBCA 7 year sale restriction

Section 25F of the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 (WA) restricts an owner-builder from selling the property within 7 years of practical completion without home indemnity insurance cover. That is different from most other states, which impose a disclosure obligation rather than an insurance requirement.

Owner-builders can obtain home indemnity insurance if they choose. The insurance is separate from the compulsory HII framework that applies to licensed builders. TradeForm WA templates flag the section 25F requirement prominently for owner-builders considering resale.

No HII cover as builder

Owner-builder work is not covered by Home Indemnity Insurance in the ordinary sense. The owner-builder is not the builder for HII purposes; they are the owner. That means:

• no HII policy covers the owner-builder as the tradesperson
• an owner-builder who sells within 7 years without cover is in breach of section 25F
• a subsequent purchaser has no HII recourse for the owner-builder work

The section 11 HBCA make-good obligation on the builder does not apply because the owner-builder is not a builder in the HBCA sense.

Trade work by licensed practitioners

An owner-builder must engage licensed tradespeople for specialist trades (electrical under the Electricity Act 1945, plumbing under the Plumbers Licensing Act 1995). The owner-builder approval does not extend to specialist trade work.

The 2026 review

The 2026 review of Western Australia's home building contract laws is examining owner-builder settings among other topics. TradeForm WA templates should be reviewed once the September 2026 recommendations are released.

How Western Australia compares

WA's section 25F insurance requirement on sale (rather than disclosure alone) is distinctive. NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS, ACT and NT all rely on disclosure obligations. WA's 7 year period aligns with QLD (6 years) and VIC (6 years 6 months) but the substantive obligation differs.

TradeForm WA owner-builder templates walk owners through the Building and Energy approval process and the section 25F sale-restriction consequences.