The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has released its top six warning signs for identifying an unregistered builder or an unregistered or unlicensed plumber.
Building a house or renovating is often the biggest investment most people will ever make, so it is important homeowners protect themselves from unqualified and unregistered building practitioners and plumbers.
Homeowners should take basic steps to minimise the risk of things going wrong and costing more money in the long term.
You need to do your research and ask for some key information up front, so there are no surprises. Victorians should be wary of anyone offering their building or plumbing services on online marketplaces and through apps, consumers should always check the credentials of anyone advertising.
You can check whether the builder or plumber you’re looking to use is registered with the VBA and whether they’ve faced any disciplinary action.
The VBA’s top six warning signs for identifying an unregistered builder or plumber are:
- No results are found when you type their name into the VBA’s ‘Find a Practitioner’ tool
- They do not ask you to enter into a written contract before the project starts
- They ask for too much money up front or at each set payment stage. By law in Victoria, a deposit can be no more than five per cent of the total project cost (for projects over $20,000)
