What Is Building Permit?

Building Permits in Victoria

In Victoria, a building permit is required before you can commence certain types of building work. The permit is issued by a registered building surveyor (either municipal or private) and confirms that the proposed work has been assessed against the National Construction Code (NCC), the Building Act 1993 (Vic), and the Building Regulations 2018.

When Do Insurance Repairs Require a Building Permit?

• •Structural repairs — replacing load-bearing walls, roof trusses, or foundation elements
• •Rebuilds — any section of the home that needs to be demolished and reconstructed
• •Changes to layout — moving walls, adding rooms, or altering the building footprint
• •Electrical or plumbing work that affects the building's compliance (these trades also require their own permits/certificates)
• •Roof replacements that change the structural loading or type of roofing material

Like-for-like repairs that do not alter the structure — replacing plasterboard, repainting, re-tiling, or replacing carpet — generally do not require a building permit. However, the line between permit-required and permit-exempt work can be ambiguous in larger insurance repair scopes.

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA)

The VBA oversees the building permit system in Victoria. They register building surveyors, set compliance standards, and investigate building-related complaints. If your insurance repair requires a building permit, Oxide Construct coordinates the application, inspections, and final sign-off through the registered building surveyor.

How Oxide Handles This

At Oxide Construct, our technology-driven approach to insurance repair means building permit is handled transparently. Track your claim in real-time through our platform, with a dedicated assessor as your single point of contact throughout the process.

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