When an owner-builder permit is needed

Key information

• In NSW, you need an owner-builder permit to supervise or do work valued at over $10,000 on your own home, and you're not contracting a licensed builder to supervise the work.
• If the work is valued at more than $20,000, you also need to complete certain units of competency or have the approved equivalent qualifications and experience.
• Only one owner-builder permit can be issued within any five-year period unless the application and any earlier permit relate to the same land, or special circumstances exist.
• As an owner-builder, you are responsible for the building work as a fully licensed builder would be.

When an owner-builder permit is needed

An owner-builder permit is for people who have the skill or capacity to build their own house or supervise the construction work.

If you want to supervise or do building work worth more than $10,000 on your own home, and you're not contracting a licensed builder to supervise the work, you need an owner-builder permit.

While an owner-builder permit is not a builder’s licence, as an owner-builder, you are just as responsible for the building work as a fully licensed builder would be.

What is owner-builder work?

Owner-builder work is any work, including supervision and coordination of the construction, alterations, repairs or additions to a property:

• where the reasonable market cost (including labour and materials) exceeds $10,000, and
• which relates to a single dwelling-house, dual occupancy or a secondary dwelling that:
  • requires development consent under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, or
  • is a complying development within the meaning of that Act.

To be eligible for an owner-builder permit, the development approval must be for a single dwelling-house, dual occupancy (see below) or secondary dwelling.

What are my limitations under the permit?

An owner-builder permit is not a building licence. It does not allow you to do:

• work other than the project covered by the development application or complying development certificate
• specialist work such as electrical, plumbing, gasfitting, air-conditioning and refrigeration work (unless you hold a licence for such work).

Only one owner-builder permit can be issued within any five-year period unless the application and any earlier permit relate to the same land, or special circumstances exist.

Learn more about your responsibilities working as an owner-builder.

When a permit is not needed

A permit is not needed when:

• the proposed residential building work does not require a Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC)
• the value of work including labour and materials does not exceed $10,000
• you have contracted a licensed builder to undertake the work.

Eligibility

Who can apply

To be eligible to apply for an owner-builder permit, you must:

• be least 18 years of age
• hold a valid white card (general construction induction training qualification) issued by SafeWork NSW or equivalent interstate authority
• have completed the owner-builder approved education requirements or other equivalent accreditation if the cost of building work is $20,000 or more
• be the owner or joint owner of the land, or
  • be a shareholder in the company that owns the land, or
  • have a minimum 3-year lease on the land registered with NSW Land Registry Services
• not have owned land that had an owner-builder permit issued for it within the last 5 years (unless special circumstances applied)

You can only apply if you will be the intended permit holder. You cannot apply on another person’s behalf.

The building work also needs to meet the following criteria to be eligible for an owner-builder permit:

• The reasonable market cost (including labour and materials) must be valued at over $10,000, including GST.
• You must be constructing, altering, or adding to:
  • a single dwelling-house
  • dual occupancy dwelling - two dwellings that are either attached or detached, such as a semi-detached home on one lot of land (commonly referred to as a duplex). Note, permits are only issued under special circumstances if the land could potentially be sub-divided or sold as separate properties
  • a secondary dwelling - a self-contained dwelling that is internal, attached, or detached from the principal dwelling (generally a granny flat).
• After the building work is complete, you must intend to live in:
  • the single-dwelling house, or
  • one of the dwellings (secondary / dual occupancy).

You must have either an approved Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC).

Special circumstances

In some cases, you'll need to show that there are special circumstances that justify your application. You application may be refused if you don't provide this information.

Download and complete the additional details form to include with your online application if:

• you or any other registered parties have held an owner-builder permit within the past 5 years for different land, and/or
• the type of construction is dual occupancy.

You will need to visit a Service NSW centre to submit your application in person.

What type of properties will a permit not be granted for?

A permit will not be granted for work related to:

• commercial premises
• a boarding house, guest house, hostel, or lodging house
• any residential part of:
  • an educational institution
  • a health care building that accommodates staff
  • a hotel or motel
• accommodation (other than self-contained units) specially designed for the aged, persons with a disability, or children
• a house or unit designed, constructed, or adapted for commercial use as tourist, holiday or overnight accommodation
• any part of a non-residential building that is constructed or adapted for use as a caretaker’s residence
• a moveable dwelling (with or without a flexible annexe) within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1993. This means a dwelling that is capable of being registered under the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Act 1997 (such as a caravan or a motor home)
• a residential building that can only be granted development consent under Schedule 5 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021.