Guides for your home build

Building contracts in Australia

Australian residential building contracts explained — mandatory protections by state, HIA vs Master Builders, and what to check before you sign.

Staying organised through your build

Even with a great builder, a home build is hundreds of decisions, selections and payments. Staying organised protects your money, your timeline and the home you actually pictured.

Stages of building a house

Slab to handover: what to inspect and record at each stage before you release progress payments. For Australian homeowners.

Verbal agreements with your builder

Verbal agreements with your builder can be legally binding — and almost impossible to prove. Here's why on-site promises evaporate, and the simple habit that protects you.

Building contracts (ACT)

What to know before signing a building contract in the ACT — no cooling-off period, no deposit cap, MBFF insurance limits, and why written contracts and legal review matter more here.

Negotiate your building contract

What's genuinely negotiable in an Australian building contract, what almost never shifts, how to make the ask without costing yourself the builder, and when to involve a lawyer.

Building contracts (NSW)

Cooling-off, HBC insurance, deposit limits and red-flag clauses under the Home Building Act — before you sign in NSW.

Building contracts (NT)

What the Building Act 1993 requires in the Northern Territory — 5% deposit cap, regulated progress payments, consumer guarantees, and what to check before you sign.

Progress payments release tens of thousands of dollars at a time. Here's how the standard six-stage schedule works, the NSW rule most builders don't advertise, and the red flags that mean you should pause before paying.

Building contracts (QLD)

What QBCC-regulated contracts require in Queensland — deposit caps, written variations before work starts, home warranty insurance, and what to check before you sign.

Building contracts (SA)

What the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 requires in SA — mandatory contract inclusions, the 5-year warranty limit, deposit rules, and what to check before you sign.

Building contracts (TAS)

What the Residential Building Work Contracts Act 2016 requires in Tasmania — deposit caps, cooling-off, mandatory contents, progress payment rules, and what to check before you sign.

HIA building contract explained

Variations, extensions of time, deposits and practical completion — what's fair, what's risky, and what to negotiate before you sign.

Master Builders contract explained

What the Master Builders residential contract covers, how it compares to the HIA form, and the clauses homeowners should understand before signing.

Building contracts (VIC)

What Victoria's Domestic Building Contracts Act requires — deposit caps, cooling-off, prime cost rules, price variation limits, and what to check before you sign.

Building contracts (WA)

What the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 requires in WA — deposit caps, cooling-off, price variation limits, home indemnity insurance, and clauses to watch.

Building disputes in Australia

Warranty periods, deadlines and dispute paths for every state and territory. Start here if something's gone wrong on your build.

Builder won't fix defects (NSW)

If your builder is ignoring defects or refusing to come back in NSW, here's what to do in order — starting with documentation and your statutory warranty rights.

Building disputes (SA)

A plain-English guide to resolving a building dispute in South Australia — from a written complaint and CBS conciliation to Magistrates Court claims and SACAT disciplinary action.

Building disputes (TAS)

A plain-English guide to resolving a building dispute in Tasmania — from a Notice of Dispute and CBOS mediation to TASCAT, plus the 6-year window and strict eligibility rules.

Building disputes (ACT)

A plain-English guide to resolving a building dispute in the ACT — compliance complaints via Access Canberra, mediation, and ACAT civil disputes including Scott Schedules for defect claims.

Building disputes (NT)

A plain-English guide to resolving a building dispute in the Northern Territory — from NT Consumer Affairs and the Commissioner of Residential Building Disputes to NTCAT and the courts.

Building disputes (WA)

From Notice of Proposed Complaint to Building and Energy and SAT — plain-English steps if your WA builder won't fix defects.

How to Document a Building Defect So It Holds Up

How to document building defects in Australia — photos, dated records, written notices and expert reports so your evidence holds up if you need it.

Take your builder to NCAT (NSW)

A plain-English, step-by-step guide to resolving a building dispute in NSW — from a Building Commission NSW complaint to an NCAT hearing, and the evidence you'll need.

Take your builder to VCAT (VIC)

A plain-English guide to resolving a building dispute in Victoria in 2026 — from BPC (formerly DBDRV) conciliation to VCAT, the certificate you need, and the evidence that wins.

QBCC complaints (QLD)

How to make a Queensland builder fix defective work in 2026 — from a written notice and QBCC complaint to a Direction to Rectify and QCAT, plus the deadlines that catch people out.

Common new-build defects

The most common defects in new Australian homes — waterproofing, cracking, roofing, plumbing, and finishes — and how to spot them before they're covered up.