Short answer: a Victorian building permit is issued by a relevant building surveyor (RBS) — a private practitioner you appoint, or a municipal surveyor through council — not the council planner or the state regulator. The Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2018 require a permit for all building work unless exempt, and where a planning permit is also required it must issue first. The RBS calculates the Building Permit Levy from the cost of works on Form 1, inspects at mandatory stages, and issues an occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection.
Key Takeaways
- The regulator is the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), not the VBA. It began on 1 July 2025, merging the Victorian Building Authority, dispute resolution and the state insurer's domestic building arm (bpc.vic.gov.au).
- You appoint the decision-maker. Only an owner or an authorised agent may appoint a private surveyor; a builder cannot.
- One surveyor, whole project. Ending the appointment is rare.
- The levy is a statutory percentage, not a fee — 0.128 cents per dollar of cost of works, waived at $10,000 or less.
- The clock starts on a "relevant day", not at lodgement: 10 business days for Class 1 or 10, 15 otherwise.
- Permits expire. Commencement and completion dates are set by regulation.
Building permit Victoria: when one is required
All building work requires a permit unless exempt under the Building Regulations 2018. The BPC's guidance lists work commonly outside it: some minor alterations or demolitions, pergolas on houses, garden sheds under 10 square metres and maintenance repairs.
Those categories are conditional: a shed under 10 square metres may still need one depending on siting, class and what else is on the allotment, which is why the BPC cites Practice Note BP 01. The permit and an owner-builder certificate are separate; the national picture is in the national guide.
Planning permit first, building permit second
The planning permit, issued by council as planning authority, governs whether land may be developed or used. The building permit, issued by the RBS, governs whether the structure complies with building legislation. The BPC states a planning permit must issue before you can obtain a building permit. Whether one is triggered depends on zone and overlays, not type; the planning map viewers cover Victoria.
Building permit Victoria: appointing the surveyor who issues it
Three things get conflated. A planning permit is a land-use decision by council; a building permit is a compliance decision by a surveyor; the surveyor appointment is the separate act creating the decision-maker. A municipal surveyor is not formally appointed — you apply to council and its surveyor assesses the work. A private building surveyor may be appointed only by the owner, or an agent authorised in writing. Neither council nor the regulator appoints one, and under a domestic building contract the builder cannot. A private surveyor must notify council within seven days.
The appointment crystallises earlier than expected: once the surveyor begins their functions they become the RBS, even without a signed contract. Only one may be appointed. See the BPC's guidance on appointing a building surveyor.
Form 1, the cost of works and the document set
Lodgement needs at least three copies of drawings, specifications and allotment plans, the form, other prescribed information and the levy.
Form 1 — Application for a building permit — carries the money, and lodges with the surveyor, not a government portal. Since 26 November 2025, a revised Form 1 and a new method of calculating the cost of the building work (CoW) apply under the State Taxation Further Amendment Act 2025. The CoW is the levy base, so an error here is an error in the levy. The formulas are subtractive and GST must be included:
| Contract type | Formula |
|---|---|
| Contract price | Contract amount (labour + materials) − chattels |
| Cost plus | Builder's estimate under the cost-plus contract − chattels |
| Owner-builder, own labour | Estimated labour + materials − chattels |
| Owner-builder with subcontractors | Aggregate contract amounts − chattels |
Chattels attract the most dispute, and the definition is narrow: excluded only if moveable and not required for NCC compliance. A kitchen island bench without plumbing or electrical fixtures is a chattel; a fire extinguisher required for an office fit-out is not.
The RBS can refuse a permit where they reasonably believe information is materially incorrect — a contract price well below the norm, inflated chattel cost, or missing information. For owner-builder applications the RBS must refuse if the estimate, or a subcontractor's agreed amount, is well below normal cost.
How the Building Permit Levy is calculated
The levy is imposed by the Building Act 1993 and has three components; only the first two apply to a typical house.
| Component | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Building control (s 205G(1)) | 0.064 cents per dollar of CoW | All permits above the threshold |
| Dispute resolution (s 205G(2)) | 0.064 cents per dollar of CoW | All permits above the threshold |
| Building Reform Levy | 0.37 cents per dollar of class 2–8 CoW | Class 2–8, non-regional Victoria, CoW $1.5m or more |
The base components combine to 0.128 cents in every dollar — 0.00128, or 0.128 per cent. The levy is not payable where the cost of building work is $10,000 or less, and since 1 July 2019 the owner pays the BPC directly before a permit number issues. Illustrative only: a $600,000 CoW gives $600,000 × 0.00128 = $768.
The Building Reform Levy replaced the cladding levy on 1 July 2026. The Cladding Rectification Levy was repealed by the Cladding Safety Victoria Repeal Act 2026. From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029 the Building Reform Levy applies — class 2 to 8 buildings outside regional Victoria with class 2–8 works of $1.5 million or more, at 0.37 cents in the dollar on the entire class 2–8 cost. Older material quoting 0.128 / 0.256 / 0.82 describes the repealed levy.
If the cost of works later changes by $15,625 or more on a non-staged permit, the owner must notify the BPC within 28 days. The BPC calculator tracks current components; the state comparison is in the permit cost breakdown.
Fees, decision timeframes and what is not fixed
Three amounts arrive on a building permit application Victoria-wide; only the levy is statutory. The others are a lodgement fee of 8.23 fee units under reg 45 of the Building Regulations 2018, and an assessment fee set by council schedule or private quote.
The lodgement fee moves each 1 July; at the 2026–27 fee unit of $17.27 (Gazette S234, 5 May 2026), 8.23 fee units is about $142. GST differs: the cost of works on Form 1 includes it, the levy carries none, and a surveyor's fee is quoted before GST.
The statutory decision period is short but starts late. Under regulation 35 the RBS must decide within 10 business days for Class 1 or 10 buildings and 15 otherwise, measured from the "relevant day" — the earlier of the day all reporting-authority reports and consents arrive, or the day they were due. If a report is outstanding, no period runs. Exceeding it does not deliver a permit: s 19(3) deems refusal. See why permits take as long as they do.
Occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection
Every permit must specify which completion document applies. An occupancy permit confirms the surveyor is satisfied the building is suitable for occupation. It is required for all work except what the surveyor considers minor, work that does not compromise suitability, or prescribed work; occupying before it issues is an offence under the Building Act 1993. A certificate of final inspection covers extensions and alterations, which need no occupancy permit because the existing building already has one.
Both depend on inspections having happened. If a permit lapses, work becomes illegal and the surveyor may issue a building order to stop work; because mandatory inspections may never have occurred, the original surveyor may refuse to approve it.
| Building work | Commence within | Complete within |
|---|---|---|
| Re-erection of a Class 1 or 10 building | 6 months | 12 months |
| Class 1 or 10 (other than re-erection) | 12 months | 24 months |
| Swimming pool, spa or barrier | — | 6 months after commencement, or with concurrent work |
| Any other case | 12 months | 36 months |
Regulation 59 allows a written extension application, made before the date. The BPC's lapsed permits guidance covers next steps.
Staged permits and Melbourne notes
A permit may cover the whole of the work or a stage. Staging helps where a later stage's design is unresolved or procurement is sequenced, but each stage carries its own documents and levy — which is why Form 1 Part C asks for the contract position across all stages.
The building permit Melbourne applicants get from a municipal or private surveyor faces the same legal test: the same Act, regulations, notification stages and completion documents. A council boundary is not a regulatory boundary. The Building Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulations 2026, in force 1 September 2026 per legislation.vic.gov.au, applies equally.
If your project is in South Australia
This section applies only to South Australian projects. Victoria's model does not transfer: South Australia assesses building consent inside a development approval under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, through the Planning and Design Code and PlanSA, not a separate permit from a surveyor you appoint. The pathway is in how building consent works in South Australia; the contrast between states that separate the consents and those that fold them together is in the NSW and SA comparison.
Cyberate Project Management (CPM) is part of DDDI Group, which publishes this article. Links to CPM are related-party referrals, not independent recommendations. CPM provides development approval and subdivision management in South Australia only; approval rules, fees and services differ in other states. CPM is not a certifier, building surveyor, consent authority or permit issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a building permit cost in Victoria?
Four charges, only one genuinely a permit cost. The building permit levy is 0.128 cents per dollar of cost of works, waived at $10,000 or less. The lodgement fee is 8.23 fee units, about $142 at the 2026–27 rate. The assessment fee is a council schedule or private quote. The Building Reform Levy applies only to class 2–8 work of $1.5 million or more in non-regional Victoria.
What happens if I build without a permit in Victoria?
Work without a permit, or after one has lapsed, is illegal. The surveyor may issue a building order to stop work and refer the matter to the BPC. Because mandatory inspections may not have occurred, they can also refuse to approve it.
How do I get a certificate of occupancy in Victoria?
The document is called an occupancy permit. Either the owner or the builder applies to the RBS, who may first require certificates from the practitioners involved. The surveyor issues it once satisfied the building is suitable for occupation.
Can I choose my own building surveyor in Victoria?
Yes, if you choose private. Only the owner, or an agent authorised in writing, may appoint one, and a builder cannot under a domestic building contract. With council you just apply.
How long is a Victorian building permit valid?
The limits are set by regulation and depend on building type. A Class 1 or 10 building must commence within 12 months and complete within 24; a re-erected one within 6 and 12; all other work within 12 and 36. An extension must be sought in writing before the date, never after.
The sequence, in one line
Confirm whether a planning permit is required, appoint one surveyor, lodge a Form 1 stating the cost of works honestly, pay the levy before the permit number issues, book the mandatory inspections, and collect the completion certificate before anyone moves in. The national framework is in the guide to building permit applications in Australia.