Unauthorised building work: options when a past job was never approved
Work built without approval does not disappear when the job is finished. The route forward is an assessment, an honest disclosure and a certificate process, and the builder’s own exposure depends on how the matter is handled.
11 min read
Blog
Regulation and Compliance
The rules builders work under, and how they are changing: the National Construction Code, licensing, certification, standards and enforcement, with NSW first.
Unauthorised building work: options when a past job was never approved
Work built without approval does not disappear when the job is finished. The route forward is an assessment, an honest disclosure and a certificate process, and the builder’s own exposure depends on how the matter is handled.
11 min read
Exempt development in NSW: what builders can skip, and what they cannot
Exempt development needs no approval, but it is not a licence to skip the rules. Here is where the boundary sits, which conditions still bind the work and why the builder carries the liability whatever the council did or did not see.
12 min read
Complying development certificates: what NSW builders must check
A complying development certificate lets work start without a full development application, but it is a set of conditions the builder has to meet. Here is the builder’s side of it.
11 min read
Developer obligations on NSW residential projects: what builders need to know
On a NSW residential project the developer carries statutory duties that flow straight into your contract, your programme and your handover. Read the developer’s side of the framework before you price the job.
11 min read
Principal contractor duties on NSW residential sites: WHS and coordination
On a residential site the principal contractor is not a title on a contract, it is a set of WHS duties that attach to whoever holds the role. Here is what those duties require in practice, and where the coordination usually breaks down.
12 min read
Practical completion and handover: a builder’s checklist for finishing a job properly
Handover is where a good job becomes a good reputation, or where a dispute begins. The completion date starts the statutory warranty periods, the final payment depends on it, and the owner’s first impression is formed in the first hour. Here is how to finish properly.
7 min read
The most common building defects in NSW, and how builders stop them happening
Building Commission NSW’s research and audits point to the same culprits year after year: waterproofing first, fire safety second, then structure, the building enclosure and services. Here is where defects come from, and the site controls that stop them.
7 min read
Home building compensation: when it is required on NSW residential work and when it is not
Home building compensation sits outside the claims process: it is a licensing condition on most residential work over the threshold. Getting the trigger wrong exposes you to penalties, a stop-work order and a contract the homeowner can walk away from.
11 min read
Occupation certificates in NSW: what builders need to have ready for the final inspection
The occupation certificate is the last step in the approval process and often the first thing a client and their lender ask for. Delays usually come from missing paperwork, not failed work. Here is what the certifier needs and how to be ready.
7 min read
NSW pool barrier rules: what builders and renovators need to get right before summer
Pool barriers are one of the few building elements where a small defect can cost a child’s life. With pool season approaching, here is what NSW law requires, which standard applies, and the renovation trap that catches builders out.
7 min read
Renewing your NSW builder licence: conditions, variations and staying compliant
Renewal is not a repeat of your first application. It is a check that your licence still reflects the work you do, that any conditions on it still fit, and that you have kept up the CPD the scheme requires.
10 min read
How to get a builder’s licence in NSW in 2026: qualifications, experience and the new police check
A NSW contractor licence for general building work needs an approved qualification, at least two years of supervised experience across a wide range of building work and, since 23 June 2026, a National Police Check. Here is how the process works and where applications fail.
7 min read