Product substitution: what builders must check before swapping a specified product
Lead times and prices push builders to swap specified products every week. Most swaps are fine. The ones that are not become defects, failed inspections and disputes. Here is what to check before you substitute.
7 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.
Product substitution: what builders must check before swapping a specified product
Lead times and prices push builders to swap specified products every week. Most swaps are fine. The ones that are not become defects, failed inspections and disputes. Here is what to check before you substitute.
7 min read
First 10-year defects insurance policy accepted in NSW: what apartment developers and builders need to know
The reforms that make 10-year defects insurance workable in NSW commenced on 20 August, and Building Commission NSW now lists a first policy in an acceptable form. How DLI works, and what it means for developers, builders and owners.
6 min read
Statutory warranties in NSW: six years, two years, and what counts as a major defect
Every NSW residential building contract carries statutory warranties that cannot be contracted out of. What they promise, how long they last, what counts as a major defect, and how builders should handle defect claims.
7 min read
What happens when a complaint is made against you in NSW
A complaint about defects and a complaint about your conduct can arrive from the same household and travel down two very different tracks. One is about fixing the work. The other is about whether you keep your licence.
11 min read
CCEWs for like-for-like swaps: Building Commission NSW clarifies when electricians must certify
A new advisory note from Building Commission NSW confirms that swapping a hot water system, oven, cooktop or power point like-for-like still needs a certificate of compliance for electrical work, lodged within 7 days of finishing.
6 min read
The Design and Building Practitioners Act in NSW: what it covers, what is deferred, and what is next
The Design and Building Practitioners Act reshaped how apartment buildings are designed and built in NSW. What it requires, which parts were deferred in 2026, and how it fits with the reforms passed this month.
7 min read
Advertising your building business: what NSW licensing law requires you to say
Most builders learn about advertising obligations only after a complaint. NSW licensing law treats what you publish about your business as a representation you are accountable for.
11 min read
Building in bushfire-prone areas: BAL ratings explained, and the details that keep embers out
Most houses lost in bushfires are ignited by embers, not the fire front. The bushfire attack level decides what a new home must resist, and the small details, gaps, vents, gutters and decks, decide whether it does.
7 min read
Rainwater tanks and BASIX water commitments: sizing, connections and sign-off
The water section of a BASIX certificate is easy to satisfy on paper and easy to fail at the occupation certificate. Tank size, catchment, connections and fixture ratings all have to match what was committed.
7 min read
Wet area waterproofing membranes: liquid, sheet and where each one fails
Leaking showers are one of the most common and expensive defects in Australian homes. Most failures are not the membrane’s fault but the junctions, penetrations, curing and compatibility around it.
7 min read
Subcontract agreements: the clauses that decide who pays for defects, delays and disputes
Many builders run jobs on a quote and a handshake with their trades. It works until a defect, a delay or a payment dispute. The clauses that protect both builder and subcontractor, and how security of payment laws apply.
7 min read
What records NSW builders must keep, and how long to hold them
Retention is where most building businesses quietly fail. The records exist; they are just not findable, not complete, or not held for the period the law requires.
13 min read