Melbourne Renovation — Planning Permit, Building Permit, VBA, DBI, Section 173

A Melbourne renovation runs through two parallel consent regimes, and missing either one makes the work unlawful. A Planning Permit is issued by your local council under the Victoria Planning Provisions and addresses land use, amenity, heritage, and overlay controls. A Building Permit is issued by a registered Building Surveyor and addresses technical compliance with the National Construction Code. You cannot get a Building Permit until your Planning Permit (where required) is issued and endorsed.

Layer on VBA builder registration, VMIA Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) over A$16,000, Victoria Planning Provisions Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay across Fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Kew, Malvern, and Williamstown, Bushfire Management Overlay BAL assessments on peri-urban lots, 6-star NatHERS thermal modelling on new dwellings and major alterations, and Section 173 Agreements registered on title — and the paperwork trail is genuinely longer than the build trail.

AskBaily routes your Melbourne renovation to a VBA-registered builder who coordinates planning permits, building permits, DBI, heritage permits, and NatHERS modelling from one contract.

What a Melbourne renovation involves

• Consent. Planning permit (council, merit assessment, 8-16 weeks) + Building permit (Building Surveyor, 2-6 weeks). Both typically required.
• Builder. VBA-registered Domestic Builder Unlimited (DB-U) or DB-L for work over A$10,000. DBI insurance over A$16,000.
• Contract. Written fixed-price Domestic Building Contract under DBCA 1995. Cooling-off period.
• Heritage. Planning permit with Heritage Overlay (HO) schedule consideration. Heritage Victoria permit for state-listed places.
• NatHERS. 6-star (moving to 7-star) energy rating on new class-1 dwellings and major alterations.
• Section 173 / Section 32. Council-imposed ongoing conditions registered on title. Disclosed in vendor statements.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Planning Permit for a Melbourne renovation? Depends on scope and overlay. Heritage Overlay properties almost always need a planning permit for external work. Most internal renovation without overlay triggers may need only a Building Permit.

What is Domestic Building Insurance? VMIA-underwritten insurance mandatory on any VBA-registered builder's contract over A$16,000. Gives the homeowner 6-year structural cover and 2-year non-structural cover if the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent.

How much does a Melbourne renovation cost? A$75,000-A$180,000 for a mid-spec inner-Melbourne apartment renovation. A$220,000-A$380,000 for a full-home Victorian terrace or California bungalow renovation in Fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond, Hawthorn, or Kew. A$450,000-A$1.2M+ for whole-home renovations with structural alterations and heritage conservation.

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