The Victorian compliance guide for trade businesses

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC)

The BPC started on 1 July 2025. It merged the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria and the government's domestic building insurance business into one regulator. Existing VBA registrations and licences carried over automatically and stay valid until the expiry date on your card. Lodgements, including plumbing compliance certificates, still go through VBA360.

Buyer protection reforms — in force from 1 July 2026

Coming next

• By 1 December 2027: the Building and Plumbing Administration and Enforcement Act 2026 starts. It adds liability for company directors, anti-phoenixing powers, and raises the major domestic building contract threshold from $10,000 to $20,000. Until then, $10,000 is still the threshold.
• 1 February 2027: building manuals are required for new Class 1b, 2 and 3 buildings.

Electricians (Energy Safe Victoria)

Apprentice supervision

Energy Safe's supervision requirements became mandatory on 1 September 2025. Before that, the ratios were only recommendations. Both the employer (including a Registered Electrical Contractor) and the licensed electrician assigned to supervise are responsible.

The ratios only apply while the apprentice is doing electrical installation work — not tasks like drilling holes or digging trenches. Older recommended ratios (2 under direct, 4 under general) still circulate online; don't rely on them.

Registered Electrical Contractors

• Registration lasts up to 5 years. The nominee must be an A-grade licensed electrician.
• Public liability of at least $5 million, in the contractor's registered name. Contracting without it is an offence.

Certificates of Electrical Safety

• Non-prescribed work: give copies to the customer within 1 month of completion.
• Prescribed work: a licensed inspector must inspect within 8 business days; the customer gets a copy within 16 calendar days of completion.

Domestic building contracts — what's changing

When the changes start:

• Deposits and progress payments will be set by regulations, with different limits depending on how much of the job uses modern methods of construction (prefab and modular). Current deposit limits: 10% for contracts under $20,000, 5% for $20,000 or more.
• Cost escalation clauses will only be allowed on contracts over $1 million (up from $500,000), capped at 5%.
• Builder–developer contracts will lose several consumer protections, such as cooling-off and deposit limits.
• Variations will need a stricter process, and certain variations must be in writing, in English and legible.

The $10,000 to $20,000 threshold change is a separate law, due by 1 December 2027.

If you employ people

WorkCover (WorkSafe Victoria)

• Register if you pay, or expect to pay, over $7,500 a year in wages — or any amount if you employ apprentices or trainees. You have 60 days after you first become eligible.
• Declare your actual wages each year by the date on your renewal notice. For this cycle: over $200,000 by 24 October 2026; $200,000 or less by March 2027.
• If your wages are running more than 20% over your estimate, tell WorkSafe within 28 days.
• Some contractors count as workers, so their pay counts towards your WorkCover wages.

Payroll tax

Tax-free threshold is $1 million a year. The rate is 4.85% (1.2125% for regional employers).

Super

• The super guarantee is 12%.
• Payday Super started 1 July 2026: super must reach the fund within 7 business days of each payday. The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House has closed.
• Contractors paid mainly for their labour count as employees for super, even if they have an ABN.

Tax reporting and safety

• Taxable payments annual report (TPAR): due 28 August if you're mainly in building and construction and pay contractors.
• Safe work method statements (SWMS): required before any high-risk construction work, such as a fall risk over 2 metres.
• White card: in Victoria, construction induction must be done face to face.

Getting paid (Security of Payment)

Major changes started on 15 April 2026. You can now claim variations, latent conditions and delay costs; you can make a claim every month; and you can claim up to 6 months after completion. Payment is due within 20 business days at most. The other party has 10 business days to respond with a payment schedule.