Building permits, the City of Melton and resolving defects in Strathtulloh
A new home in Strathtulloh needs a building permit from a registered building surveyor, who also carries out the mandatory inspections and issues the occupancy permit at the end. Planning matters, estate design guidelines and some consents involve the City of Melton or the developer. None of these parties inspects workmanship on the owner's behalf, which is the gap an independent inspection fills.
The building surveyor
Your builder normally appoints the surveyor. The surveyor issues the permit, inspects at the mandatory stages and issues the occupancy permit. Their role is compliance with the permit, not a detailed defect list.
The City of Melton
The council is the planning authority and handles matters such as report and consent, drainage and crossovers. Estate developers also apply design guidelines that affect fencing, landscaping and facades.
When the builder will not fix an item
Put the request in writing with our report attached. If that fails, the Building and Plumbing Commission dispute resolution service (formerly DBDRV) can assess the dispute.
VCAT
If dispute resolution does not settle it, VCAT's Building and Property List hears domestic building disputes. You will need an expert witness report prepared to VCAT's practice note, not a standard defect report.
Warranty and insurance
Domestic building work over the threshold must carry domestic building insurance, and the Building Act sets a ten year limitation period for defects. Keep your contract, variations and reports together.
More about Strathtulloh
- Building a new home in Strathtulloh: the stages that decide how it lasts
- Buying a house in Strathtulloh: estate homes, acreage and what to inspect
- How Strathtulloh is growing: the Toolern plan, the station and the estates
- Strathtulloh soil: basalt plains clay and why slabs and walls move
- Termite risk in Strathtulloh: estate homes, acreage and conducive conditions
- The defects we record on Strathtulloh inspections, stage by stage
- Strathtulloh site conditions: wind, grassland fire and planning overlays
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Strathtulloh. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
