Building or renovating? - NSW Fair Trading
Building or renovating? - NSW Fair Trading
Building or renovating? - NSW Fair Trading
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How to contact <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong><br />
Our website<br />
Visit www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au to:<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
find out m<strong>or</strong>e about your rights and responsibilities<br />
check the licence details of any builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson<br />
view <strong>or</strong> download <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> publications<br />
download free home building contracts<br />
subscribe to news and inf<strong>or</strong>mation.<br />
Telephone<br />
Call <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> on 13 32 20 f<strong>or</strong> services including:<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
licence checks<br />
dispute resolution<br />
general enquiries.<br />
<strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> Centres<br />
You can get face-to-face help and inf<strong>or</strong>mation from any<br />
of our 24 <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> Centres located throughout <strong>NSW</strong>.<br />
Most are open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and<br />
5.00pm. F<strong>or</strong> location details, go to the <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> website.<br />
<strong>NSW</strong> <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> – What we do<br />
• Shopping and consumer guarantees<br />
• Renting, buying, selling a home<br />
• Home building and <strong>renovating</strong><br />
• Strata and community living<br />
• Retirement villages<br />
• Business names and licences<br />
• Co-operatives and associations<br />
• Product safety<br />
• Resolving disputes<br />
www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au General enquiries 13 32 20<br />
Language assistance 13 14 50 (ask f<strong>or</strong> an interpreter in your language)<br />
TTY 1300 723 404 f<strong>or</strong> hearing impaired<br />
© State of New South Wales through <strong>NSW</strong> <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong>.<br />
Copyright policy: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/copyright.html<br />
This publication must not be relied on as legal advice.<br />
F<strong>or</strong> m<strong>or</strong>e inf<strong>or</strong>mation about this topic, refer to the appropriate legislation.<br />
FT309 March 2012<br />
<strong>Building</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>renovating</strong>?<br />
<strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> can help you know your rights<br />
www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
Are you thinking of building a new home?<br />
Maybe you’re about to renovate, extend<br />
<strong>or</strong> repair your existing home.<br />
You should not rush into any home building<br />
<strong>or</strong> renovation w<strong>or</strong>k without understanding<br />
your rights and responsibilities. Contact<br />
<strong>NSW</strong> <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> f<strong>or</strong> independent inf<strong>or</strong>mation<br />
about home building and <strong>renovating</strong>.<br />
Choosing a builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson<br />
To protect yourself against inferi<strong>or</strong> building practices, only<br />
deal with a builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson who is licensed by <strong>Fair</strong><br />
<strong>Trading</strong>. Any person who carries out residential building<br />
w<strong>or</strong>k w<strong>or</strong>th over $1,000 in labour and materials content<br />
without an appropriate licence, is breaking the law and<br />
could be prosecuted.<br />
Specialist tradespeople who carry out electrical wiring,<br />
plumbing, draining, gasfitting, air conditioning and<br />
refrigeration w<strong>or</strong>k (except plug-in appliances) must be<br />
licensed, regardless of the cost of the w<strong>or</strong>k.<br />
To check the licence details of any builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson,<br />
go to www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au <strong>or</strong> call 13 32 20.<br />
Insurances f<strong>or</strong> your protection<br />
Builders and tradespeople should have various insurance<br />
policies in place bef<strong>or</strong>e w<strong>or</strong>k on your home can start. If the<br />
cost of the labour and materials in your project exceeds<br />
$20,000 the builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson must have home<br />
warranty insurance and you must be given a certificate<br />
of home warranty insurance bef<strong>or</strong>e w<strong>or</strong>k commences.<br />
They should also have contract w<strong>or</strong>ks insurance,<br />
professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance<br />
and w<strong>or</strong>kers compensation insurance. Contact <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong><br />
f<strong>or</strong> m<strong>or</strong>e inf<strong>or</strong>mation.<br />
Get it in writing<br />
Bef<strong>or</strong>e you start any building <strong>or</strong> renovation w<strong>or</strong>k over<br />
$1,000 (including materials) make sure you have a written<br />
contract with your chosen builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson.<br />
The contract is the most imp<strong>or</strong>tant piece of<br />
documentation relating to your building w<strong>or</strong>k. Residential<br />
building w<strong>or</strong>k w<strong>or</strong>th between $1,001 and $5,000 requires<br />
a written ‘small job’ contract with minimum basic<br />
inf<strong>or</strong>mation, while building jobs w<strong>or</strong>th m<strong>or</strong>e than $5,000<br />
must be covered by m<strong>or</strong>e extensive written contracts.<br />
Read the contract carefully bef<strong>or</strong>e you sign it. Don’t sign<br />
the contract if you don’t understand it <strong>or</strong> if you think<br />
something is missing.
If things go wrong<br />
Things don’t always go to plan when you’re building<br />
<strong>or</strong> <strong>renovating</strong>. <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> offers a dispute resolution<br />
process to help you and your builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson<br />
settle any problems between you.<br />
If you have a problem, you should first talk to the<br />
builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson and try to get a resolution.<br />
If this doesn’t w<strong>or</strong>k, you can go into any <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong><br />
Centre and a trained staff member will review your<br />
problem and help you to resolve it.<br />
The <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> staff member may suggest you get<br />
a copy of the Guide to Standards and Tolerances if<br />
your dispute is about the building w<strong>or</strong>k itself. The<br />
Guide will help you understand what standard of<br />
w<strong>or</strong>k is acceptable. F<strong>or</strong> example, it explains how much<br />
shrinkage around timber windows and do<strong>or</strong>s is tolerable<br />
under <strong>NSW</strong> building standards.<br />
In certain circumstances your dispute may be referred<br />
to a building inspect<strong>or</strong>. The inspect<strong>or</strong>’s role is to meet you<br />
and your builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson on site, inspect the items<br />
in dispute and help you to achieve a suitable outcome.<br />
There are other options, such as taking your case to the<br />
Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. <strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong> will<br />
help to guide you towards a solution.<br />
Points to remember<br />
While you are at the stage of thinking about doing<br />
building <strong>or</strong> renovation w<strong>or</strong>k, remember ALICE:<br />
A<br />
L<br />
I<br />
C<br />
E<br />
Most building w<strong>or</strong>k needs various approvals<br />
bef<strong>or</strong>e you can begin.<br />
You should only deal with a licensed builder<br />
<strong>or</strong> tradesperson once you have verified their<br />
licence details.<br />
Builders and tradespeople should have various<br />
insurance policies arranged, in particular home<br />
warranty insurance, bef<strong>or</strong>e w<strong>or</strong>k on your home<br />
can begin.<br />
Make sure you have a written contract with<br />
your chosen builder <strong>or</strong> tradesperson when the<br />
cost of the w<strong>or</strong>k (including materials) is m<strong>or</strong>e<br />
than $1,000.<br />
Make further enquiries about your building and<br />
<strong>renovating</strong> rights and responsibilities with <strong>NSW</strong><br />
<strong>Fair</strong> <strong>Trading</strong>.