Apply for free legal help
Our team of lawyers work to provide free legal information, advice, and referrals to unrepresented homeowners who are in a dispute with their builder at VCAT.
Once you’ve made an application and we’ve checked your eligibility, we will book you into a one-hour clinic appointment with a lawyer.
At your clinic appointment, our lawyers will provide advice in preparation for VCAT, but we don’t provide ongoing legal representation.
Appointments may include:
- Legal advice about your issue at VCAT
- Assistance in preparing documents, including correspondence and forms
- Advice about other options to resolve your issue
- Information about VCAT orders and procedures
If we think you need additional support, we may offer more than one appointment.
Am I eligible?
If you are a homeowner in a dispute with your builder, we may be able to help depending on the stage of your dispute, and what it relates to.
We can assist you if:
- You are a homeowner, and
- You have been through the Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) process, and
- You are going to VCAT to resolve your dispute.
Disputes we can help with include:
- Claims for defective and/or incomplete building works
- Enforcement of a Dispute Resolution Order
We also take into account your financial means and any special circumstances when determining your eligibility.
When you apply for help online, we’ll ask you a few questions to check your eligibility and help match you with the right Justice Connect service.
About the process
DBDRV is an independent Victorian government agency that provides free services to help resolve domestic building disputes between homeowners and builders.
Before a homeowner (or builder) can access the DBDRV’s dispute resolution services, they first have to try to resolve the dispute directly with the other party. The DBDRV website contains some tips on how to resolve a dispute.
If you can’t resolve your dispute directly with the builder, you can approach the DBDRV.
Applications to DBDRV can be made by:
- homeowners
- builders
- sub-contractors
- architects.
To be eligible to access the DBDRV process, the dispute must:
- involve the homeowners.
- not have been to VCAT (either currently or in the past).
- not relate to building work that was completed more than 10 years ago.
- be about domestic building work – that is, construction, renovation, alternation, extension, demolition, improvements or (some) repairs to a home.
Builders are required to take out a domestic building insurance (DBI) insurance policy on behalf of homeowners for all domestic building projects over $16,000.
DBI Policies are issued on behalf of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA).
DBI policies cover loss and damage resulting from building works which have not been completed, or are defective, where the builder has:
- died, disappeared or become insolvent
OR - failed to comply with a Tribunal or Court Order where DBI was issued by VMIA on or after 1 July 2015.
Learn more information about DBI, including how to make a claim.
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) administers and enforces the Building Act 1993 (Vic). The conduct of registered or licensed building and plumbing practitioners is a primary focus of the VBA.
The VBA:
- Registers building practitioners
- Registers and licenses plumbing practitioners
- Investigates the conduct of registered building practitioners, and registered and licensd plumbing practitioners
- Investigates breaches and offences of building legislation
- Undertakes inspections, investigations and audits to ensure builders and plumbers comply with their obligations.
There are several matters outside the jurisdiction of the VBA.
The VBA cannot:
- Resolve disputes
- Award financial compensation.
- Direct a building practitioner to provide financial compensation.
Sometimes, none of the above organisations will have the power to help you with your dispute. In these situations, you may have to contact other organisations for assistance to resolve your dispute.
For example:
- If there is a significant issue on the building site requiring immediate attention, contact your local council. The council’s Municipal Building Surveyor has the power to issue an emergency order.
- For issues with contracts, contact Consumer Affairs Victoria.
- If you have a fencing or boundary dispute, contact Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.
- For criminal matters such as fraud, violence or trespass, contact Victoria Police.
- For environmental matters such as noise, pollution and debris, contact the Environmental Protection Authority.
How we can help homeowners in a building dispute
Information
Clear, easy-to-understand explanations about the law and your legal rights and options.
Advice
Personalised guidance on what the law means for you and what steps you can take.
Referrals
Connecting you to pro bono lawyers in our network to provide ongoing help for free.
Free self-help tools for homeowners in building disputes
Ask a lawyer a question
If you have a specific, non-urgent legal question about your building dispute, you can ask a lawyer for free using Justice Connect Answers.
10 mins
Online legal clinic
Free self-help resources for homeowners in building disputes
Where else to get help
Select your state to find other places to get legal support near you.
