Very often people see the necessity of getting such things as a building permit as
a nuisance and just another way for the government to interfere with what we want to do. However, there are benefits to getting such a document that will spring to mind if you really start to think about it; benefits to both the owner and the builder.
For a start, this kind of permit actually protects the owner of the house that is getting built. It ensures that those doing the work are properly trained and registered as builders and that they carry the necessary insurance. Applying for a permit means that all the necessary documentation will be put into place. This means that independent reviews and assessments of the building will be carried out at various stages and if anything is sub-standard then it will have to be fixed before the go-ahead for the next stage can be given.
Once the work is completed the permit enables a final inspection to ensure that the building is safe for human occupation. No one should hire any builder if they cannot get the right documentation as it could mean that they are not registered builders. So permits protect the owner of the building, but they also protect the builders as once the inspection is done and the work passed he cannot be made liable for any problems later on.
However, building permits are not always needed for building work. If renovations or extensions under a certain dollar value or less than a certain size are planned, then such documentation is not needed. For instance, a garden shed with a floor of less than 10 square metres can be built without any permit. If you simply want to replace rotting weatherboards then it is highly unlikely that you will need any kind of documentation.
Not every state has quite the same requirements as regards building regulations. For more information about the building permits Melbourne builders need you should get in touch with the local council or a building surveyor. Information can also be accessed online.
If such rules and regulation were not in place you could easily imagine what a higgledy piggledy mass of odd dwellings any town or city would end up being as everyone simply built what they could afford or to any standard. Such buildings would not be safe and many would not even be comfortable.