The vetting checklist that applies to every Melbourne specialist

BuildPilot does not yet match Melbourne builders. Until we do, this is the vetting method we would use ourselves. The first five checks below are specialist-specific; the rest are the core VBA + VMIA + ASIC checks that apply to every domestic builder working in Victoria.

• Ask for their full trade roster (framing, cabinetry, tiler, painter) - luxury builds are only as good as the specific trades assigned
• Ask how many heritage-overlay projects they have delivered to Occupancy Permit in the last 5 years (relevant for Boroondara, Stonnington, Port Phillip, Yarra, Bayside sites)
• Ask their prime-cost allowance policy and typical PC variance history - luxury PC allowances are large and PC variance is the top cost-blowout cause
• Ask about specialist trades in-house vs subcontracted - joinery, stonework, curved plaster - specialist trades on the payroll deliver more consistent finish quality
• Verify current VBA registration and category on the public register at vba.vic.gov.au/practitioners/register
• Verify no active or recent disciplinary decisions on the VBA disciplinary decisions list
• Confirm Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) will be issued in the builder's name for your contract price under VMIA (all residential work over $16,000)
• Search the ABN on abr.business.gov.au - name, GST status, date of registration
• Confirm the entity is not under external administration on the ASIC register

The small-book governance test

Luxury builders keep small books deliberately. That is a feature, not a bug. But a builder with only 2-3 concurrent projects is exposed to any single client's payment delay. Ask what happens to your build if another concurrent client stops paying. A well-run luxury operator carries a working-capital buffer that decouples projects from each other. A less-well-run one does not - and your slab pour slips 6 weeks when someone else's cheque bounces.

The four red flags that end the conversation

These four signals correlate strongly with builders who have failed or entered administration in Victoria in the last three years. Any of them = walk away.

• Requested deposit exceeds 10% of contract value (Victorian DBC Act caps deposits at 5%)
• Vague or evasive answer on DBI eligibility for your specific contract price
• Refusal to name the Registered Building Surveyor or to let you speak to them independently
• Aggressive time-limited discount contingent on paying deposit before you have read the contract