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 about Passive House Institute (PHI or PHIUS) certified builds delivered to hand-over - very small pool of certified Melbourne homes
• Ask about embodied-carbon accounting method - LCA (life-cycle assessment) tools like eTool are increasingly used
• Ask their all-electric spec (heat-pump hot water, heat-pump reverse-cycle A/C, induction cooktop, no gas connection)
• Ask their honest position on "renovate vs rebuild" - the most sustainable builders will often say deep-retrofit an existing home has lower total embodied carbon than new-build
• 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

Passive House vs 7-star NatHERS - what actually changes

NatHERS 7 stars is a Victorian minimum and mostly measures heating and cooling load. Passive House (Passivhaus, PHI standard) is a stricter international certification measuring air-tightness (0.6 air changes per hour at 50Pa), heating load (≤15 kWh/m²/year), overheating hours (<10%/year), and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Passive House homes typically deliver 8-10 NatHERS stars as a by-product. The cost premium is largely construction quality control - not exotic materials.

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