Building and renovating: deposits, registration and payments
For building work in Victoria the deposit cannot be more than 10 per cent under $20,000 or 5 per cent at $20,000 or more. Pay for completed stages, not in advance.
Licence and registration
In Victoria, builders must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission for building work over $10,000. Check the register before you sign.
Source: Consumer Affairs Victoria, checked 11 November 2026. Rules shown are for Victoria. See the rules for your state >
If you are hiring a building and renovating job
The questions homeowners ask most, and where to find the answer.
- How much deposit can a builder ask for?
- How do I check a builder is registered?
- How do I compare three building quotes?
- How much deposit can a builder ask for in Victoria?In Victoria a building deposit cannot be more than 10 per cent under $20,000 or 5 per cent at $20,000 or more. What to pay, when, and what to check first.Hiring5 min
- How to compare three tradie quotesGet at least three written quotes for the same job, then compare scope, materials, payments and insurance. A simple checklist for homeowners.Compare5 min
- Red flags in a tradie quoteSeven warning signs in a tradie's quote, from missing business details to big deposits and unwritten changes, based on Consumer Affairs Victoria advice.Hiring4 min
- How to check a tradie's licence in VictoriaWhich trades need a licence or registration in Victoria, which do not, and how to check before you hire. Builders, electricians, plumbers, painters and tilers.Hiring5 min
If you work in the trade
Quoting, following up and being easy to trust, written for tradies.
- What homeowners check before they hire you
- How to write a quote that wins the job
- How to write a quote that wins the jobWhat goes on a tradie quote so homeowners say yes: scope, inclusions, exclusions, payments and licences, written the way regulators tell customers to check.For tradies6 min
- How to follow up a quote without chasingA simple follow up routine for tradies, with message templates in plain Australian English. Stay in front of the customer without being pushy.For tradies5 min
- How to get more Google reviews for your trade businessGoogle says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. A simple way for tradies to ask for reviews, and how to reply to every one.For tradies5 min
- Does a tradie need a website?When a Facebook page and a Google profile are enough, when a website pays off, and what a tradie website needs. An honest answer, with a disclosure.For tradies6 min
The editor runs a web design business for trades. Work with Edris > This is separate from the guides.