On 1 July 2019, the way in which the building permit levy is paid to the VBA will change.

Applicants of a building permit, or person acting on behalf of the applicant, will need to pay the VBA directly for the building permit levy calculated.

Currently the Building Surveyor is required to collect the levy and remit monthly levy payments to the VBA.

Payment of Building Permit Levy
  • The VBA will collect the building permit levy.
  • The applicant for a building permit, or person acting on behalf of the applicant, must pay to the VBA the amount of building permit levy calculated before the building permit is issued.
Cost of Building Work

The building levy is calculated at 0.128% of the total construction cost including GST.

The building permit application submitted to the building surveyor must  specify the contract price for the building work (including the cost of labour and materials), if there is a contract for the building work; or in any other case, include sufficient information to enable the relevant building surveyor to estimate the cost of the building work.

Obtaining Building Permit Numbers

In conjunction with the new payment process, Building Surveyors will also be required to obtain a building permit number from the VBA, rather than the registered building surveyor using their internal company systems to issue.

Building Activity Management System (BAMS)

To assist in the new process of receiving a building permit number and payment of the building permit levy, a new online system, called Building Activity Management System (BAMS) will be developed.

The relevant building surveyor must apply to the VBA through BAMS for a building permit number for a proposed building permit.

The building surveyor must provide:

  • All information required by the VBA for a building permit number application;
  • The cost of the proposed building work estimated; and
  • An estimate of the amount of building permit levy payable.
Payment of Building Permit Levy

The applicant for a building permit, or person acting on their behalf, must pay the VBA the amount of building permit levy calculated before a building permit is issued.

BAMS will send an email to the nominated person directing them to make payment through a secure payment gateway. Payment can be made via BPAY or credit card. Cheques will not be accepted.

A building permit number will only be issued by the VBA (via BAMS) to the relevant building surveyor after the levy payment has been received by the VBA from the nominated payer.

The VBA will issue a building permit number within five business days. The VBA will then notify the relevant council of the building permit number.

Paying the levy promptly by the applicant (or nominated person) will ensure there is no unnecessary delay in the VBA issuing a building permit number and in turn, no unnecessary delay in the Building Surveyor issuing a building permit.

Relevant Building Surveyor must refuse permit in certain circumstances

The relevant building surveyor must refuse an application for a building permit if ;

  • the contract price for the building work specified in the application is believed to be substantially lower than the price normally payable under contracts for building work of that kind; or
  • the application does not include sufficient information to enable the relevant building surveyor to estimate the cost of building work; or
  • the application contains a statement about the cost of the building work that is false or misleading.