137BOwner Builder
Inspection Melbourneby National Building Inspections

Section 137B guides

Plain-English answers for sellers, agents, conveyancers and solicitors. Start from where the sale is up to.

Renovated living room with a bay window, sofa and stone fireplace, styled for sale
A renovated Melbourne home prepared for sale.

  1. Getting ready to sell

    Renovations, permits, trades and insurance: work out what applies before the campaign.

    Owner-Builder Insurance When Selling in Victoria: Where to BuyWhere owner-builders buy the insurance needed to sell (BuildVic and the BPC-approved distributors), and why the insurer asks for the defects report first.For sellers, conveyancers, agents 5 min readSection 137B Report vs Domestic Building Insurance: What’s the Difference?The defects report records defects; DBI and Home Warranty cover eligible losses. Why neither replaces the other, and what changed on 1 July 2026.For sellers, conveyancers 8 min readRenovations Done by Licensed Trades: Is a 137B Report Still Required?Licensed trades do not settle the owner-builder question. What matters is who contracted for, managed and took responsibility for the work.For sellers, agents 8 min readOwner-Builder Work Without Permits or Certificates: What Can Be Done?Missing permits or final inspection certificates? Work out what is actually missing, who can resolve it, and what a 137B report can and cannot do.For sellers, conveyancers 11 min readDo I Need a Section 137B Report for Renovations Without a Building Permit?Why a missing building permit does not, by itself, answer the Section 137B question, and what your conveyancer should check.For sellers 8 min read

  2. Auction or signing is close

    The report may be missing and the date is fixed. What to check first.

    Urgent Section 137B Inspection Before Auction or Settlement in VictoriaAuction or settlement close and the 137B report missing? What agents and conveyancers should check first, and how to request an urgent inspection.For agents, conveyancers, sellers 10 min read

  3. Contract already signed

    The report turns up missing after signing. What buyers and conveyancers should do.

    Missing Section 137B Report After Signing a Contract in Victoria: What Can Buyers and Conveyancers Do?Discovered after signing that a Section 137B report was missing? What buyers and conveyancers should check before settlement.For buyers, conveyancers 10 min read

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