Owner Builder NSW Course - by Correspondence

courses

Enrol and get a Free Guide to "Standards & Tolerances 2007"


Standards & Tolerances 2007

You will be posted for FREE, a copy of this Guide when you enrol in one of these Courses.
This helpful 56 page 'Guide to Standards and Tolerances' can be used as an acceptable and authorised reference to independently determine the minimum quality of building work or workmanship that is to be, or has been, carried out.



Page navigation

Do it anytime anywhere, as fast or as slow as you need

Related pages

"The correspondence method is excellent, it allowed me to study at my own pace. The most exciting part is that it is in "plain English" and is easy to read and understand."

10th April 2006

Course overview & recommendations

If you are planning to build as an Owner Builder in NSW and ACT, it is mandatory to obtain an Owner Builder Permit from your State's regulating office, if the work's value is $5,000 and over. If the work is less than $12,000 you may not need to attend an approved Owner Builder course.

For example in NSW, if you wish to obtain an Owner Builder Permit, you must be the owner of the land or a joint owner as per details on the Title Deed of where you are planning to build. Moreover, if you are planning to undertake a project where the cost will be over $12,000 (including labour and materials), you will be required to complete an Owner Builder Course approved by the NSW Office of Fair Trading, such as this Correspondence Course. Some Councils require Owner Builders to these courses if project cost is $5,000 or over. Therefore always check your local council requirements prior initiating any building works.

As from 29th April 2005, it is an offence with a maximum penalty of $22,000 for each offence for the holder of an Owner Builder Permit to:

  1. Knowingly engage with an unlicensed contractor
  2. Lend your Permit to another person
  3. Refuse to disclose the names and addresses of contractors working on-site

The Building Centre recommends to any home owner, who is planning to build as an Owner Builder or to have a builder build their new home, extension or renovation, to enrol into one of the Owner Builder Courses we offer, such as this one. It is essential to learn as much as possible while planning and designing your project, as well as before selecting and contracting with a builder or contractors.

You cannot become a licensed builder with a day's tuition as it takes many years of study and experience to obtain necessary skills and knowledge to get a building licence. However, to obtain an Owner Builder Permit the same degree of commitment is not required. Still, it is in your interest to learn as much as you can. Completing this course will give you the general overview of your obligations and responsibilities as an Owner Builder.

This Owner Builder NSW Correspondence Course has been structured to help provide you with sufficient information to meet the study requirements of the NSW Office of Fair Trading, in order to obtain an Owner Builder Permit from them, relating to the proposed home building work on your land.

The Building Centre can help you organise Owner Builder Construction and Public Liability Insurance. If you sell within 6 years of completion, we can help you co-ordinate the needs of the compulsory OB Home Owners Warranty Insurance. Whether you attend one of these courses or not. See our Insurance information for Owner Builders on our website for more details.

There are two ways you can obtain this Owner Builder Correspondence course, either in "hard copy" (60+ pages) posted to you by Registered Post, or in "PDF format" (approx. size 1.0Mb), which can be downloaded from our website once payment is received. You will need Adobe Reader in order to view downloaded PDF files.

There is no specified time frame for you to read through the course manual and return the completed Knowledge Test. However, please bear in mind that a Statement of Attainment, also known as a Course Attendance Certificate, is usually valid for 2 years after being issued.

to the top

Advantages of the Correspondence course

  • Doing the course in the convenience of your own home or workplace
  • Choosing the time that most suits you
  • Work at you own pace, taking as long as required to complete
  • Ideal for Owner Builders who live in rural NSW
  • Very cost effective
to the top

Course Costs & Bookings

All prices include GST.

Owner Builder Training Information Course
ELECTRONIC VERSION HARD COPY VERSION
PDF files available immediately for download (approx. 1.0Mb size) 60+ page Manual sent by Registered Post
$130.00 $160.00
or
or
Call 1300 884 876
or
or
Call 1300 884 876

Payment methods accepted: PayPal accepted VISA accepted MasterCard accepted American Express accepted Electronic Funds Transfer accepted Cheques and Money Orders accepted

Once you go through the course manual, you will be required to complete the supplied simple Knowledge Test (with Electronic Version you'll have to print it out) and fax it back to the Owner Builder Training Information Centre.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to view Courses Booking Form or Course Manual, which are in PDF format, you are required to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Click on the icon to download Adobe Reader for free.

 

Your booking will only be accepted on completion of payment. Once we receive and process your booking, the course manual will be send out to you by Registered Post.

In case you choose electronic version, after the successful payment, you'll be re-directed to Downloads page where you will be able to download course manual and other documents. You will also receive an email with course manual download links. Please note, you will have 48 hours to download course files after which the links will expire..

After you studied the course manual you'll have to complete supplied Knowledge Test (with Electronic Version you'll have to print it out), which tests your level of knowledge of the course, and fax it back to the Owner Builder Training Information Centre.

Your Knowledge Test answers will then be checked and if your score will be less than 80% correct answers, you will be required to re-submit them. If you score over 80% correct answers, a Statement of Attainment will be issued and sent out to you by Registered Post, which then you can take to any NSW Office of Fair Trading to apply for an Owner Builder Permit. Apart from the Statement of Attainment, the NSW Office of Fair Trading would also require you to provide:

  • Proof of being over 18 years old
  • Certificate of Title or Rates Notice, showing that you own the land at the specified address or have a prescribed interest in it
  • Proof that you do, or intend to live in the completed house
  • A description with drawings of the proposed work at the specified address
  • Development Certificate Number provided by your local council
  • Owner Builder Permit application and application lodgment fee
to the top

Course outline & learning outcomes

Owner Builder course outline

The following information is covered in this course:
(Click Title to Open or Close)

Getting Started

Owner Building

The Approval Process (Residential)

Certification (Public & Private sectors)

Administration (Paper work & Planning)

Contracts- Vital to get them right

Insurance- Important to get them right

Termites

When things go wrong

Glossary & building terminology

Illustration of typical Construction Details


Please call us Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm (AEST) on (02) 8303 0545 to enquire about this course.

to the top

Course Feedback (Correspondence)

"Very well presented. Value for money"
M. Tran, February 2007

"The Correspondence method is excellent, it allowed me to study at my own pace. The most exciting part is that it is in 'Plain English' and is easy to read and understand."
April 2006

"This Owner Builder Course is so well documented, it's worth every penny spent."
December 2005

to the top

Useful links for Owner Builders

Owner Builder - Do It Yourself and Save

The Building Centre's information source for Owner Builders in NSW

External information sources for Owner Builders in NSW

State-specific external information sources for Owner Builders

Remember, The Building Centre has a range of fee-based services to guide and help you. There is no substitute for experienced an independent advice. Call us on (02) 8303 0545 Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm (AEST), to enquire about such services or to make a booking for an on-site inspection and advice.

to the top
HomeContact UsLegalPrivacy PolicyMission StatementSitemap