Owner Builder NSW Course - Workshop [1 day]

Enrol and get a Free Guide to "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.

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Every participant benefits from interactive learning process

Course overview & recommendations
Advantages of the Workshop
Course Dates, Costs & Venues
Booking a course
Course outline & learning outcomes
Course Feedback (Workshop)
Useful links for Owner Builders
Courses Booking Form Online (currently under construction)
Download Courses PDF Booking Form

"The knowledge, the know-how and the expertise of the Presenter is shown through the presentation of this course. He explains the technical issues in plain English so everyone can understand."

16th May 2006

Course overview & recommendations

If you are planning to build as an Owner Builder in NSW, it is mandatory to obtain an Owner Builder Permit from The NSW Office of Fair Trading, if the work's value is $5,000 and over. If the work is more than $12,000 you will need to attend an approved Owner Builder course and obtain a Statement of Attainment.

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 Workshop Course. Some Councils require Owner Builders to do the course if the 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:

Knowingly engage with an unlicensed contractor
Lend your Permit to another person
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 Course we offer 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.

Workshop sessions usually are held on Saturdays to be accessible for people who work during the weekdays. Each session is approximately 5 hours long. Light refreshments and lunch are a provided during the Workshop.

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.

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Advantages of the Workshop

Doing the course in a small group of people with similar interests
Interactive learning - asking presenter related questions as they arise
Learning from questions and answers of other participants
Greater variety of Questions and Answers

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Course Dates, Costs & Venues- Sydney

All prices include GST, Course Manual, light lunch and refreshments.

Dates and Venues	Duration	Times	Price	Status
September 20th, 2008 [Sat] Club Rivers	1 day	11:00am-4:00pm	$175.00 per person	Seats Available
October 11th, 2008 [Sat] Penshurst RSL Club	1 day	11:00am-4:00pm	$175.00 per person	Seats Available

Venue Locations

Penshurst RSL Club - view Location Map
58A Penshurst Street
Penshurst NSW 2222

Penshurst RSL is just a short stroll away from Penshurst Railway Station. If you are driving, parking is available at the rear of the club, which is accessible via Connelly Street.

Club Rivers - view Location Map
42 Thurlow Street
Riverwood NSW 2210

Club Rivers is just a short stroll away from Riverwood Railway Station. If you are driving, parking is available at the Commuter Car Park located near the rear of the club and is accessible via Littleton Street.

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Booking a course

This Owner Builder Course 1 Day Workshop can be booked by:

Downloading Courses Booking Form, complete it, and
- faxing it back to (02) 8303 0533 or
- posting it to The Building Centre, Suite 209, 410 Elizabeth st Surry Hills 2010
- scanning and emailing it to courses@buildingcentre.com
Calling us (02) 8303 0545 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (AEST)

Payment methods accepted

PLEASE NOTE: In order to view Courses Booking Form 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, we will mail out an Enrolment Confirmation letter, which will confirm course details - date, times and location. All you have to do is travel to the nominated place where the course will be conducted, on the nominated date, arriving in good time and be present during the whole session. The only thing you may want to bring is a pen and some notepaper. You may also bring your plans, if you have some questions you wish to ask the presenter.

At the end of the Workshop you will have to complete a pretty straight forward Questionnaire, which will indicate your level of understanding of the course. Then you will be issued with your Statement of Attainment, 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

Cancellations and Transfers - initiated by the course provider

The course provider reserves the right to cancel, postpone or re-schedule a course due to low enrolments, illness of presenter(s), or facilitator(s), or due to unforeseen circumstances.
The course provider sets the timeframe within which they may cancel the course, due to less than minimum number of patricipants needed for the course to be viable.
In the event of course cancellation, the course provider will make every effort to contact you. When enrolling, please accurately provide all of your contact details including home and work phone numbers, your mobile number, facsimile number and email address.

Cancellations and Transfers - initiated by the customer

Please choose your course carefully, we cannot be responsible for personal circumstances.

The term cancel is defined as cancellation of a place previously booked in a course, or the need to transfer, where the course provider is advised directly by you by a telephone call, a facsimile, an e-mail or a letter of your request and the circumstances.

If you cancel your enrolment more than seven (7) days before the course commences, we will refund your course fee minus a $30.00 administration fee (non-refundable). This policy also applies to any booking cancelled on the day it was originally made.
If you cancel your enrolment less than seven (7) days before the course commences, but not on the day of the course, we will refund your course fee minus a $50.00 cancellation fee.
If you cancel your enrolment on the day of the course, we reserve the right not to refund your booking fee.
If you transfer to another course date more than seven (7) days before the original course commences, no transfer fee will apply and you will be transferred provided that:
- there are spaces available
- your transfer does not disrupt the class into which you are transferring
- selected course will run within the next three months
If you transfer to another course date less than seven (7) days before the original course commences, you will have to pay $30.00 transfer fee, that will enable you to transfer to another course date provided that:
- there are spaces available
- your transfer does not disrupt the class into which you are transferring
- selected course will run within the next three months
Transfers to alternative course types like correspondence or private tuition, with notice of more than seven (7) days prior to the original course commencement date, can be arranged without penalty. All payments will be adjusted accordingly.
Transfers to alternative course types like correspondence or private tuition, with notice of less than seven (7) days prior to the original course commencement date, will entail a $30.00 transfer fee. All payments will be adjusted accordingly.

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Course outline & learning outcomes

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 9am to 5pm (AEST) on (02) 8303 0545 to enquire about this course.

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Course Feedback (Workshop)

"Peter is excellent and he was able to explain our responsibilities as an Owner Builder."
August 2007

"Peter was able to answer all the questions in plain english, that gave us confidence."
August 2007

"Peter provided lots of useful information to our questions that only someone with his many years of building and teaching experience could condure into this 1 day course"
June 2007

"Information provided was great, questions by the class was all answered and understood clearly. Will recommend Peter to others."
February 2007

"Very informative and reassuring in clarifying some unclear knowledge I had with the new regulations such as the role of PCA"
July 2006

"The knowledge, the know-how and the expertise of the Presenter is shown through the presentation of this course. He explains the technical issues in plain English so everyone can understand."
May 2006

"Peter's expertise is second to none, best presentation that i have attended for a very long time."
May 2006

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Useful links for Owner Builders

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

Planning and Land Authority [Australian Capital Territory]
The NSW Office of Fair Trading [New South Wales]
Building Services Authority [Queensland]
Planning SA [South Australia]
WST Building Standards and Regulation [Tasmania]
Consumer Affairs Victoria [Victoria]
Builder's Registration Board [Western Australia]
Northern Territory Lands Group [Northern Territory]

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 9am to 5pm (AEST), to enquire about such services or to make a booking for an on-site inspection and advice.

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