What Is Domestic Building Insurance?

Domestic Building Insurance in Victoria

Domestic building insurance (DBI) — sometimes called builder's warranty insurance — is a mandatory requirement in Victoria for domestic building work valued at more than $16,000 (including labour and materials). The builder must obtain DBI before commencing work, and it protects the homeowner if the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent before completing the work or rectifying defects.

What DBI Covers

• •Non-completion of building work due to the builder's death, disappearance, or insolvency
• •Defective work (structural) for up to 10 years from the date of the building permit
• •Defective work (non-structural) for up to 6 years from the date of the building permit
• •Loss of deposit if the builder fails to commence work

DBI and Insurance Repairs

If your insurance repair project exceeds $16,000 and involves domestic building work in Victoria, the appointed builder must hold DBI. This is a non-negotiable legal requirement under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 and the Building Act 1993.

Compliance note: Oxide Construct holds current domestic building insurance for all qualifying projects. Your insurer's appointed builder should always be able to provide evidence of DBI coverage before work commences.

How Oxide Handles This

At Oxide Construct, our technology-driven approach to insurance repair means domestic building insurance is handled transparently. Track your claim in real-time through our platform, with a dedicated assessor as your single point of contact throughout the process.

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