Who applies for the building permit on a roof job?

Usually the builder or roofer arranges it through a building surveyor, but the owner can apply too. Whoever applies, the permit should be issued before work starts. Ask the roofer to show you the permit or its number, and keep a copy with your records.

What happens if roof work was done without a permit?

Unpermitted work can cause problems when you sell, make an insurance claim or deal with the council. A building surveyor may be able to assess the work after the event, which can involve opening parts of the roof. It is cheaper to settle the permit question before the job starts.

Do I need a permit to put solar panels on a new roof?

Solar rules are separate from the roof itself. If you plan panels after a re-roof, tell the roofer so they can allow for the mounting and flashings, and check the solar installer's own approval requirements with your council or surveyor.

Does a roof plumber need a contract for a gutter job?

A job that is only plumbing is on Consumer Affairs Victoria's exemption list, so a major domestic building contract may not be required. A written quote that sets out the scope, price and timing is still sensible, and the compliance certificate requirement applies regardless of the contract rules.

Can I lose Home Warranty cover by hiring the wrong person?

Yes. The regulator says Home Warranty does not protect owners who use an unregistered builder for work that needed a registered builder. Check the builder's registration on the BPC register before you sign, and confirm the cover is arranged.

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Victoria?

A like-for-like roof repair or replacement usually needs no building permit in Victoria, but changing the roof material, for example from concrete tiles to Colorbond, does. Separately, metal roofing, flashings and gutter work above a set value needs a plumbing compliance certificate, and larger jobs may need a written major domestic building contract and Home Warranty cover. Your council’s building department or a private building surveyor can confirm your own case before work starts.

Four separate pieces of paperwork can apply to a roof job, and each has its own trigger. This guide takes them one at a time. Arranging them is the job of the independent roofer or builder you hire; this site only passes your enquiry to local businesses, as explained on the about page.

Which roof jobs need a building permit?

Building permits come from the Building Act 1993 and the Building Regulations 2018. The clearest plain-English summary we found from a Victorian council is Monash City Council’s roofing renovation page. The rules are state-wide, so the same tests apply in Traralgon. In short:

Roof job	Building permit?
Replacing broken tiles with tiles, even of a different colour, make or size	No, counts as a repair
Replacing tiles with tiles on a like-for-like basis across the roof	No, falls under the repair exemption
Replacing corrugated iron with Colorbond or other pre-finished sheet	No, treated as like-for-like
Replacing tiles with Colorbond or other metal sheet	Yes, change of material
Replacing corrugated iron with concrete or terracotta tiles	Yes, change of material
Structural change, such as new rafters, a new roof shape or extra load	Ask a building surveyor

The tile to metal switch is the one that catches people out. Heavy concrete tiles come off and lighter steel sheet goes on, so the permit brings a building surveyor into the job to check the new roof against the building rules. If you are planning that change, the metal re-roofing service page explains how the job runs.

Who to ask locally: Latrobe City Council covers Traralgon, Morwell, most of Moe, Churchill and the smaller townships around them. Rosedale sits in Wellington Shire, so owners there deal with that council; the Rosedale area page has more on that town. A private building surveyor can also issue a permit anywhere in Victoria.

Can a roof job need a planning permit as well?

Sometimes. Monash’s page notes that work on a building under a heritage overlay, other than maintenance and repairs, needs a planning permit, and that changing materials or appearance is outside the repair exemption for heritage buildings. Its example of planning permits on lots under 300 square metres comes from Monash’s own planning scheme, so check whether anything similar applies to your lot. You can look up the overlays on your address with the state government’s VicPlan map. If an overlay shows, ask your council’s planning department before ordering materials.

When is a plumbing compliance certificate required?

In Victoria, metal roof coverings, flashings, gutters and downpipes count as roofing (stormwater) plumbing under the Plumbing Regulations 2018. Tile, slate, concrete and timber roof coverings do not.

Part 12A of the Building Act 1993 sets the compliance certificate rules. The BPC’s compliance certificate page says a certificate is needed when the total value of the plumbing work passes a set value. That total includes labour, materials, appliances and GST, and it counts materials even if you or someone else supplied them. So a metal re-roof, a full gutter replacement or a major flashing job will almost always need one.

Points to know:

Certificates come only from licensed plumbers. Someone who is registered but not licensed needs a licensed plumber overseeing the job if a certificate is due.
Two deadlines apply to the plumber: five days to hand you the certificate after completion, and five days to lodge it with the regulator.
The certificate confirms the work meets the plumbing standards. Keep it with the house papers.

When do I need a written building contract?

Consumer Affairs Victoria’s building contract page says domestic building work worth more than a set value needs a written major domestic building contract, and that includes repairs and improvements to an existing home. These contracts are governed by the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. Before you sign one, the builder must give you the Domestic Building Consumer Guide.

There is an exemption list. A job that involves only one trade from the list, such as plumbing, painting or wall and floor tiling, does not need a major domestic building contract. That is why a gutter replacement done only by a roof plumber may sit outside the contract rules, while a tile re-roof that includes carpentry for battens is likely to need one. Roof tiling is not on the exemption list. CAV recommends a written contract for all building work, even below the value.

What is Home Warranty, and does my roof job need it?

From 1 July 2026, the Building and Plumbing Commission runs Home Warranty for eligible domestic building work under contracts signed on or after that date and valued above a set value. It replaced Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) for new work.

	Home Warranty	Domestic Building Insurance
Applies to	Eligible contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026	Contracts signed before 1 July 2026
When you can claim	Not limited to the builder dying, disappearing or going broke	Generally only if the builder died, disappeared or became insolvent
Major defects	Up to 6 years after completion	Under the existing policy terms
Other defects or non-compliant work	Up to 2 years after completion	Under the existing policy terms
Who pays the premium	The registered builder	Set by the existing policy

The registered builder must pay the Home Warranty premium before whichever comes first: 10 business days after signing, or the work starting. If you already hold a DBI certificate from an earlier job, it continues under its own terms and does not move across to Home Warranty, according to the BPC’s DBI and Home Warranty page.

The BPC warns that Home Warranty does not protect owners who use an unregistered builder for work that must be done by a registered builder. On a large tile re-roof, check the builder’s registration before signing. The roofer, tiler or builder guide explains who needs which registration.

How does the paperwork line up on common jobs?

Each line below runs in this order: building permit, compliance certificate, major domestic building contract, Home Warranty.

Replace a few broken tiles: permit no; certificate no, as tiles are not plumbing; major contract unlikely at low value; Home Warranty unlikely.
Re-point ridges on a tile roof: permit no; certificate no; major contract possible on a large roof; Home Warranty possible.
New gutters and downpipes: permit no; certificate yes above the set value; major contract often not if the job is plumbing only; Home Warranty often not.
Corrugated iron to Colorbond re-roof: permit no; certificate yes; major contract possible, depending on whether the job is roof plumbing alone or also includes carpentry such as re-battening; Home Warranty only where the contract is eligible building work.
Concrete tiles to Colorbond re-roof: permit yes; certificate yes; major contract likely; Home Warranty likely, if eligible.

This list is a starting point, not advice for your house. Values, exemptions and eligibility depend on the exact contract.

What should I do before the roofer starts?

Ask whether the job needs a building permit, and if so, who is applying and which surveyor is involved.
Ask who will issue the compliance certificate, and check that person’s licence on the BPC register.
If the job is over the contract value, get a written major domestic building contract and the consumer guide.
For eligible work, ask for proof that Home Warranty is in place.
Keep every document together: quote, contract, permit, certificate, invoices and photos.

The roofing quote checklist turns these steps into tick boxes. When you are ready to get prices, you can ask for a quote that includes the paperwork.

Next step: tell the roofer what paperwork you expect

When you enquire, say whether the roof material is staying the same or changing, the suburb and council area, and whether you know of any heritage overlay. Mention whether you want the roofer to handle the building permit and confirm who will lodge the compliance certificate. With that in the brief, the roofer can price the whole job, approvals included. Send a re-roofing enquiry with your permit questions.

Send a job enquiry