Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) Certificate of Insurance — NSW / Domestic Building Insurance Certificate — VIC / Home Indemnity Insurance Certificate — WA / QBCC Home Warranty Insurance

Issuing authority

NSW: icare (managed by icare, regulated by SIRA) | VIC: Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC, formerly VMIA) | WA: MBA Insurance Services / approved insurers (regulated by Building and Energy WA) | QLD: QBCC-approved insurer

Official source

How to apply

1. Confirm the contract value exceeds your state threshold: $20,000 (incl. GST) in NSW, WA and QLD; $16,000 in VIC (rising to $20,000 from 1 July 2026).
2. NSW: Apply through an icare-approved HBCF broker for a Certificate of Eligibility, which sets your overall project limit — submit financial statements, personal assets statement and builder profile via the HBCF Portal at portal.hbcf.nsw.gov.au.
3. NSW: Once eligibility is confirmed, apply for a project-specific Certificate of Insurance through the HBCF Portal or your broker before signing the contract or taking any payment.
4. VIC: Apply to the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) via dbi.vmia.vic.gov.au; BPC is the sole mandatory insurer from 1 July 2025 — obtain a certificate of currency for the specific project.
5. WA: Contact an approved insurer such as MBA Insurance Services (mbais.com.au) or QBE before accepting any payment or obtaining a building licence from the local government.
6. QLD: Obtain a QBCC-compliant Home Warranty Insurance policy from an approved insurer before contract execution.
7. Provide the insurance certificate to the homeowner (and developer where applicable) before any payment is made or work commences.
8. Keep a copy on file — the certificate must accompany the written building contract by law.
9. NSW homeowners can verify HBCF cover via the HBC Check tool at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/home/HBCF.

Related topics

Related forms

• Building Permit Application (Multi-state: VIC Form 1 / WA BA1 & BA2 / QLD Building Approval / NSW Development Application)VIC: Form 1 (Application for a Building Permit); NSW: DA form via NSW Planning Portal; QLD: No fixed form number — lodged with private certifier or council; WA: BA1 (certified) / BA2 (uncertified)
• Occupancy Permit / Occupation Certificate (Multi-state: VIC Form 15/16 / NSW OC / QLD Form 11)VIC: Form 15 (Application for Occupancy Permit) + Form 16 (Occupancy Permit); NSW: Occupation Certificate (no fixed form number — lodged via NSW Planning Portal); QLD: Form 11 (Certificate/Interim Certificate of Occupancy, replacing certificate of classification from October 2020)
• Owner-Builder Permit / Licence — QLD, WA, SA, ACT and NTQLD: Owner-Builder Permit Application Form (form-ob-permit-application.pdf); WA: Form 75 (Approval — Owner-builder, updated; old version invalid from 1 June 2026); SA: CBS Online Form (via cbs.sa.gov.au/online-forms); ACT: Application for Construction Occupation Licence — Individual Owner Builder (forms.act.gov.au form code 1166); NT: Owner Builder Application Form (bpb.nt.gov.au)
• Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) — NSW
• Wet Area Waterproofing Compliance Certificate — VIC (Plumbing Compliance Certificate via VBA360) / NSW (Waterproofing Certificate) / QLD (Form 43 Aspect Certificate)VIC: Plumbing Compliance Certificate (VBA360); QLD: Form 43 Aspect Certificate; NSW: no standardised form number