Owner-builders who do not hold their own building licence generally cannot obtain Building Indemnity Insurance directly. If the value of the work exceeds $12,000, it is the responsibility of the licensed contractor completing the work to arrange Building Indemnity Insurance. This helps protect the owner-builder against potential non-completion or major defects caused by the contractor. 

If you are an owner-builder who holds a valid building licence and are building on land that is owned in the same name or entity as the licence, you may be eligible to apply for Building Indemnity Insurance in your own right. In this case, you will need to go through the full eligibility application process, similar to any other licensed builder. 

If the land is held under a different name than your building licence, you will not be treated as an owner-builder for insurance purposes and will instead be required to provide a Building Indemnity Certificate before work begins. 

If you do not hold a building licence, you must rely on your licensed subcontractors to obtain Building Indemnity Insurance for the work they carry out. Subcontractors working under a registered builder do not need to arrange their own cover, as this responsibility sits with the primary builder. 

We understand that this can be a complex situation. Please contact our team for any clarification you may need.