Victorian Building Authority

What Victorian Building Authority does

The Victorian Building Authority trades as the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) and is a statutory government regulator under the Victorian Government (ABN 78 790 711 883), headquartered at Level 19, 242 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. Established in 2024 to consolidate and replace prior regulatory structures, the BPC licenses and registers builders, plumbers, and building surveyors in Victoria, administers domestic building insurance (now the Home Warranty scheme from 1 July 2026) via the BuildVic portal, resolves domestic building and plumbing disputes, monitors compliance, and enforces practitioner conduct through suspensions and prosecutions.

The BPC operates a platform-plus-portals digital architecture: BPC Online handles building permits and registration (replacing BAMS); BAMS processes permit numbers and levy payments; VBA360 manages compliance certificates, drain inspections, complaints, and owner-builder applications; eToolbox serves plumbing licensing; and BuildVic administers domestic building insurance. Supporting tools include the Practitioner Check public register and an Issue Screening Tool for dispute guidance. A phone contact centre and social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) round out engagement.

The BPC is funded through regulatory fees, practitioner licensing fees, and insurance premiums rather than commercial pricing. It serves all Victorian homeowners, builders, plumbers, building surveyors, and owner-builders under mandatory participation. Revenue and budget figures are not publicly disclosed; the organization is not privately owned, venture-backed, or publicly traded, and reports through the Victorian Government.

Name

Victorian Building Authority

Legal name

Victorian Building Authority, trading as the Building and Plumbing Commission ABN 78 790 711 883

Website

https://vba.vic.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Victorian Building Authority trades as the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), a Victorian Government statutory regulator that licenses builders and plumbers, administers domestic building insurance and the new Home Warranty scheme, resolves disputes, and enforces compliance across Victoria's building and plumbing industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building and Plumbing Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Safety & Building Code Regulators (Inspections) (BPAIAOAG)

Keywords

• Building regulation services
• Plumbing licensing authority
• Domestic building insurance
• Building compliance certification
• Practitioner registration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Victorian Building Authority, trading as the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), is Victoria's state government regulator for the building and plumbing industries. It licenses and registers building and plumbing practitioners, administers building permits and levies, issues plumbing compliance certificates, manages the Home Warranty and Domestic Building Insurance schemes, resolves building and plumbing disputes, and enforces compliance across the state's building and plumbing sectors. These regulatory services are delivered through multiple dedicated online portals (BPC Online, BAMS, VBA360, eToolbox, BuildVic) and a contact centre.

Product overview

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) operates a platform-plus-portals architecture consisting of multiple distinct online systems. BPC Online serves as the primary portal for building permits and registration management (replacing BAMS). VBA360 handles compliance certificates, drain inspections, complaints, and owner-builder applications. eToolbox manages plumbing licensing and registration. BuildVic processes domestic building insurance (DBI) and the new Home Warranty scheme. These systems are complemented by the Practitioner Check database for verifying credentials, an Issue Screening Tool for dispute guidance, and the Dispute Resolution Service for formal complaint handling. The overall portfolio represents an integrated regulatory platform designed to serve homeowners, builders, plumbers, building surveyors, and owner-builders across Victoria's building and plumbing industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BPC Online Online portal where practitioners apply for and manage building permits, apply for and maintain registration, and keep insurance up to date. Replaces BAMS.
• BAMS (Building Application Management System) Building permit number management system where building surveyors apply for BPNs, process levy payments, submit monthly reports on prescribed events, amend BPN records and building permit details, and advise changes to building costs.
• VBA360 Portal for purchasing and managing compliance certificates, creating and amending drain inspection bookings, submitting and tracking building or plumbing complaints, and submitting, managing and tracking owner-builder applications.
• eToolbox Plumbing practitioner portal for applying for a plumbing licence and/or registration, renewing a plumbing licence or registration, updating plumber personal details, and requesting plumber ID cards.
• BuildVic Domestic building insurance portal for purchasing Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) and Home Warranty cover for Major Domestic Building Contracts over $20,000, viewing certificates of insurance, accessing DBI letters of eligibility, and checking current job limits and premium rates.
• Practitioner Check (Find and Check a Practitioner) Public database for checking builder and plumber licence/registration status, conditions, compliance history, and other credentials before hiring.
• Issue Screening Tool Online guidance tool that helps users identify who to contact and the steps to follow to resolve building and plumbing issues and disputes.
• Dispute Resolution Service Service for resolving domestic building disputes and complaints about building or plumbing work, practitioner conduct, and compliance issues.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ACT Building Quality: Australian Capital Territory's building regulator covering building approval, licensing, and compliance. Comparable to the BPC as a sub-national building regulator with the same licensing and compliance mandate, though at smaller scale.
• Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC): Queensland's statutory regulator for the building and construction industry, responsible for licensing, dispute resolution, and insurance administration. It is the closest functional equivalent to the BPC in another Australian state, with comparable mandate scope over builders, plumbers, and trade practitioners.
• Northern Territory Building Practitioners Board: Northern Territory's body for registering and regulating building practitioners, investigating complaints, and enforcing building standards. Operates the same registration and compliance function as the BPC at smaller jurisdictional scale.
• Tasmania Building Standards and Occupational Licensing: Tasmania's regulator for building standards, occupational licensing, and consumer protection in building work. Smaller scale than the BPC but functionally a direct state-level peer covering the same regulatory activities.
• NSW Office of the Building Commissioner: New South Wales's building industry regulator, focused on building profession standards, practitioner conduct, and consumer protection. Directly comparable to the BPC in mandate and structure as another Australian state-level building regulator.
• Consumer and Business Services (CBS), South Australia: South Australia's regulator administering building work contractor licensing, building indemnity insurance, and dispute resolution. Comparable to the BPC because it delivers the same core regulatory functions (licensing, insurance scheme, complaints) at the state level in Australia.
• Building and Energy (DMIRS), Western Australia: Western Australia's building regulator within the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Handles building service practitioner registration, compliance, and inspection — a like-for-like peer to the BPC in another Australian jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Building Performance (MBIE), New Zealand: New Zealand's national building system regulator within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Delivers licensing, code compliance, and consumer protection functions analogous to the BPC but at national scale with broader remit.
• Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore: Singapore's national building and construction regulator covering licensing, building code, and regulatory enforcement. Comparable to the BPC in regulatory function but operates at national scale with a much broader construction-industry portfolio.
• UK Building Safety Regulator (HSE): United Kingdom's national building safety regulator established post-Grenfell. Comparable to the BPC in core mandate (building safety, practitioner competence, enforcement) but operates at national scale and with a broader high-risk building focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BPCVic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bpcvic
• Instagraminstagram.com/bpcvic
• Xx.com/VicBuilding

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victorian Building Authority