Home renovations in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo
Dwellix renovates homes in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo: complete home renovations, kitchens, bathrooms and ensuites, laundries, internal alterations and property refurbishments. We are a Victorian domestic builder registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), CDB-U 102264. Here is what we do, where, and what Victorian law requires of your builder.
Key facts
- Registered builder: needed for domestic building work worth more than $10,000, other than single-trade jobs. (BPC)
- Home Warranty: applies to eligible work valued at more than $20,000 under contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026, subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions. (BPC)
- Building permits: needed for all building work unless the Building Regulations 2018 exempt it. (BPC)
- Asbestos: homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos. (Victorian Asbestos Hub)
Sources: Building and Plumbing Commission, engaging a builder, Home Warranty and when a building permit is required; Victorian Asbestos Hub, finding and identifying asbestos. Checked 20 October 2026.
Our renovation services
- Complete home renovations. We renovate most or all of your home as one project.
- Kitchen renovations. We renew kitchens in place, or open them to your living area.
- Bathroom and ensuite renovations. We renovate bathrooms and ensuites, from a refresh to a full rebuild.
- Laundry renovations. We renovate stand-alone laundries and combined bathroom-laundries.
- Internal alterations. We make structural alterations to the walls, floors and other elements that support your home, and remove or move walls so your rooms work together.
- Property refurbishments. We refresh a home or investment property as one coordinated project, with plastering, painting, flooring and fixtures planned and supervised together.
- Investment property improvements. We renovate homes you rent out.
- Renovations combined with granny flat construction. We renovate your house and build a granny flat on your block.
- Restumping. Restumping and reblocking in Melbourne, with local guides for Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong.
- Structural rectification. Fixing structural and subfloor problems in existing homes, with suitably qualified engineers where required. See also floor levelling and subfloor repairs.
Where we work
We take on projects across Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. Send us your address and we’ll confirm whether we can take on your project. Each area page has local planning and building notes.
What does Victorian law require of a renovation builder?
Registration
Domestic building work worth more than $10,000 needs a builder or building company registered with the BPC, unless it involves only one type of work, such as painting. The BPC advises checking a builder’s registration, status and conditions on its public register before you sign.
Contract and deposit
Most domestic building work worth more than $10,000 needs a written major domestic building contract. Rules on deposits and cooling-off apply to domestic building contracts. Ask us, or see Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Home Warranty
For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026, BPC Home Warranty applies to eligible domestic building work valued at more than $20,000, subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions.
Licensed trades
Plumbing is done by licensed plumbers, who alone can issue plumbing compliance certificates. Electrical work must be done by workers licensed by Energy Safe Victoria.
Sources: BPC, engaging a builder, Home Warranty and plumbing compliance certificates; Consumer Affairs Victoria, what work requires a building contract, taking payments for building and implied warranties on home building work; Energy Safe Victoria; Victorian Government, clearer and fairer domestic building contracts; Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995; Building Act 1993. Checked 20 October 2026.
Do you need a building permit to renovate?
It depends on the work. All building work needs a building permit unless the Building Regulations 2018 exempt it, and the owner must make sure a permit is in force. Removing a load-bearing wall needs a building permit and a registered builder.
A non-structural kitchen, bathroom or laundry renovation may not need a building permit if it meets every exemption condition and your building surveyor confirms. Alterations usually finish with a certificate of final inspection. See building permits for renovations.
If your project needs a building permit, we handle the permit process for you. You formally appoint the building surveyor, and we can recommend one and manage everything with them. Where structural design is needed, we coordinate a suitably qualified external engineer. Engineering scope, costs and responsibilities are confirmed for each project.
Sources: BPC, when a building permit is required and at the end of your building project; Building Act 1993; Building Regulations 2018; Consumer Affairs Victoria, about builders, tradespeople and other building practitioners. Checked 20 October 2026.
Could your home contain asbestos?
Homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos, in places such as walls, splashbacks, vinyl flooring and eaves. We engage licensed asbestos removalists where required.
Sources: WorkSafe Victoria; Victorian Asbestos Hub. Checked 20 October 2026.
What if your home is in a Heritage Overlay?
You may need a planning permit, even for work that is exempt from a building permit. It is generally required for demolition, external alterations and works that change your home’s appearance. Internal alterations generally need one only where the overlay schedule applies internal alteration controls.
Sources: Victoria Planning Provisions, clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay; Victorian Government, local heritage protection. Checked 8 October 2026.
What are the rules for renovating an apartment or unit?
Tell your owners corporation and check its rules before you renovate an apartment.
Sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria, renovating individual lots and improving common property. Checked 8 October 2026.
How a Dwellix renovation runs
- Initial enquiry and consultation.
- Site inspection and assessment.
- Detailed scope preparation.
- Quotation and client approval.
- Contracts, approvals and permits where required. We set out work worth more than $10,000 in a written major domestic building contract.
- Trade scheduling and procurement.
- Construction and project supervision. Licensed plumbers and electricians do the regulated work and issue their certificates.
- Relevant inspections and quality checks.
- Practical completion and handover. You receive the keys, the compliance certificates for any plumbing and electrical work, the certificate of final inspection where the work has a building permit, and the manufacturer warranties and manuals for what we install.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need a registered builder for a renovation in Victoria?
When the domestic building work is worth more than $10,000, unless it involves only one type of work, such as painting. Work that needs a building permit, such as restumping or reblocking, needs a registered builder whatever it costs. Check the builder on the BPC’s public register before you sign.
Source: Consumer Affairs Victoria, about builders, tradespeople and other building practitioners. Checked 20 October 2026.
What insurance should a renovation builder have in Victoria?
For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026, Home Warranty applies to eligible domestic building work valued at more than $20,000. Cover is subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions.
Can I renovate my house and build a granny flat at the same time?
Yes. Renovations combined with granny flat construction is one of our services, planned and built as one coordinated project. A small second dwelling (up to 80m² since Amendment VC306) needs a building permit in every case, and your renovation may need its own. See renovating and building a granny flat.
Related
Official sources
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Engaging a builder; Domestic Building Insurance and Home Warranty; When is a building permit required?; At the end of your building project; Plumbing compliance certificates; Small second dwelling.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: About builders, tradespeople and other building practitioners; What work requires a building contract?; Taking payments for building; Implied warranties on home building work; Maintaining and renovating individual lots in an owners corporation; Maintaining and improving common property in an owners corporation.
- Energy Safe Victoria: Certificates of Electrical Safety for the community.
- Asbestos: WorkSafe Victoria, Asbestos; Victorian Asbestos Hub, Finding and identifying asbestos.
- Legislation: Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995; Building Act 1993; Building Regulations 2018.
- Planning: Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay; Victorian Government, Local heritage protection.
- Victorian Government: Clearer and fairer domestic building contracts.
Talk to us about your renovation
Enquire about your renovation. Prefer email? Write to sales@dwellix.com.au.
General information only, checked 8 October 2026. Rules change; confirm requirements for your property with your building surveyor or council.