Owner-builder work, as defined under the Building Act 1993 (Vic), is domestic building work carried out on a property where the owner acts as the builder, taking responsibility for the construction or managing trades, rather than engaging a registered builder under a major domestic building contract. This typically includes new dwellings, extensions, renovations, alterations and structural improvements regards of cost of works. It also applies to work valued at more than $16,000, where an Owner-Builder Certificate of Consent was required from the VBA/BPC.

A Section 137B Owner Builder Defect Report is a mandatory report under Section 137B of the Building Act 1993 (Vic) that identifies any defective building work carried out by an owner-builder.

It is required when selling a property within 6 years and 6 months of completing owner-builder works and must be provided to the buyer before the contract of sale is signed (the report is generally required to be no more than 6 months old). The report protects sellers and buyers by providing transparency about defects and protects sellers by ensuring legal compliance at the time of sale.