New building manual requirements will commence from 1 February 2027, with further time provided before approved manuals must be submitted to the BPC.

The Victorian Government has published a notice of decision regarding the Building Amendment (Building Manuals) Regulations 2026, and the authorised version of the Building Amendment (Building Manual) Regulations 2026 has now been released.

The regulations support the operation of the building manual requirements under the Building Act 1993 and establish a building documentation framework for certain residential buildings, including Class 1b, Class 2 and Class 3 buildings.

The new requirements are intended to help bridge the information gap between practitioners, owners, owners corporations and consumers by ensuring key building documentation is compiled, maintained and available throughout the life of the building.

Under the regulations, building manuals will need to include important documents and information such as relevant permits, council documents, performance solution determinations, fire safety certificates, compliance reports, warranties, common property asset information and other records relevant to the construction, safety, maintenance and operation of the building.

The notice of decision confirms a number of changes following consultation, including:

• commencement of the regulations being deferred to 1 February 2027 to provide industry with additional time to prepare
• the requirement to provide approved building manuals to the Building and Plumbing Commission being further deferred until 1 January 2028
• early-stage approvals and permit applications being removed from the required content list to reduce administrative burden
• an exemption for certain smaller owner-operated Class 1b guest houses and bed and breakfasts
• clarification that building manual obligations apply to unlimited owners corporations
• the removal of the separate proposal for additional mandatory inspections at the pre-lining and waterproofing stages.

VMBSG encourages members and industry practitioners to review both the Victorian Government notice of decision and the authorised regulations to understand the upcoming requirements and prepare for commencement.

Read the Victorian Government notice of decision here

View the authorised Building Amendment (Building Manual) Regulations 2026 here