What is DBI?

Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) is required for domestic building projects in Victoria where the contract price is over $16,000.

DBI protects you if your builder can’t complete the work or fix defects because they have:

  • died
  • disappeared
  • become insolvent, or
  • failed to comply with a Tribunal or Court Order (for DBI issued by VMIA on or after 1 July 2015)

What you need to know:

  • Your builder must obtain DBI on your behalf before requesting any payment.
  • They must be approved to purchase DBI—this is called being ‘eligible’.
  • We manage and audit builder eligibility and DBI cover.
  • You can check if your builder is eligible using our builder search tool.