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Yes. As of 1 July 2025, the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) manages all Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) policies previously provided by the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA).

You can lodge a claim with BPC if your Certificate of Insurance lists VMIA as the insurer and the policy was issued on or after 31 May 2010.

If your policy was issued before 31 May 2010, check your Certificate of Insurance to see who the insurer is — you’ll need to contact that insurer directly.

To confirm your insurer, use our Policy Verification Search.

Ready to make a claim? Find out how to lodge a claim.

You can make a claim if your Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) policy lists BPC — or formerly VMIA — as the insurer, and your building or renovation project has incomplete or defective work, and one of the following applies:

• Your builder has died, disappeared or become insolvent,
  or
• For policies issued on or after 1 July 2015, your builder has failed to comply with a Tribunal or Court Order (as described in the policy wording [PDF, 367 KB]).

If you believe your builder has died, disappeared or become insolvent, you’ll need to confirm how they were operating — as a sole trader, partnership, or company — before lodging a claim.

	My builder is a sole trader	A sole trader will just list their name eg. John Smith
You can make a claim if your builder has: Died - the builder is deceased; Disappeared - the builder cannot be located after due search & enquiry; or Become insolvent - the builder is bankrupt. You can search the Bankruptcy register to determine if a sole trader builder is bankrupt. Please note a fee may apply.
	My builder is a partnership	A partnership will usually have two or more names eg. John & Mary Smith
You can make a claim if ALL of the partners in the partnership have either: Died – all the partners are deceased; Disappeared – none of the partners can be located after due search & enquiry; or Become insolvent – all partners are bankrupt. You can search the Bankruptcy register to determine the partners are bankrupt. Please note a fee may apply. Note: If there are any partners in the partnership that have not died, disappeared or become insolvent you will not be able to make a claim against your DBI. You may take action against the remaining partner/s for any loss or damages you have suffered.
	My builder is a company	A company will usually end with ‘Pty Ltd’ eg. Sample Builders Pty Ltd
You can make a claim if the company is: Deregistered; or Becomes insolvent - which means it is an externally-administered body corporate (within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001). You can search the ASIC registers to find out if your builder’s company is deregistered or under external administration.

A policy trigger is an event that allows you to make a claim under your Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) policy.

Your policy will be triggered if:

• Your builder has died, disappeared or become insolvent, or
• For policies issued on or after 1 July 2015, your builder has failed to comply with a Tribunal or Court Order.

Once one of these events occurs, you can submit a claim through our Claims Portal.

Use our Policy Verification Search to check if your DBI policy was issued under BPC (or previously VMIA).

If you believe a notifiable event has occurred, please complete a Notification Form to let us know.

If your policy hasn’t been triggered or BPC isn’t your insurer, contact BPC Disputes Resolution for free help with building disputes. You can also visit Consumer Affairs Victoria for guidance on resolving disputes, defects and delays.

Before submitting a claim, gather as much supporting information as you can, including:

• Building contracts
• Building permits
• Tax invoices
• Any other relevant documents

This will help us assess your claim more efficiently.

Your insurer is listed on your Certificate of Insurance.

If you can’t find your certificate, you can try the following:

• Contact your builder, if possible
• Check with the building surveyor or local council — the insurer’s name and policy number are often listed on the building permit
• Ask the previous property owner — if the works were done before you bought the home

Note: BPC (formerly VMIA) did not provide DBI before 31 May 2010 and is not the only provider of DBI in Victoria.

To check if your policy was issued by us, use the Policy Verification Search.

To get started, make sure you have your Certificate of Insurance and check that VMIA is listed as the insurer.

From 1 July 2025, all DBI policies previously managed by VMIA are now managed by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC).

If this is your first time making a claim:

• You'll need to register to access the claims portal.

Already registered?

• Log in to the portal to submit a new claim or track an existing one.

Steps to lodge a claim

1. Submit your claim online

Use the claims portal to get started.

2. Upload your supporting documents

This includes:

• Your Certificate of Insurance
• Building contracts and permits
• Invoices, receipts, and proof of payments made to your builder

3. List the defects or incomplete work

• Number each item clearly on the claim form
• Describe each defect in detail
• Include the date you first noticed the issue

4. Secure your property (if the home is incomplete)

• Make sure the site and any building materials are safe and protected
• If your builder is insolvent, check with the liquidator or administrator to see if the builder’s contract works insurance is still valid
• If it’s not, consider arranging this insurance yourself. You can contact the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) on (02) 9964 9400 for help

5. Read the claims process guide

• Before submitting your claim, review our Claims Process Document [PDF, 200KB] for full details

This Factsheet [PDF, 157KB] will help you understand what to do when emergency works are required due to defective or incomplete works performed by the builder.

What you need to do:

1. Check your email

Make sure you’ve received a confirmation email that your claim was submitted.

2. Review your claim

Log in to the Claims Portal to check that all defects or issues have been added. You can update your claim and add more items if needed.

3. Add any new defects

If you notice more defects after submitting your claim, you can add them via the portal. Make sure any extra items are submitted at least 2 business days before the property inspection.

What we’ll do:

1. Confirm your policy is triggered

We’ll check that your Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) policy meets the conditions for a claim.

2. Verify the builder’s status

• If your builder is insolvent, we’ll confirm this using ASIC and/or the National Personal Insolvency Index.
• If your builder has disappeared, we may need to do further checks, which can take a little longer.

3. Arrange an independent inspection

We may appoint an independent building consultant (at no cost to you) to inspect your property and review your claim items. We recommend being present during the inspection.

4. Assess the claim

• The consultant will report on each defect or incomplete item.
• Our team will review the report and create a schedule of works — this lists the items covered under the policy.

5. Gather repair quotes

• You’ll be asked to get quotes from registered builders of your choice.
• We may also get our own quotes to compare.

6. Settle the claim

• Once the quotes are agreed, we’ll arrange payment.
• In most cases, we pay a registered builder to complete the work.
• In some situations, we may pay you directly — this depends on the details of your claim.

The easiest and fastest way to contact us is through the Claims Portal inbox.

Here’s how:

1. Log in to the Claims Portal

2. Click on 'My Claims Home' in the menu

3. Select the claim number you’re enquiring about

4. Click 'Send a new message' next to the portal inbox

We’ll reply to your message as soon as possible within the portal.

In most instances, you should not make any further payments until your claim has been assessed. Please seek legal advice before making any further payments.

If your claim has not yet been inspected:

• Log in to the Claims Portal
• Select your claim and click ‘Add defects’
• Make sure you submit any new defects at least 2 business days before the building consultant visits your property

If your claim has already been assessed or inspected, you may need to lodge a new claim for the additional defects.

If you're unsure, contact us through the portal inbox and we’ll guide you.

It is preferable you are onsite when the independent building consultant inspects your property. If you are unable to be there, you still need to make sure the building consultant has full access to your home at the date and time of the appointment.

The Schedule of Works lists all the items that are accepted as covered under your Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) policy.

You’ll be asked to get quotes from registered builders based on this list. BPC may also obtain its own quotes for comparison.

While BPC may arrange quotes from registered builders, we also ask that you provide at least one quote.

This helps make sure the process for fixing any defective or incomplete work is fair, transparent, and gives you a say in the builder selection.

In most cases, BPC will pay a registered builder to complete or fix the work on your behalf.

However, depending on your situation, we may offer a financial settlement instead.
We’ll discuss the options with you and decide what’s most appropriate for your claim.