What changes for a Class 2 project
Most of what a Class 2 manual holds exists by occupancy permit stage: the building permit and its documents, performance solution determinations, council lodgements and the occupancy permit application (reg 205C). The 2025 Regulatory Impact Statement put the extra work at about 30 hours a building, across about 550 new Class 2 manuals a year.
Two parts rely on information only the trades hold, and both concern common property.
The common-property asset list
Reg 205A covers the lifts, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, water pumps, fire safety systems and back-up generator on common property. For each one the manual gives the location, replacement cost, maintenance schedule and expected service life (reg 205C(l)). Ask the trades for those figures before their final claims are paid. The surveyor's check explains why a list of equipment names alone falls short.
Warranties the owners corporation takes over
Reg 205C(m) asks for any warranty on matters the unlimited owners corporation is responsible for, covering construction, installed equipment and installed systems. Collect each one as its trade finishes.
From building permit to occupancy permit
| Stage | Rule | What it means on a Class 2 job |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit application | Reg 205B | An application made on or after 1 February 2027 brings the building under the rules. |
| Staged permits | s 41A(2) | The draft manual goes with the final occupancy permit application only. |
| Form 15 application | s 41A(1), reg 186(2)(b)(iii) | The draft manual is lodged with the occupancy permit application. |
| Approval | s 41B, s 44(c) | The surveyor approves the draft and returns it with the occupancy permit. Without approval the permit is refused. |
| Within 28 days | Reg 205D | Attach the issued occupancy permit to the approved manual. |
Building manuals for occupancy permits covers what a late manual does to settlements in the final weeks.
After handover: the owners corporation's manual
The applicant gives the approved manual to the owners corporation at its first meeting (s 44A; up to 60 penalty units for a person, 300 for a body corporate). From then on it belongs to the unlimited owners corporation (reg 205E), and the only permitted change is a reg 205F update.
The update is made on Schedule 4 Form 26 by the 14th day after each anniversary of the s 41B approval, with the year's reg 223 AESM report attached. Councils and the emergency services named in reg 205H get access within 24 hours of asking. From 1 January 2028 the manual and each update also go to the Building and Plumbing Commission within 28 days (reg 205I). Annual updates for owners corporations sets out the Form 26 cycle.
What we compile for a Class 2 building
We index the draft manual to reg 205C, build the reg 205A asset list as an .xlsx file, chase the reg 205C(m) warranties and deliver in .pdf and .xlsx, both formats reg 205G allows. Indicative prices, ex GST: $2,500 to $6,000 under 20 units, and $6,000 to $15,000 for 20 or more units or mixed use (full pricing table). Book 4 to 8 weeks before the Form 15 application.
Questions
Does a Class 2 apartment building in Victoria need a building manual?
Yes, if the application for the building permit to construct it is made on or after 1 February 2027. Regulation 205B of the Building Regulations 2018, inserted by S.R. No. 87/2026, prescribes Class 2 buildings and any building that includes a Class 2 part.
Who keeps the building manual for an apartment building after handover?
The applicant gives the approved manual to the owners corporation at its first meeting (section 44A of the Building Act 1993). Under Regulation 205E it then belongs to the unlimited owners corporation, which updates it on Form 26 by the 14th day after each anniversary of approval (Regulation 205F).
How long does a Class 2 building manual take to prepare?
The 2025 Regulatory Impact Statement estimated about 30 hours, or roughly $4,500, to collect and organise the documents for one Class 2 manual. It noted that the time varies with the building and the construction work.
Sources: S.R. No. 87/2026 (regs 205A–205I); Building Act 1993 (Vic) ss 41A, 41B, 44(c) and 44A, inserted by the Building Legislation Amendment Act 2023; NCC 2025 Part A6 (A6G3); 2025 Regulatory Impact Statement, section 2.5.4.