What we do for your builder clients
We collect the documents the builder, designers and trades already hold, chase what is missing while final claims are still open, and compile the draft manual as .pdf and .xlsx files, both formats reg 205G allows. After handover we can prepare the owners corporation's annual Form 26 updates (reg 205F).
When to refer
Refer at building permit stage. Reg 205B catches a Class 1b, 2 or 3 building, or a building with a Class 2 or 3 part, when the building permit application is made on or after 1 February 2027. A referral then gives the builder the whole build to gather documents, rather than the weeks before Form 15. A Class 1b guest house or bed and breakfast that meets all five limbs of reg 205B(a) is exempt.
What you receive at Form 15 stage
A complete draft manual lodged with the occupancy permit application (s 41A), with an index that maps each document to the paragraph of reg 205C it answers, and the reg 205A asset list as a spreadsheet. The 2025 Regulatory Impact Statement describes your check as completeness: confirming that every prescribed document is included. It states that the surveyor is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of the information. Our index is built for that check. What building surveyors check sets out the test.
How a referral works
- Give your builder client the referral sheet, printed or saved as a PDF.
- The builder sends an enquiry from this page with your name or firm in the "Referred by" field.
- Or email enquiries@handovermanual.com.au with the builder's name, the project address and the building class.
- We reply to the builder with an HM- reference and the compilation windows that finish before their Form 15 application.
What we do not do
We do not perform building surveying functions, assess compliance or approve manuals. Approval under s 41B, and the decision on the occupancy permit, stay with you. Section 44D makes it an offence to knowingly or recklessly include false or misleading information in a draft manual.
Questions
When should a building surveyor refer a builder for a building manual?
At building permit stage. Under Regulation 205B, a draft building manual is required for a Class 1b, Class 2 or Class 3 building, or a building with a Class 2 or Class 3 part, when the building permit application is made on or after 1 February 2027. The draft accompanies the Form 15 occupancy permit application.
Does Handover Manual approve building manuals or perform surveying functions?
No. Handover Manual collates, indexes and formats documents supplied by project participants. Approval of a draft building manual under section 41B of the Building Act 1993 rests with the relevant building surveyor.
How does a builder show that a surveyor referred them?
The builder enters the surveyor's name or firm in the optional Referred by field of the enquiry form. A surveyor can instead email enquiries@handovermanual.com.au with the builder's details.
Sources: S.R. No. 87/2026 (regs 205A, 205B, 205C, 205F, 205G); Building Act 1993 (Vic) ss 41A, 41B, 44(c) and 44D, inserted by the Building Legislation Amendment Act 2023; 2025 Regulatory Impact Statement, section 2.1.