Building a New Home in Melbourne: A Practical Pre-Build Checklist
Guide · New builds
Planning a new home in Melbourne? This guide covers the site checks, permits and paperwork that set your build up for success, and shows how far beyond the minimum energy standard a home can go.
7★
The code minimum: the NatHERS energy rating every new Victorian home must meet
90%
Up to 90% less heating and cooling energy in a Passive House than in a conventional building
0.6
Passive House airtightness limit (air changes per hour at 50 Pa), tested on site
This is a general guide only. Building rules change from time to time and every project is different, so please seek professional advice for your own site and design.
In this guide
01
Preparing for a new home in Melbourne
The most successful builds share one thing: good preparation before construction starts.
Building a new home in Melbourne is one of the most rewarding projects you can take on. A few early checks on your land, your permits and your design can save time, keep the budget on track and help you end up with a home that is comfortable for decades. Below is the preparation we walk our clients through, from the first look at the block to the day the excavator arrives.
02
Code minimum vs Passive House
Every new home in Victoria must meet the 7-star minimum. At Goycon, we treat that as the starting line, not the finish line.
Passive House (Passivhaus) is a voluntary international standard from the Passive House Institute in Germany. It sets measurable targets for heating demand, airtightness and comfort, and each certified home is tested on site and certified independently (Australian Passive House Association). The Association notes that Passive Houses use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than a conventional building (Australian Passive House Association).
It is the standard we are always striving for, and the one behind our Kallista Passiv Haus. Here is how the two compare.
| Code minimum7-star NatHERS | Passive HouseWhat we strive for | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Mandatory for new Victorian homes since 1 May 2024 | Voluntary international standard, set by the Passive House Institute |
| Main measure | A 7-star NatHERS rating for the building shell, plus a Whole of Home rating of at least 60 | Heating demand of no more than 15 kWh per m² per year (or a 10 W/m² peak load) |
| Airtightness | No set air-change target to meet | 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pa or less, tested on site |
| Comfort | Based on the modelled heating and cooling loads | No more than 10% of hours in a year above 25°C |
| Verification | Energy rating of the design by an accredited NatHERS assessor | Independent certification by a Passive House Institute accredited certifier |
| Energy use | Meets the code minimum | Up to 90% less heating and cooling energy than a conventional building |
03
Start with your site
Every good home design begins with a clear picture of the land it sits on. These three checks are quick to do and shape almost every decision that follows.
i
Zone and overlays
Every parcel of land in Victoria has a planning zone, and many carry overlays such as heritage or vegetation. Look yours up free on VicPlan and download a Planning Property Report.
ii
Title, easements and covenants
Your title and plan of subdivision show boundaries, easements and any covenants on what can be built. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s Due diligence checklist is a helpful prompt list.
iii
Soil and site conditions
A soil test and a feature and level survey guide slab and footing design, and map slope, trees and services. On sloping, treed blocks in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, they help the design work with the landscape.
04
Understand the permits
In Victoria, planning permits and building permits do different jobs, and many new homes need both. Knowing the order early helps you plan a realistic timeline.
Step one · if required
Planning permit
How can this land be used and developed?
Relates to your council’s planning scheme. Whether you need one depends on your zone, overlays and lot size, so start with your Planning Property Report and your council’s planning team. Where needed, it generally comes before detailed design and the building permit (Cardinia Shire Council).
Step two · always for a new house
Building permit
Does the design meet the building regulations?
Needed before construction starts, with an occupancy permit before you move in (City of Boroondara). A registered building surveyor checks the design, issues the permit and inspects through to completion (Building and Plumbing Commission).
Your builder will usually help coordinate both steps with your building surveyor and council.
05
Design for performance
7 stars is the floor, not the goal. Planning for performance from day one is the simplest and most cost-effective way to go further.
Energy efficiency: 7 stars and Whole of Home
Since 1 May 2024, new homes in Victoria must meet a minimum 7-star energy rating under NatHERS and a Whole of Home energy budget covering fixed appliances such as heating, cooling, hot water and lighting (Energy Victoria). Under the NatHERS option, the Whole of Home rating must be no less than 60 (Building and Plumbing Commission).
Good orientation, shading and glazing choices, considered early in design, help keep the cost of meeting these standards low. Taken further, with high insulation, airtight construction and heat-recovery ventilation, the same decisions lead toward Passive House performance.
NatHERS rates a home’s thermal performance out of a possible 10 stars (Energy Victoria).
Core strategy
Treat energy performance as a design brief, not a compliance box.
Orientation, insulation, airtightness and window placement decided at concept stage cost far less than changes made later, and they are what make a home feel comfortable all year.
For clients who want to go further, the same principles scale up to Passive House performance, as in our Kallista Passiv Haus project.
06
Choose your team and contract
A good team turns a design into a finished home, and a clear contract keeps everyone on the same page.
Registered builder
Delivers the build and coordinates trades from site start to handover.
Designer or architect
Shapes the layout, orientation and look of your home.
Structural engineer
Designs footings and structure to suit your soil and site.
Energy rater
Models the design for its NatHERS star and Whole of Home ratings.
Building surveyor
Issues the building permit and inspects the work.
Work with a registered builder
Builders must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority) to carry out domestic building work, and you can confirm registration using its Practitioner Search (Domestic Building Insurance, VMIA).
Understand your building contract
For projects over $10,000, the builder must use a major domestic building contract, which must be in writing and set out the work in detail (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Before you sign, your builder must give you the Domestic Building Consumer Guide, and the contract includes a checklist for you to complete (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Take the time to read it in full; Consumer Affairs Victoria also recommends getting legal and technical advice before signing.
07
Before the first dig
Before any excavation, a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia provides plans of underground services such as power, gas, water and telecommunications from registered asset owners. Your builder will normally lodge this, but it is good to confirm who is responsible before site works begin.
Bringing it all together, here is your pre-build checklist for a new home in Melbourne, in three phases.
Phase one
Know your land
- Zones and overlaysVicPlan Planning Property Report
- Title, easements and covenantsCertificate of title; CAV checklist
- Soil test and site surveyGeotechnical engineer; land surveyor
Phase two
Design and approvals
- Planning permit, if requiredYour local council
- Structural designStructural engineer, using your soil test
- Energy target: 7-star minimum or Passive HouseDesigner, energy rater or Passive House designer
Phase three
Ready to build
- Registered builder and contractBPC Practitioner Search; CAV
- Building permitRegistered building surveyor
- Underground services checkBefore You Dig Australia
A general guide only. The steps that apply, and their order, depend on your own project, site and council.
Please note
This article is a general guide only and is current as of November 2026. Building rules and regulations change from time to time, and every project is different, so what applies to your build will depend on your own site, council and design. Please seek advice from your local council, a registered building surveyor and other qualified professionals before making any decisions.
Work with Goycon
Planning a new home in Melbourne?
We specialise in energy efficient and Passive House homes across Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley. Read about our EnerPHit approach, or talk to us about your block and your ideas.
Sources
- Planning property report — Victorian Government, Planning
- Due diligence checklist — Consumer Affairs Victoria
- Planning vs building permits — Cardinia Shire Council
- Permits to construct a house — City of Boroondara
- Information for homeowners / applicants — Building and Plumbing Commission
- Energy efficiency building standards — Energy Victoria
- 7-star new homes fact sheet — Energy Victoria
- Why should I certify my Passive House? — Australian Passive House Association
- The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use — Australian Passive House Association
- Energy efficiency requirements — Building and Plumbing Commission
- Building or renovating — Domestic Building Insurance, VMIA
- Building contracts checklist — Consumer Affairs Victoria
- Preparing a major domestic building contract — Consumer Affairs Victoria
- General FAQs — Before You Dig Australia
