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Form 75 WA Owner Builder: How to Complete Your Application Without Delays
If you're planning to become an owner builder in Western Australia, Form 75 is one of the key parts of the approval process.
But it isn't simply a form you fill out and send away.
Your application needs to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements, have the required knowledge and training, have an eligible interest in the property and have provided the supporting evidence required for your circumstances.
Missing information can mean additional correspondence and potentially slow down an application that already takes time to assess.
The good news is that the process is quite manageable once you understand what is actually required.
Here is a practical guide to preparing your WA owner-builder application.
What Is Form 75?
Form 75 is the Application for Owner-Builder Approval used in Western Australia.
Before you can obtain a building permit as an owner builder for work requiring owner-builder approval, you first need approval through the WA owner-builder process.
Owner-builder approval may be required where a building permit is required and the estimated value of the building work exceeds $20,000. For certain Class 10a buildings such as sheds, carports and private garages, the relevant threshold is $50,000.
Form 75 is used to provide the information and supporting evidence needed to assess that application.
Before You Start Form 75
Before completing the application, check that you actually qualify for the owner-builder pathway.
Generally, an applicant must:
have an eligible ownership interest in the land;
apply as an individual rather than a company, trust or other entity;
demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner builder;
meet the applicable owner-builder training/construction induction requirements;
satisfy the rules concerning previous owner-builder building permits; and
intend to live on, occupy or personally use the property as required for the type of project.
The WA Government specifically notes that the owner-builder pathway isn't intended for someone developing a property for immediate sale.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Property Evidence Is Current
One of the first things you'll need to establish is your interest in the land.
For many applicants, this will mean providing a current Certificate of Title.
The WA Government states that a Certificate of Title supplied as evidence for an owner-builder application must have been issued by Landgate within three months of the application date.
Need a current WA Certificate of Title?
You can order a WA property title online through Title Now – WA Title Search.
Title Now submits your order through an established Australian property-data provider with access to Landgate's records.
Depending on your circumstances, evidence can instead include a qualifying contract to purchase the property or an eligible lease containing the necessary development rights.
This is an easy area to prepare before you begin completing Form 75.elopment rights.
This is an easy area to prepare before you begin completing Form 75.
Step 2: Check Who Needs to Sign
What happens if the property is owned by two people?
This is particularly important for couples.
Where land is owned or leased by more than one person, everyone listed on the relevant title, purchase contract or qualifying lease must sign the application.
All owners then share responsibility for managing and supervising the owner-builder work.
However, only one applicant needs to demonstrate the required owner-builder knowledge.
So don't submit the application assuming only the person completing the owner-builder course needs to appear on Form 75.
Step 3: Have Your Owner-Builder Training Evidence Ready
WA applicants need to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the duties and responsibilities they are taking on.
One pathway is completing an appropriate WA-specific owner-builder course.
For this pathway, the WA Government currently requires the owner-builder training to have been completed within the previous 24 months.
This is where completing your training before preparing the final application can make the process much easier.
Owner Builder Institute offers its WA Owner Builder Course online, allowing you to complete the training requirement at your own pace and obtain your certificate for your application.
Step 4: Don't Forget Your White Card or Blue Card
Completing an owner-builder course isn't the only evidence relevant to the training pathway.
The current Form 75 identifies completion of a WA-relevant owner-builder course within the required period and evidence of construction induction training, such as a White Card or accepted WA Blue Card.
This is important because people sometimes assume the owner-builder course replaces construction induction training.
They serve different purposes.
We'll cover this requirement in detail in our separate guide:
Do You Need a White Card to Become an Owner Builder in WA?
Step 5: Check the Six-Year Rule
WA also limits how frequently a person can obtain building permits as an owner builder.
Generally, if you've been granted a building permit as an owner builder within the previous six years, this needs to be considered before making another application.
There are circumstances where the six-year restriction may be waived, including certain hardship situations or where the new building permit relates to the same land.
Form 75 includes the relevant eligibility waiver section for applicants seeking a waiver.
So if you've owner-built before, don't simply assume you're automatically ineligible — but don't ignore the previous project either.
Step 6: Check Everything Before Lodgement
Before submitting, work through your supporting documents one more time.
In particular, check:
Property evidence – Is your Certificate of Title or other ownership evidence current and acceptable?
Signatures – Have all required owners signed?
Owner-builder training – Have you included the evidence applicable to your pathway?
Construction induction – Have you included the required White Card, Blue Card or other accepted evidence?
Previous owner-builder projects – Does the six-year restriction affect you?
Project details – Are the proposed works described consistently across your documents?
A few minutes checking the application before lodgement can be much easier than responding to requests for missing information later.
How Do You Submit Form 75?
WA now provides an online owner-builder approval submission process, which the government describes as the fastest and simplest application method.
Applications can also be submitted using the other available lodgement methods.
The current owner-builder approval page should always be checked before lodging because forms, fees and administrative processes can change.
How Long Does WA Owner-Builder Approval Take?
This is one to plan around.
The WA Government currently advises that owner-builder approval applications generally take approximately six to eight weeks from lodgement.
So don't plan your construction timeline assuming Form 75 will be approved immediately.
The department may also contact you if additional information is required.
What Happens When Form 75 Is Approved?
Owner-builder approval is not your building permit.
It is an important distinction.
Once owner-builder approval has been granted, you can move to the building permit stage with the relevant local government.
Your owner-builder approval generally gives you six months to apply for the building permit. If you don't apply within that period, the approval expires.
We explain that next stage separately in our guide:
Common Form 75 Mistakes to Avoid
Most of the preparation comes down to making sure your application and evidence tell the same story.
Common issues worth checking for include an outdated Certificate of Title, missing signatures from co-owners, incomplete training evidence, missing construction induction evidence, overlooking the six-year restriction or assuming that owner-builder approval itself is permission to commence construction.
And remember: obtaining owner-builder approval doesn't remove the responsibilities that come with managing the project.
WA owner builders take on many of the responsibilities normally carried by a registered builder, including managing and supervising work, complying with building standards and safety requirements, arranging required approvals and certifications, and dealing with defective work.
Your WA Owner-Builder Application Checklist
Before lodging Form 75, make sure you have checked your eligibility, gathered current property evidence, obtained all required signatures, completed the relevant owner-builder training, organised your construction induction evidence and considered whether the six-year rule applies to you.
Then check the latest government application requirements before submission.
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