Restumping quote checklist: what a written quote should list
A written house restumping quote should name the stumps, the repairs, who handles the paperwork and what insurance applies, so that you can compare it with other quotes for the same house. The lines below come from permit checklists published by other Victorian councils (not Gippsland), from Consumer Affairs Victoria and from the regulators' pages. Use them as questions about your house, and ask for each answer in writing before you pick a builder for the house.
| Quote line | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Stump type, size, spacing and layout | Are they written down, with a layout the surveyor can use? |
| Hole depth and width | Is each stated, and does it match the layout? |
| Sole plate or footing | What goes under each stump? |
| Ant capping | Is it included, and what is proposed? |
| Connection to the bearers | How is each stump fixed to the frame? |
| Termite treatment method | Which method, and what does it cover? |
| Bearers and joists | What if repairs are found once the floor is open? |
| Plaster, doorframes and tiles | Who repairs what after jacking, and is it in the quote? |
| The permit and the surveyor | Who applies for the permit, and who appoints the surveyor? |
| Registration class | Which class does the builder hold, and is it on the register? |
| Insurance notice of cover | If the contract is over $20,000, where is the notice of cover? |
| Written contract | Is there one, and is it complete before work starts? |
Check the builder's registration before you sign
To check a builder, ask which registration class they hold and look them up on the Building and Plumbing Commission register. The Commission says to "make sure you always use a registered building practitioner", that practitioners other than companies carry a photo ID card showing their registration category, and that you can search the disciplinary register (Building and Plumbing Commission, engaging a builder).
The pages we found do not agree on when registration is needed, and we do not reconcile them. The Commission's page says "Domestic building work worth more than $10,000 requires a registered builder". A 2017 notice from the Victorian Building Authority, the regulator of the time, says a builder engaged in the business of "re-blocking, restumping" is "still required to be registered, regardless of the cost of the work" (2017 regulator notice). We found no Commission page that repeats the 2017 sentence. Ask the Commission, and see the registration and contracts page.
A written contract, insurance and the deposit
Consumer Affairs Victoria says "it is essential that you have a written contract for all building works, regardless of size and price" (Consumer Affairs Victoria contracts page). A major domestic building contract is needed above $10,000, and Consumer Affairs Victoria lists what it must contain (Consumer Affairs Victoria). The rules for these contracts, deposits and cooling-off change by 1 December 2026, so check the current pages when you sign. These notes were checked 6 November 2026.
For insurance, Home Warranty applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible projects valued at more than $20,000, and existing Domestic Building Insurance policies stay under the older scheme. Do not pay a deposit until the builder gives you the policy and the certificate of insurance. If there is no notice of cover, Consumer Affairs Victoria says to call the Building and Plumbing Commission on 1300 067 088 (Consumer Affairs Victoria insurance page).
Red flags worth stopping for
- No registration class is shown, or it cannot be found on the register.
- You are asked for a deposit before the builder gives the policy and certificate of insurance.
- There is no written contract.
- There is no stump specification: type, size, spacing, hole depth and width.
- Plaster and doorframe repairs after jacking are not mentioned.
- Nobody says who applies for the permit or appoints the surveyor. Only the owner or the owner's agent may appoint a private building surveyor.
Three quotes, and where to take a dispute
One industry guide advises getting at least three written quotes, and the cost guide explains why quotes differ. The permit page says who appoints the surveyor, and the process guide lists the steps a programme should cover. The stumps guide helps with the specification.
If something goes wrong, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria is now part of the Building and Plumbing Commission. The steps are to discuss it with the builder, put your concerns in writing and apply online if it is unresolved (dispute resolution page). We found no fee or deadline. To start, send the details of your house, and the enquiry goes to a local builder.
What this checklist cannot do
This checklist cannot tell you whether a quote is fair, complete or from a builder with the right registration. It lists questions and what the regulators say, and it stops where their pages stop. We cannot check any builder's registration, insurance or work, and we make no claim that any builder is registered, insured, endorsed or approved. We are a referral service: we pass your enquiry to a local builder, who inspects, quotes and holds any registration or insurance that applies. Check the register yourself, and ask a registered building surveyor what the job needs.
Check the current rules before you rely on this
This page describes the lines a written house restumping quote should list, how to check a builder's registration and insurance, and the red flags before you sign. It describes the rules in general terms as they stood in November 2026, checked 6 November 2026. Standards, forms, thresholds and fees change.
The authoritative sources are Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), engaging a builder, CAV, building contracts for home owners, CAV, insurance and insolvency for home building, CAV, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (now part of the BPC) and CAV, new domestic building contract laws passed in Victoria (Domestic Building Contracts Amendment Act 2025; effect by 1 December 2026). Where anything here differs from those sources, they are right and we are not.
We are not builders, building surveyors, regulators or lawyers. For what applies to your job, ask the builder which registration they hold and check it on the Building and Plumbing Commission register, then ask a registered building surveyor and your council what is needed. Contract, deposit and payment rules change by 1 December 2026.
Accurate at the time of writing, November 2026. Always check the source before relying on it.