ABIC contracts – Victoria

Project
Published: 20 August 2018
Edited: 14 August 2026

Alert: On 1 July 2026 new requirements affecting the domestic building insurance for residential building work in Victoria came into effect. From 1 July the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Act 2025 inserted a new Part 9A into the Building Act 1993 (Vic). Part 9A establishes a new statutory insurance scheme for domestic building work called the First Resort Home Warranty Scheme. The ABIC MW 2018 H Vic and ABIC SW 2018 H Vic contracts were originally drafted by reference to the old home warranty insurance regime. As a result, if you have executed one of these contracts on or after 1 July 2026, it contains several references and mechanisms that are now out of date.

The Institute and MBA, publishers of the ABIC suite of contracts have jointly prepared a guidance note to be issued to owners and builders who are parties to an ABIC MW 2018 H Vic or ABIC SW 2018 H Vic contract that was executed on or after 1 July 2026. Architects are recommended to download and issue this guidance note to the parties and recommend that they seek their own independent legal advice about their specific contract and circumstances.

Guidance Note (August 2026)

The 2018 revised editions of the Australian Building Industry Contracts (ABIC) Major Works (MW), Simple Works (SW) commercial and domestic are provided below. Information about the ABIC contracts including which contract to use, FAQs and differences between the SW and MW contract, are available on the ABIC contracts  page. For a revised edition of the ABIC Basic Works (commercial) contract refer to ABIC Basic Works BW 2018.

Note: 1). The ABIC MW and SW user guides have been updated for the new Corporations Act / insolvency laws that will affect all contracts and in particular Section Q of the ABIC contracts. For an explanation of the changes refer to Termination rights and insolvency events. 

Note: 2). The ABIC MW and SW H Vic contract versions have been updated for the domestic building insurance requirements for residential building in Victoria that came into effect on 1 July 2026.

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