Building your home is a very exciting time and it is critical that the builder you select is registered in Western Australia.

If you are entering into a contract for building work valued over $20,000, the person who will be carrying out the work is required by law to be a registered builder.

If approved by the Builder's Registration Board of Western Australia, you can be confident your builder has the qualifications, knowledge and experience as well as residential building insurance.

In recent years, Western Australia has seen an increase in the number of owner-builders. An owner-builder is defined as a person who constructs or renovates a domestic building on his or her own land, who is not in the business of building.

While there are some advantages to being an owner-builder, doing it yourself can be risky business.