Applications for the Building Bonus grant for new detached homes have closed.
You can still apply for the grant if you’re buying off-the-plan. Once the developer has commenced construction, please upload:
- a letter from the developer stating the construction commencement date and
- a copy of the certificate of title once the property has been transferred into your name.
Upload your documents through the Online Services Portal using the document type 'Evidence of Foundations (REQUIRED BEFORE PAYMENT)'.
We will email you when your application is being assessed.
| Type of build | When the grant will be paid |
|---|---|
| New detached home | When foundations are laid |
| Relocatable or modular home | When the home is delivered to site |
| Off-the-plan purchase | After all applicants’ names are registered on the title |
| If the land already has a home on it that will be demolished | After the home is demolished and foundations are laid |
The grant will be paid to all registered owners unless written authorisation to pay a third party is provided by all owners.
Complete this form if you need to notify us of a change of bank details to receive your payment.
About the grant
Show moreA grant of $20,000 is available for eligible applicants who:
- entered into a contract between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 to build a new detached home on vacant land or
- entered into an off-the-plan contract between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 to purchase a new home as part of a single-tier development on a strata plan or other land survey type.
This is different to the Australian Government HomeBuilder grant. If you receive a Building Bonus grant, you may still be eligible to receive the HomeBuilder grant.
If you receive one of these grants, you may still be eligible to receive the first home owner grant.
Multiple Building Bonus grants can be paid to the same applicant on separate transactions that meet the criteria for each grant.
See some examples of scenarios that may affect your eligibility for the grant.
Purchasing off-the-plan in a single-tier development
Show moreA grant is available for an off-the-plan contract to purchase a new home in a single-tier development on a strata plan or other land survey type before construction of the development is completed.
You must be the registered owner of the land on which the new home is built and you must be the buyer named in the off-the-plan contract or an eligible transferee.
One grant will be paid in relation to each dwelling. You may be eligible to receive the grant for each contract you enter into.
The home to be constructed must be part of a single-tier development as defined by section 3(1) of the Strata Title Act 1985 or other land survey type such as a Deposited Plan.
- A single-tier scheme is one where the lots or any part of the lots in the scheme are not above or below another lot. The houses can be either detached or non-detached.
- It cannot be part of a multi-tier development. See information about the concession available for pre-construction contracts in multi-tiered developments.
- It cannot be for a completed dwelling that is held by the developer or another person.
- It cannot be for refurbished developments, including those where the original property is extended or renovated.
Replacement building contract
If you entered into an off-the-plan contract to purchase a new home between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020, and the builder carrying out the works has entered into administration, receivership or liquidation, or is the subject of enforcement action by a regulatory body (for example, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission), please contact RevenueWA and we will continue to assist you with your application.
Construction
| Construction commencement | Construction completion |
|---|---|
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How to apply
Apply by submitting an online application form, which you can access through the Online Services Portal.
- After registering, you will receive an email with your login details.
- Log in, then select the First Home Owner and Building Grants service.
- Once you have logged in, you can apply for a building grant, or add supporting documents after you have lodged your application and received an email confirming that we have received it.
- We will send you an email when your application is processed.
- You will be paid the grant after construction has been completed and all applicants' names are registered on the title.
Please note - Providing false or misleading information to the Department of Finance is a criminal offence. If it is determined that you have provided false and misleading information to obtain, or attempt to obtain the grant, prosecution action may be undertaken and you may not be eligible to receive a grant on future applications. See our news article for more information.
Building a new detached home
Show moreThe grant was available for:
- a comprehensive home building contract to construct a new home on vacant land or
- a contract to construct and install a new relocatable or modular home on vacant land.
The home to be constructed must be a detached residence.
- It cannot be for mixed use, commercial purposes or short stay accommodation.
- It cannot share walls or roof structures with any other buildings.
The land must be vacant.
- You will not be eligible for the grant if there is already a home on the land and the home will not be demolished, regardless of the size of the home or the land.
- If the land already has a home on it that will be demolished, the grant will be paid after the home is demolished and foundations are laid.
A developer may qualify for the Building Bonus grant for a detached home if:
- they signed a comprehensive home building contract between 4 June and 31 December 2020 and
- that home was not sold off-the-plan by 31 December 2020.
Building contract
If the building contract is not in the name of the registered owner, you must provide supporting evidence to establish it is a bona fide arrangement. For example, a guarantor relationship that is in place or permission that has been given by the registered owner for construction to occur. This does not apply when there is a lease arrangement between the registered owner of the land and the applicant.
If you enter into a cost plus contract where payment to the builder is based on the actual cost of the works plus a fee, you will need to show that the scope of works under the contract covers the building of the home from inception to completion. If this is not clear from the contract, RevenueWA may not pay the grant until the home is completed.
You are not eligible for the grant if your contract is a replacement of a building contract dated prior to 4 June 2020.
If you entered into a building contract between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 and your builder has entered administration, receivership or liquidation, or is the subject of enforcement action by a regulatory body (for example, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission), we will consider a replacement contract with a different builder. In these circumstances:
- the replacement contract must be for the same scope as the original contract
- construction must commence within 30 months of the date you entered into the replacement contract and
- you must have laid your foundations, applied for the grant and uploaded all required evidence by 30 April 2024.
Construction commencement
Construction commences when significant earthworks, excavations or physical building works commence. Preparatory works such as site clearing, fencing, markings, or delivery of building products will not be considered to be commencement of construction.
You must provide evidence that construction has commenced. This may include a declaration from your builder.
You must have laid your foundations and applied by 30 April 2024 to be eligible for the grant.
Relocatable or modular homes
For relocatable or modular homes that are built or assembled in a different location (such as a builder’s factory warehouse), construction is taken to have commenced when:
- the cement (or equivalent) foundations are poured or assembled or
- the build or assembly of the home has commenced.
The relocatable or modular home’s cement (or equivalent) foundations must have been poured or assembled and the home delivered to site by 30 April 2024.
You must have applied for the grant and uploaded your supporting documents by 30 April 2024.
Owner builders
If you are an owner builder, you must have laid your foundations between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020.
- You must have owner-builder approval from the Building Services Board and a building permit from the relevant local government.
- See the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website for more information.
Land ownership
If you are buying vacant land with a building contract, and the certificate of title for the land has not been issued at the date the building contract is signed, it must be issued in your name by the date the foundations are laid.
If you are subdividing your own land, the grant will be paid after foundations are laid on the proposed vacant lot if you provide evidence to show the new land survey plan and certificates of title will be issued in your name. For example, evidence the Western Australian Planning Commission has granted conditional approval of the proposed plan and lots.
Examples
Show moreConstruction of a home (house and land package)
On 30 June 2020, Emma signs a contract for a house and land package which includes the purchase of vacant land and a building contract to construct a new home.
Settlement on the land is on 15 August 2020 and Emma becomes the registered owner of the land. Construction of the new home commences shortly after, with the foundations laid by 1 September 2020.
Emma can apply for and receive the Building Bonus grant for a new detached home.
Construction of homes on a survey-strata scheme
Joe owns a large parcel of land on a deposited plan with an existing house on it that he will demolish before subdividing the land into four lots on a survey-strata plan. He intends to construct four detached houses to be sold once they are completed.
Joe enters into building contracts on 15 June 2020 and has architectural and proposed subdivision plans drawn up to build one home on each of the new proposed lots.
Construction commences once he has received conditional approval of the proposed subdivision plan on 15 July 2020. The new survey-strata plan is registered on 10 September 2020 and titles are issued.
Construction is completed when the occupancy permit and building approval certifications (BA7) are provided on 20 November 2021. Joe then enters into contracts to sell the new houses.
Joe is eligible to receive a Building Bonus grant for each new detached home, and can apply for the grant for each home after the foundations for each home are laid. The foundations must laid be no later than 30 April 2024.
The prospective buyers of the houses are not eligible for a grant because they will be sold after construction of the homes has been completed.
Construction of a home by an owner builder
Tony is an owner builder who has conditional approval to subdivide his land into two smaller lots, one with his existing home and the other with a new house that he will build then sell once completed. Tony lays foundations on the land on 1 August 2020 and six months later he has the new land survey plan registered with the new Certificates of Titles issued in his name.
Tony can apply for, and will receive, the Building Bonus grant for the construction of the new home when foundations are laid as long as the Commissioner is satisfied that the new survey plan and Certificate of Title for the home will be issued before construction is completed. The buyer of the completed home will not qualify for a grant.
Purchase of a single storey villa on a strata plan
Mary enters into an off-the-plan contract on 12 June 2020 to purchase a villa on a proposed lot in a strata plan. The complex will have eight villas when it is completed.
The villa development commences on 31 July 2020. On 15 February 2022 the development is completed and the strata plan is registered.
After settlement occurs and Mary is registered as the villa's owner on the Certificate of Title, Mary provides the Certificate of Title and receives the Building Bonus grant for a new home on a single-tier strata lot.
Purchase of a townhouse on a deposited plan
On 10 June 2020, John enters into an off-the-plan contract to buy a townhouse in a complex of 25 lots on a deposited plan. The development is already under construction and is expected to be completed by 22 December 2020. The development is delayed, which causes completion to be delayed until May 2022.
On 15 May 2022, the relevant occupancy and building certifications are provided to the developer and they proceed to settlement with the buyers the following week.
John is eligible to receive the Building Bonus grant for a new home because he entered into an off-the-plan contract before construction was completed. The grant will be paid after he is registered on the Certificate of Title for his townhouse.
Purchase of a villa on a strata plan
On 10 October 2020, Peter enters into a contract of sale to buy a villa in a complex of 10 in a survey strata. The development was already under construction and the Notice of Completions (BA7) form was lodged with the Local Council showing that construction was completed on 30 June 2020.
Peter is not eligible to receive the Building Bonus grant for a new home in a single-tier development (off-the-plan) because he entered into the contract of sale after construction was completed.
Purchase of a high-rise apartment
Sally and Tom enter into an off-the-plan contract on 15 June 2020 to purchase an apartment in a 10 storey development that has not commenced construction.
They are not eligible to receive the grant because it does not apply to multi-tiered off-the-plan developments.
However, Sally and Tom will be eligible to receive the off-the-plan duty rebate of 75 per cent of the duty paid (up to $50,000) on the purchase of the apartment and can apply once they are the registered owners of the apartment.
Construction of detached homes sold off-the-plan
Homes East Pty Ltd, a land owner and developer, intends to develop some vacant land and will offer off-the-plan contracts for the houses in a new housing estate. Home East Pty Ltd obtains all necessary approvals on the development including construction of new roads.
Homes East Pty Ltd enters into off-the-plan contracts with buyers on 6 June 2020 for the purchase of the homes on small deposited plan lots. Construction of each home commences in September 2021. At completion, the occupation permits and building approval certifications will be lodged for the new homes and settlement will occur with the buyers.
Once each buyer is registered on their Certificate of Title, they will be eligible to receive the Building Bonus grant for a new home on a single-tier lot. Homes East Pty Ltd is not eligible for the grant on the construction of the homes because the houses were sold off-the-plan prior to completion.
Two or more homes with common walls
Gerry decides to build four family homes on four newly subdivided survey-strata lots that he owns. He signs a building contract for each build as each home will be situated on its own lot but will share a common wall with one of the other homes.
The common wall rests on the boundary line between each home and each property is jointly responsible for its maintenance. Gerry does not intend to sell the homes until they are completed. He has applied for the Building Bonus grant for all four builds.
Gerry won’t receive the grants as none of the new home builds are detached properties. However, if he decides to sell the homes off-the-plan prior to completion of construction, the new owners will be eligible to receive the grant.
Two or more homes with parapet walls
Linda is building a new home on a vacant lot that she owns. The side of the house will be very close to the boundary line.
Linda’s building contract includes the construction of a parapet wall on her land adjacent to the boundary. There is a very small gap between the parapet wall on Linda’s side of the boundary and the side garage wall of the neighbour’s house.
Linda applies for the Building Bonus grant once the foundation is laid and is paid the grant for building a detached home.
Two or more homes with shared roofing
David decides to build two homes on adjacent strata-titled vacant land that he owns.
He signs two building contracts to construct the properties simultaneously. The homes will abut one another but have separate foundations and walls structures. The properties are attached by their roofs and there will be an easement for ongoing maintenance of the shared roof structure.
David is not eligible to receive the grant as the two properties will not be detached properties.
Terms used
Show moreHome
A building, affixed to land, that may lawfully be used as a place of residence.
Detached
A building that does not share wall or roof structures with other homes or buildings. Buildings on adjoining lots can be built to the lot boundary without having shared walls if there is a separate wall on each lot's boundary.
Attached home
Two or more dwellings on individual lots attached by a common wall at a shared property line. These include town houses, row houses or duplex.
Eligible transferee
A transferee on a transfer of land who
- is not named as the buyer in the contract and
- qualifies for duty relief under the no double duty provisions in the Duties Act 2008 as
- a person related to the buyer as referred to in section 43 and defined under section 42(2)
- the real purchaser under an agency arrangement as defined under section 42(4)
- a corporation yet to be incorporated or dormant corporation as defined under section 42(5) or
- a managed investment scheme as defined under section 42(7).
Comprehensive home building contract
A contract under which a builder agrees to build a home on land from the inception of the building work to the point where the home is ready for occupation and if, for any reason, the work to be carried out under such a contract is not completed, includes any further contract under which the work is to be completed.
Foundations
The slab, stumps or other foundations on which the home will be situated.
Frequently asked questions
Show more| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When will I find out if my application has been approved? | We will email you when your application is processed. |
| How much is the grant? | $20,000 |
| Does the amount of the grant depend on the value of my contract? | No. |
| Can I receive a Building Bonus grant, a HomeBuilder grant, a First Home Owner Grant and the first home buyer transfer duty concession? | Eligible first homebuyers can access both State and Australian Government grants, the first home owner grant and the first home buyer transfer duty concession. |
| Who can apply for the grant? |
You do not need to be living in WA to access the grant. |
| Do I need to live in the home to qualify for the grant? | No. This is different from the Australian Government HomeBuilder grant, which only applies to owner-occupiers. |
| Can I get more than one grant? | You may be able to receive a grant for each new home built or purchased on separate land titles. Only one grant will apply if more than one new home is built on a single lot. |
| Where is the application form? | Use the online application form to apply for the Building Bonus grant. You must register and log in to the Online Services Portal to access the form. |
| Is there any means test or property value cap? | No. |
| What properties are eligible for the grant? |
Properties that don’t qualify for the grant include
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| Can I receive the grant if I sign a contract to build a home on vacant land that I already own? | Yes. |
| Does the grant apply to contracts signed before 4 June 2020 or after 31 December 2020? | No. |
| Will the money be paid to the bank? | The money will be paid into any Australian bank account nominated by the applicant. |
| Can I buy land and find a builder or do I need to buy a house and land package? | You can do either. The Building Bonus scheme includes the purchase of house and land packages as well as signing a contract with a registered builder to build a home on your own vacant land. |
Announcements
WA Police investigate fraudulent Building Bonus applications
