What's in the NSW owner-builder course?
Five nationally recognised units, self-paced online, 6 months to finish — and the separate Service NSW permit step the course does not replace.
Written byEdway
The short answer
Five nationally recognised units, studied online at your own pace, with 6 months to finish.
You come away with a Statement of Attainment — the education evidence New South Wales asks for once the work is worth $20,000 or more. The course is not the permit. You apply for that separately through Service NSW.
The five units
| Code | Unit |
|---|---|
| CPCCWHS2001 | Apply WHS requirements |
| CPCCOM2001 | Read and interpret plans and specifications |
| CPCCCM1011 | Undertake basic estimation and costing |
| CPCCOM1013 | Plan and organise work |
| CPCCOM1014 | Conduct workplace communication |
There is no single national title for the group. The five units together are what NSW recognises as the approved owner-builder education.
6 months to finish
The course is self-paced online, so there is no date to choose and no class to attend. You start when you enrol and work through it in your own time.
You have 6 months to finish, and the enrolment expires after 6 months. That is longer than the 2 months our other self-paced courses allow.
Before you enrol
You need a Unique Student Identifier. There are no course prerequisites — the White Card you will need for the permit comes later, at the application stage.
There is also a short language, literacy, numeracy and digital check before you start. You complete it through your student account after you book.
What you receive
A nationally recognised Statement of Attainment for the five units. It does not expire.
It is emailed to you when you finish, and stays available to download from your student account.
Edway Training (RTO 91401) delivers the course and issues the Statement of Attainment.
Then you apply to Service NSW
The course is the education step. The permit is a separate application, and the course on its own is not the permit.
Apply online with a MyServiceNSW account, or book an appointment at a service centre. You will need your course evidence, a current White Card, proof of identity, proof that you own the land or hold a long-term lease, and your development approval (DA) or complying development certificate (CDC).
You pay an application fee when you apply. Building Commission NSW assesses the application and tells you the result.
At this stage you present the plastic White Card. The interim SafeWork NSW certificate is not accepted there. If your White Card was issued more than 2 years ago and you have not worked in construction since, you need to redo it first.
Where it applies
In NSW, a permit is required for building work worth more than $10,000 on a dwelling where development consent is required, and the approved education — or an approved equivalent — is required once the work is worth $20,000 or more.
The course is built for the NSW permit scheme. It is not a portable national qualification: other states and territories run their own owner-builder schemes and set their own education rules.
Next step
To enrol, see the Owner Builder Course (NSW).
You will need a current White Card when you apply for the permit — if you do not hold one yet, there is also the White Card course.
For anything about the course itself, contact us through the site's contact page.
Sources
- Service NSW — Apply for an Owner-Builder PermitThe permit application steps and documents, the application fee, and the $10,000 and $20,000 thresholds
- Building Commission NSW — Working as an owner-builderThe body that assesses an owner-builder permit application
- training.gov.au — CPCCWHS2001, CPCCOM2001, CPCCCM1011, CPCCOM1013 and CPCCOM1014Unit codes and official unit titles
- NSW Fair Trading — owner-builder permit schemeThe regulator responsible for the NSW owner-builder permit scheme and its education requirement
