A Narrogin man has been fined $12,000 for four breaches of WA's building laws, including contracting for building work without the required registration and taking an excessive deposit.
- Contracted for home building work without the required registration
- 30 per cent deposit taken when only 6.5 per cent was allowed
- Consumers urged to avoid big deposits and check the builder is registered
A Narrogin man has been fined $12,000 for four breaches of WA's building laws, including contracting for building work without the required registration and taking an excessive deposit.
Shane Ronald Owens, trading as Owens Building, did not attend Narrogin Magistrates Court on 2 October 2026 when he was convicted of four charges in relation to a property in the Wheatbelt town of Highbury.
According to information presented in court by the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, Mr Owens contracted for home building work valued at $92,888.40 in September 2023. The work included a roof replacement, construction of an ensuite with a walk-in robe and a large timber deck.
Registration as a building contractor was required for this project because it was valued at more than $20,000 and required a building permit. Mr Owens has never held this registration.
Mr Owens also sought a $27,866.52 deposit, representing 30 per cent of the contract price. A maximum deposit of 6.5 per cent is allowed under the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 before commencing home building work valued between $7,500 and $500,000.
The court was told the homeowner paid the deposit, but no work was carried out.
The same laws also require that homeowners be given a prescribed notice outlining their contractual rights, and be signed and dated, which Mr Owens did not do.
Magistrate Myers sentenced Mr Owens to a fine of $7,500 for the registration offence, $3,500 for the excessive deposit and $1,000 for the two contract offences. He was also ordered to pay $821.30 in costs.
A separate payment arrangement is in place for Mr Owens to refund the deposit.
Building Commissioner Phil Payne said the conduct undermined the protections provided by WA's builder registration scheme and home building contract laws.
"The home building works in this case were far beyond the limit allowed by an unregistered person," Mr Payne said.
"Homeowners are encouraged to seek evidence of a builder's contractor registration before entering into a building contract valued at more than $20,000 and requiring a building permit.
"Consumers are protected by home building contract legislation, which includes the 6.5 per cent deposit limit to help avoid situations where large sums of money are taken and work is never carried out."
Registrations can be checked at the Building and Energy website or the ServiceWA app .
