Permits and Approvals for Strip Out Demolition in WA

The three separate approval questions

Every WA strip out job actually raises three different regulatory questions, run by different bodies: does the building work need a permit from your local government (Building Act 2011 (WA)); does the demolition work need a licensed contractor and notification to WorkSafe WA; and does any asbestos trigger the removal licensing rules. They get tangled together in conversation, so this page takes them one at a time.

One thing this page will not do is promise you an outcome. Permit decisions belong to your local government and the state regulators, not to this website or any contractor — nobody can guarantee an approval will be granted, and anyone who does is guessing.

1. Demolition permits — when a BA5 applies

Under section 20 of the Building Act 2011 (WA) and the Building Regulations 2012, demolishing a building or an incidental structure requires a demolition permit, applied for on form BA5 to the permit authority — which is your local government. The City of Perth's BA5 page is a good example of what councils ask for: a site plan, a demolition method, and a waste management plan. The Act itself is on legislation.wa.gov.au, and the state's overview of building approvals is at wa.gov.au.

The practical distinction for strip out work:

• Usually no BA5 needed: removing fixtures, fittings, cabinetry, wall and floor tiles, floor coverings, cornices, and non-loadbearing internal partitions from a building that remains standing. That is internal strip out work, not demolition of a building.
• BA5 required: demolishing the whole building, or a free-standing incidental structure — a garage, a patio, an outbuilding.
• Building permit (not a BA5) required: structural alterations to a building you are keeping — most importantly, removing a loadbearing wall. That is building work under the Act and generally needs an engineer's design for the replacement support.

Councils across the Perth metro do not all draw these lines in exactly the same place, and some ask for a demolition permit in situations others would not. At the time of writing the state's own BA05 publication page was not reachable to verify current wording, so treat the above as orientation, not gospel: confirm your specific scope with your local government's building services team before booking work. It is a ten-minute phone call that removes all the guesswork.

2. WorkSafe WA demolition licences

Separately from the permit system, WA regulates who may carry out demolition work. WorkSafe WA (under the Work Health and Safety framework that replaced the old OSH regime in 2022) licenses demolition contractors by class — Class 1 covering the widest scope of structural demolition and Class 2 a more limited scope — and requires notification to WorkSafe before certain demolition work begins. The former Class 3 category, which covered removal of large areas of fragile roofing, was changed under the 2022 WHS regulations. Current class definitions and notification rules are on WorkSafe's demolition page.

For a genuinely internal, non-structural strip out, demolition licensing is typically not triggered. The moment the scope grows to include structural elements — loadbearing walls, roof structures, floor structures, or the building itself — licensed-contractor and notification requirements can apply. If your renovation sits near that line, check the scope against WorkSafe's guidance or ask your council.

Because this is a referral site, one obligation lands on you directly: verify the licence of whichever contractor you engage yourself, through WorkSafe WA — this site does not verify contractors' licences or insurance on your behalf. The disclaimer explains that arrangement in full.

3. Asbestos — the rules with no shortcuts

Australia fully banned asbestos at the end of 2003, and WA homes built before 1990 are treated as likely to contain asbestos materials — commonly in wet-area wall sheeting, eaves, vinyl flooring backing and fencing — until testing proves otherwise. Given how much of Perth's renovation stock dates from the 1960s to the 1980s, this is the rule that matters most on real strip out jobs.

The WA licensing position, per WorkSafe WA and the Department's Class A licence page:

• 10 m² or more of bonded (non-friable) asbestos — removal must be carried out by a WorkSafe WA licensed removalist. A Class B licence covers bonded material; a Class A licence covers all asbestos.
• Friable asbestos — crumbling, damaged or loosely bound material — may only be removed by a Class A licence holder, in any quantity.
• Under 10 m² of bonded material — the law technically permits unlicensed removal, but WorkSafe's consistent guidance is to use a licensed professional, and this site will not describe any do-it-yourself asbestos method. The health consequences of getting it wrong are permanent, and the cost difference is small.

On a strip out, the standard sequence is: pre-1990 building, suspect material identified, work in that area stops, samples go to a NATA-accredited lab, and confirmed asbestos is removed by a separately engaged licensed removalist with clearance before the strip out resumes. Typical costs for that are on the pricing page.

Where to check the primary sources

• Building Act 2011 (WA) and Building Regulations 2012 — legislation.wa.gov.au
• Building approvals overview and forms — wa.gov.au (Building and Energy)
• Demolition licensing and notifications — worksafe.wa.gov.au
• Asbestos licensing and the removalist register — worksafe.wa.gov.au and commerce.wa.gov.au
• Your local government's building services department — for the final word on your specific property

Unsure which side of a line your job falls on? Describe the scope on (08) 6171 2654 and the contractor who quotes it can tell you what they believe applies — then confirm it with your council before anyone starts.