Knowledge · Contracts
HIA or Master Builders.
The form you sign is the one that governs.
Neither is better across the board. Both are sound, state-specific residential contracts. Use the one from the body you belong to, pick the form that matches the job, and check what your state allows. Here is how they compare, which to use, and how to get them.
Written by Brad Caldon, Founder, VIABUILD. Licensed builder (NSW) · Registered Building Practitioner (Class 1 to 9) · B.Construction Management (Hons) · Last reviewed 4 November 2026
The answer
Neither is better.
Use the contract from the body you belong to, pick the form that matches the job, and check what your state allows. NSW and Queensland also publish free regulator templates.
01 / Short answer
Which is better, HIA or Master Builders?
Neither. HIA and Master Builders contracts are the two main families of standard-form residential building contract in Australia, and both are drafted for the domestic building legislation of each state. The usual starting point is the one published by the body you belong to, because members pay less on that body’s forms. Anyone can use HIA Contracts Online (members get a discount); Master Builders eDocs and eContracts are members-only. Within that family, pick the form that matches the job (new home, renovation, smaller works or cost plus) in your state’s edition, and check that your state allows that contract type. If you belong to neither, both sell to non-members, and in NSW and Queensland the regulator publishes free templates as well.
The differences between the two sit in the detail: wording, definitions, notice periods and the exact mechanics of a variation or an extension of time. That detail is what decides a dispute, which is why the form you know best is usually the right one to use. The regulatory framework both sit inside is covered in the contracts reference, and the pricing structures they carry in building contract types and fixed price vs cost plus.
Everything on this page is general information, not legal advice. Forms, prices and state rules change, so confirm the current version with the publisher and your state regulator before you sign, and get legal advice on anything you are unsure about.
02 / Side by side
How the two families compare
The two suites are more alike than different in what they do, and different enough in how they do it that they cannot be treated as interchangeable.
Who publishes them
HIA contracts come from one national body, the Housing Industry Association, which issues a separate edition for each state. Master Builders contracts come from the state and territory associations (Master Builders Victoria, Master Builders NSW and so on), each with its own range, form names and store. Both sell to members at a discount and to non-members at a higher price.
What they have in common
Both are professionally drafted standard forms written for the domestic building legislation of the state they are used in, and both cover the same ground: price, scope, progress payments, variations, extensions of time, practical completion, defects and dispute resolution. Both offer separate forms for new homes, renovations and cost plus work, plus smaller-job forms.
Where they differ
They are different documents with different wording, definitions, notice periods and mechanisms. A clause that works one way in an HIA form may be handled differently in the Master Builders equivalent, which is why the two are not interchangeable in the detail, even when both are the right type of contract for the job.
The state edition matters most
An HIA new homes contract in Victoria and its Queensland counterpart are different documents, because they track different legislation. On any given job, the bigger difference is usually not HIA versus Master Builders. It is which state edition, and which form within it, is being used.
03 / Choosing
Which one should I use?
Work through it in this order: which body you belong to, what the job is, and what your state allows. The publisher matters less than getting the right form for the work.
You are already a member of one body
Use that body’s forms. HIA members pay roughly half the non-member price on HIA paper contracts and get a discount on HIA Contracts Online (anyone can use the platform). Master Builders members pay less on paper forms and get the association’s members-only eDocs or eContracts. Each body also offers member advice services when a clause is in question.
You are a member of neither
Both will sell you paper contracts at the non-member price, and anyone can use HIA Contracts Online at the non-member rate. In NSW and Queensland the regulator also publishes free templates. Membership starts to pay when you sign enough contracts a year for the member discount (and, for Master Builders, the members-only eDocs or eContracts) and the advice that comes with it.
A new home on a fixed price
Use the new homes (new dwellings) lump-sum form for your state from whichever publisher you use. HIA sells a new-homes form in each state checked for this page. Master Builders Victoria and Master Builders NSW do too. Master Builders Queensland’s current range was not verified for this page, so check with the association.
A renovation, extension or alteration
Use the alterations, additions and renovations form, not the new homes form. Both publishers also sell smaller-job forms (small works or minor works) for lower contract values, within the limits your state sets.
The scope cannot be priced up front
Both publishers sell cost plus forms, but whether you may use one is set by your state, not by the publisher. In Victoria, cost plus is generally only permitted above $1 million. Check your state’s rules and take advice before reaching for it.
Your client hands you their own contract
Treat it as a contract you have not read until you have. A form you do not know, in a state edition you have not used, is the riskiest option of all. Have it reviewed against your state’s legislation before you sign.
The decision that matters more than the badge is to standardise. A builder who commits to one suite and learns it gains the ability to run the job off the contract’s actual definitions. When the completion definition, the variation formalities and the extension of time notice periods are the same familiar mechanisms on every job, they become tools rather than traps. In practice, the builders who get caught out are rarely using the wrong publisher. They are using a form they have never read past the price and the dates.
04 / Getting the forms
How to get HIA and Master Builders contracts
HIA contracts
Buy paper contracts from the HIA shop or create them digitally in HIA Contracts Online, where HIA says forms are updated when legislation changes and a builder can add their logo and reuse job details. Non-members can buy; members get the discounted price. HIA also publishes guides to choosing a contract in WA, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
Master Builders contracts
Go to your own state or territory association, not the national body. The associations checked for this page each run a store for paper forms, sold to members and non-members at different prices, and a members-only digital system (eDocs in Victoria and the ACT, eContracts in NSW) with electronic signing.
The regulator’s free templates
In NSW, Building Commission NSW publishes free home building contracts for work between $5,000 and $20,000 and for work over $20,000. In Queensland, the QBCC publishes free templates including a new home construction contract and Level 1 and Level 2 renovation contracts.
Prices as published when checked on 6 October 2026: HIA listed its Victorian New Homes Contract and NSW New Dwellings Contract (each a pack of two) at $111 for non-members and $55.50 for members. Master Builders Victoria listed a 10-pack of its New Homes Contract (HC-7) at $200.00 for non-members and $130.00 for members. Neither page states whether the price includes GST. Prices change, so check the publisher’s store before you buy.
05 / By state
What changes by state
Both families re-issue their contracts for each state because the legislation underneath differs. The notes below cover the states checked for this page. For anywhere else, start with your state’s building regulator or fair trading office.
- New South Wales. Building Commission NSW publishes free home building contracts, one for work between $5,000 and $20,000 and one for work over $20,000 (new homes and major alterations and additions). It says a builder may use their own contract or one bought from an industry association instead, provided a contract for work over $20,000 contains the required items. Master Builders NSW’s lump-sum residential form is the Residential Building (BC4); HIA’s is the NSW New Dwellings Contract.
- Queensland. The QBCC publishes free templates: a new home construction contract, and Level 1 ($3,301 to $19,999) and Level 2 ($20,000 and over) renovation, extension and repair contracts. HIA’s Queensland new homes contract is the QC1. Cost plus is legal for domestic work, but the QBCC strongly recommends legal advice first.
- Victoria. A major domestic building contract applies above $10,000, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says cost plus contracts are only permitted above $1 million. Master Builders Victoria’s forms include the New Homes Contract (HC-7), Home Improvement Contract (HIC-6) and Minor Works Contract (MW-2). Changes to Victoria’s domestic building contract regulations were proposed in 2026, so confirm the current rules before relying on any form.
The thresholds above are the regulators’ figures as published on 6 October 2026. They are general information, not legal advice, and they change. Read them against the current regulator page for your state.
06 / FAQ
Common questions.
Both are families of standard-form residential building contract. HIA contracts are published by the Housing Industry Association, a single national body that issues a separate edition for each state. Master Builders contracts are published by each state and territory Master Builders association, so the range and form names differ from state to state. Both are drafted to comply with the domestic building legislation of the state they are used in and cover the same ground, but they are different documents with different wording, definitions, notice periods and mechanisms. What counts as practical completion, what a valid variation requires and when an extension of time must be claimed are answered by the specific form and edition you signed, not by the body that published it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Neither is universally better, and a builder who tells you one always beats the other is usually telling you which body they belong to. Both suites are competently drafted and written for each state’s legislation. The right choice depends on the job type, the state, which body you are a member of (members pay less on that body’s forms, including HIA Contracts Online; Master Builders eDocs and eContracts are members-only), and which document you and your advisers know best. There is real value in standardising on one suite you understand thoroughly rather than switching job to job, because knowing the exact variation process, notice periods and completion definition is what lets you run the job off the contract rather than off habit.
HIA sells its residential contracts as paper packs through the HIA shop and digitally through HIA Contracts Online, its online platform for creating contracts. HIA says contracts on the platform are updated when legislation changes, and lets a builder add business details and a logo, reuse templates and give staff their own logins. Anyone can buy, and members get a discount. When checked on 6 October 2026, HIA listed its Victorian New Homes Contract and NSW New Dwellings Contract (each a pack of two) at $111 for non-members and $55.50 for members, and its Queensland QC1 New Homes Construction Contract at $67 and $33.50. Prices change, so confirm on HIA’s site.
From the Master Builders association in your state or territory, because each one publishes and sells its own range. They sell paper contracts to members and non-members at different prices, and offer members a digital system with electronic signing: eDocs at Master Builders Victoria and Master Builders ACT, and eContracts at Master Builders NSW, which includes its Residential Building (BC4), Cost Plus Residential, Minor Works and Small Renovations and Additions contracts. When checked on 6 October 2026, Master Builders Victoria listed a 10-pack of its New Homes Contract (HC-7) at $130.00 for members and $200.00 for non-members. In Queensland, contact Master Builders Queensland directly for its current range.
Yes, in the stores checked for this page. HIA lists a non-member price beside the member price for each contract, and the Master Builders associations in Victoria, NSW, the ACT and WA all list non-member prices for paper forms. The digital platforms are where membership matters: Master Builders Victoria says eDocs access is available to members, and Master Builders NSW says eContracts is exclusive to members.
For a new home, the options include the HIA Queensland new homes contract (QC1), the QBCC’s own free new home construction contract, and a contract from Master Builders Queensland (check its current range with the association). For renovations, extensions and repairs, the QBCC publishes free Level 1 (contract price $3,301 to $19,999) and Level 2 ($20,000 and over) templates. Queensland’s domestic building contract rules are in Schedule 1B of the QBCC Act 1991, and the QBCC strongly recommends legal advice before using a cost plus contract for domestic work. This is general information, not legal advice.
Both publishers sell cost plus forms, but the state decides when you may use one. In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria says cost plus contracts are only permitted above $1 million, and on a renovation a cost plus arrangement can cover only the investigative work needed to set the price, with a fixed-price contract for the rest. In Queensland, cost plus is legal for domestic work, but the QBCC strongly recommends legal advice first and warns of reduced homeowner protection under the home warranty scheme. Rules differ in other states, so check with your regulator. The pricing structures themselves are compared in fixed price vs cost plus.
Not as the insurer. HIA Insurance Services is a broker, an authorised representative of Aon, that arranges home warranty insurance for builders, handling eligibility submissions for new builders and the delivery of certificates. It notes that coverage and eligibility requirements differ by state. Buying an HIA contract and arranging home warranty cover are separate steps. The state requirements are covered in the home warranty insurance guide.
Standard-form contracts can generally be amended by special conditions, but on a residential contract this is a legal question rather than a drafting convenience. Domestic building legislation heavily regulates residential contracts, and an amendment that conflicts with a statutory requirement, or tries to contract out of a protection the legislation implies such as the statutory warranties, will not hold and can expose the builder. The value of a standard form is that it is drafted to be compliant as issued, so make amendments with legal advice, never in-house, and never to remove obligations the legislation makes non-excludable.
07 / Keep reading
Related knowledge, guides and features
08 / Further reading
Primary sources
All checked 6 October 2026.
- HIA contracts and compliance and HIA Contracts Online, for the HIA contract range, prices and the digital platform.
- HIA Insurance Services, home warranty insurance, for what the HIA broking service does.
- Master Builders Victoria contracts, Master Builders NSW eContracts and Master Builders Queensland, for the state Master Builders ranges.
- Building Commission NSW, home building contracts to download.
- QBCC, domestic building contracts and cost plus and construction management contracts.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, preparing a major domestic building contract.
Run the job off the contract you signed.
Whichever suite a builder uses, VIABUILD holds the contract's stages, allowances and approved variations against the job, so claims and changes follow the document that was actually signed rather than habit.