Do I Need Different Builders for Albury (NSW) and Wodonga (VIC)?

If you're comparing builders in the Albury-Wodonga region, there's a detail worth checking before you sign anything: whether your builder is actually licensed to build on both sides of the Murray River.

Do builders need separate licences for NSW and Victoria?

Yes. A builder's licence issued in New South Wales does not automatically cover work in Victoria, and vice versa - they are two separate state regulatory systems with different registration bodies, different compliance requirements, and different consumer protections.

A builder who only holds a NSW licence legally cannot take on a build in Wodonga, Baranduda, or Leneva, even though those suburbs are only minutes from Albury.

Is Giblin Construction Group licensed in both states?

Yes. Giblin Construction Group holds a NSW builder's licence (297021C), a Victorian company building registration (CDB-U 62057), and Josh Giblin personally holds an individual Victorian builder's registration (DB-U 46145).

That means we can take on a project in Albury, Lavington, or Thurgoona on the NSW side, or in Wodonga, Baranduda, or Leneva on the Victorian side, without needing to bring in a second, unfamiliar builder to cover the other state.

Why does this actually matter for homeowners?

Beyond the legal requirement, dual licensing solves a real practical problem for this region specifically: a lot of families searching for land or considering a knockdown-rebuild aren't fixed on one particular side of the border. If your search includes both Thurgoona and Wodonga, working with a single builder registered in both states means one point of contact, one set of project management processes, and no risk of discovering partway through your search that your preferred builder can't actually take the job once you find the right block.

It also means fewer surprises during the approval process. AlburyCity Council and Wodonga Council have different requirements for things like stormwater management, bushfire attack level (BAL) assessments in outer suburbs, and heritage considerations in older parts of Albury - a builder who regularly works across both systems knows what each council will ask for before it becomes a delay.

What should I ask a builder before hiring them?

If you're talking to any builder in this region, it's worth asking directly: "Which state licences do you hold, and can you show me the registration numbers?"

A legitimate local builder should be able to answer immediately. You can also verify registration numbers yourself through NSW Fair Trading or the Victorian Building Authority if you want independent confirmation.

Whether your project sits in Albury, Wodonga, or you haven't decided which side of the border yet, contact Giblin Construction Group to discuss a build that isn't limited by a state line.