Do I need an owner builder permit in Queensland?

The two questions that decide it

QBCC issues owner builder permits so people can do or manage their own residential building work without a contractor licence. Whether you need one comes down to the value of the work and your interest in the land.

• Value: is the whole project worth more than $11,000 including GST at trade prices, as if a licensed contractor supplied all the labour and materials, even if you do the work yourself?
• Land: are you on the title, a director of the company that owns the land, or a lessee with the owner’s written consent? Only those people can hold a permit.

What counts as building work

QBCC lists the residential work a permit can cover. If your project is one of these and worth more than $11,000, you need a permit before anything starts on site, including excavation.

• A new home.
• Renovations, alterations and extensions, including decks and verandahs attached to the house.
• Garages, carports and residential sheds.
• Swimming pools for residential use.
• Pergolas and outdoor entertainment areas.

When you do not need a permit

A permit is not needed in these situations. Council building approval and the licensing rules for individual trades still apply.

• The whole project is worth $11,000 or less at trade prices.
• A QBCC-licensed builder is contracted to carry out and supervise all of the work. You are the client, and the builder’s licence covers the job.
• The work is a farm building worth $27,500 or less.
• You are a current QBCC licensee doing work within your licence class.

Work a permit never covers

Some work needs a licence at any value. You must engage licensed contractors for plumbing, drainage, gasfitting and termite management, and a licensed electrician for electrical work. QBCC also bars fire protection or mechanical services work over $1,100, removing more than 10 square metres of asbestos, and commercial, industrial or multiple-dwelling buildings.

Penalties

Carrying out owner builder work without a permit, or outside the conditions of your permit, is an offence under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991. QBCC says you can be fined, prosecuted, and have your permit cancelled, after which you cannot apply again for six years. Your council can also order unapproved work to be dismantled.

The decision path

Work through these in order.

• 1. Is it residential building work on land you own, lease with consent, or hold as a company director? If not, the owner has to apply.
• 2. Add up the trade value of the whole project, including GST and every trade needed to finish. Do not split it into stages.
• 3. If the total is $11,000 or less ($27,500 for a farm building), no permit is needed.
• 4. If a licensed builder is contracting to do the whole job, no permit is needed.
• 5. Otherwise, complete the owner builder course, apply to QBCC and wait for the permit before starting.