Does the six-year notice apply if the work was small?

It applies to work done under an owner builder permit, so to any project over $11,000. Work under the threshold does not need a permit, but disclose it anyway if it needed council approval.

Can I get another permit after I sell?

QBCC issues one permit every six years in most cases. To owner build again within six years you have to apply for an exemption from the six-year rule, which has no fee but is not automatic.

Does the title notation stop the sale?

No. It is an administrative advice that alerts buyers to the owner builder work. It stays for seven years unless you have it removed earlier.

What if I bought the home from an owner builder and now want to sell?

The notice obligation applies to whoever sells within six years of the work being completed, so you may need to give your buyer a notice too. Ask your solicitor.

101ed

Selling an owner-built home in Queensland

Updated 24 September 2026

Short answer

If you sell within six years of completing owner builder work you must give the buyer a signed notice before the contract that describes the work, names the permit holder and warns that the work is not covered by insurance under the QBCC Act. Without it, you are taken to have warranted the work and can be liable for defects.

The six-year rule

Under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991, anyone selling a property with owner builder work completed in the previous six years must tell the buyer before the contract is signed. The rule exists because owner builder work is not covered by the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, so the buyer has no insurance to fall back on if the work is defective. The six years run from completion of the work, not from the date the permit was issued.

What the notice must contain

QBCC sets out what the written notice must include.

A description of the building work carried out.
The name of the owner builder permit holder.
A statement that the work was carried out under an owner builder permit.
The prescribed warning, word for word: “Warning — the building work to which this notice relates is not covered by insurance under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991”.

How to give it

Prepare two copies of the notice and give both to the buyer before the contract is signed. The buyer signs one copy and returns it to you before or when they sign the contract; keep it with the contract and the permit. Most conveyancers attach the notice to the contract as a disclosure document. QBCC recommends getting legal advice when you sell an owner-built home, and your solicitor will usually draft the notice.

If you do not give the notice

The law presumes you have given the buyer a warranty that the building work was properly carried out. That makes you responsible for building faults that show up later, potentially years after settlement, whether or not you meant to hide anything. Selling without a notice also does not remove the record: the buyer’s solicitor will see the owner builder advice on the title and ask why there is no notice.

The notation on the title

When QBCC issues a permit it records an owner builder administrative advice against the land title. It stays there for seven years. Titles Queensland removes it automatically when the next dealing is registered after the seven years, or you can ask for earlier removal by lodging a Form 14 General Request and paying the administrative fee. The advice is not a defect on the title, but any buyer doing a title search will see it.

What buyers will ask for

Expect the buyer’s solicitor to request the following. Having it ready avoids delays and price negotiations at contract stage.

The owner builder permit and the description of the work it covered.
Council building approval and the certifier’s final inspection certificate.
Compliance certificates and invoices from the licensed plumber, electrician, gasfitter and termite contractor.
Any engineering certificates for slabs, retaining walls or structural steel.
The signed owner builder notice.

Frequently asked questions

It applies to work done under an owner builder permit, so to any project over $11,000. Work under the threshold does not need a permit, but disclose it anyway if it needed council approval.
QBCC issues one permit every six years in most cases. To owner build again within six years you have to apply for an exemption from the six-year rule, which has no fee but is not automatic.
No. It is an administrative advice that alerts buyers to the owner builder work. It stays for seven years unless you have it removed earlier.
The notice obligation applies to whoever sells within six years of the work being completed, so you may need to give your buyer a notice too. Ask your solicitor.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and processing times are QBCC’s published figures at the date above and are reviewed by QBCC each 1 July.

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