Building contracts in Queensland
What Schedule 1B of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 and the QBCC Regulation 2018 set for a home building contract.
What a home building contract must meet
| The rule | In Queensland | The source's words |
|---|---|---|
| When the contract rules apply | A regulated contract: more than $3,300 (Schedule 1B, sections 1 and 5) | “regulated amount means $3,300 or the higher amount, if any, prescribed by a regulation.” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| A level 2 contract | $20,000 or more (section 45) | “the prescribed amount is $20,000.” QBCC Regulation 2018 (Qld) |
| What the contract must contain | In writing, dated and signed; the parties, the licence name and number, a description, the plans, the price, the date for practical completion and the cooling-off notice; a level 2 contract adds the start date, the statutory warranties and more (Schedule 1B, sections 13 and 14) | “The contract must be in writing and dated and signed by or on behalf of each of the parties to it.” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| The deposit | 10% on a level 1 contract; 5% on a level 2 contract; 20% where off-site work is more than 50% (Schedule 1B, section 33(1)) | “for a level 2 regulated contract (other than a contract mentioned in paragraph (c))—5% of the contract price” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| Cooling-off | 5 business days after the owner receives a copy of the signed contract (Schedule 1B, section 35(1)) | “may withdraw from the contract within 5 business days after the day on which the owner receives a copy of the signed contract” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| The owner's copy | Within 5 business days after the contract is entered into (Schedule 1B, section 15) | “Within 5 business days after entering into a regulated contract, the building contractor must give the building owner a readily legible signed copy” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| Progress payments | Directly related to the progress of the work at the site (Schedule 1B, section 34(1)) | “is directly related to the progress of carrying out the subject work at the building site” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| Home warranty insurance | Where the insurable value of the work is more than the regulated amount (section 67WC(1)) | “if carried out by a licensed contractor and the insurable value of the work is more than the regulated amount” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
Not legal advice — your contract's own terms matter too.
Variations in Queensland
- The builder must not start the varied work before the owner agrees to the variation in writing (Schedule 1B, section 40(5); 20 penalty units).
- The owner must get a copy in writing before the earlier of 5 business days after the agreement and the start of the varied work (section 40(2)); it may be given by email (section 40(3)).
The rest of Queensland's variation rules, and the form set to them: variations in Queensland.
Sources
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld): Schedule 1B, sections 1, 5, 13, 14, 15, 33(1), 34(1), 35(1), 40(2), 40(3), 40(5). Read 27/09/2026 and 24/10/2026.
- QBCC Regulation 2018 (Qld): section 45. Read 24/10/2026.
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld): section 67WC(1). Read 24/10/2026.
Fill in the variation
- $9.90 to send it. Filling it in and the preview PDF are free.
- Both parties sign it. The other party signs from the link we email them, on a phone or a computer — no app, no account.
- Follows your state's rules. It asks for what your state requires and prints its statement, and the PDF ends with a signing record: who signed, when, and from which device.
See a signed example (PDF)A fictional job, signed by both parties.