Owner-builders in Queensland
What the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991, its Regulation and QBCC set for building your own home.
What an owner-builder must meet
| The rule | In Queensland | The source's words |
|---|---|---|
| When a permit is needed | For work valued at more than $11,000: the Regulation's limit for owner-builder work without a permit (Schedule 1, section 33(1)(a); section 43E of the Act) | “the value of the work is not more than $11,000” QBCC Regulation 2018 (Qld) |
| The course | Proof of a completed owner-builder course goes with the application (section 44(4)(d)) | “proof that an owner-builder course has been successfully completed” Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) |
| Home warranty insurance | None: owner-builders can't get cover under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme | “Owner-builders are not eligible for insurance through the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme.” QBCC, About owner building |
| Selling within 6 years | Tell the prospective buyer in writing | “If you sell the property within 6 years of the completion date, you must tell the prospective buyer in writing.” QBCC, About owner building |
| Work that needs a licence | Building work that needs an occupational licence is carried out by a person who holds one (section 43D) | “unless the work is carried out by a person who holds a licence” 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
- QBCC Regulation 2018 (Qld): Schedule 1, section 33(1)(a). Read 24/10/2026.
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld): sections 43D, 43E, 44(4)(d). Read 24/10/2026.
- QBCC, About owner building (published 12/12/2025). Read 24/10/2026.
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld): Schedule 1B, sections 40(2), 40(3), 40(5). Read 27/09/2026.
Ask your builder to put it in writing
- $9.90 to send it. Your builder signs free, and the preview PDF is free.
- Your builder signs from a link. We email it to them; they sign on a phone or a computer, no app or account. If they won't sign, you're told why.
- 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.