Planning your own building project is a big task.
Get the right advice before you start. Talk to our building certifiers, plumbing inspectors and Technical Advice team. Find out the building requirements for your property and what approvals you might need.
Building work requirements depend on the size and nature of the planned work.
You need approval for most types of building work. This could be land use planning or development approval.
Development can include:
- building work
- plumbing or drainage work
- operational work
- reconfiguring a block of land
- materially changing the use of the premises.
You may not need a permit for some minor building works. For more information, see Building work that needs approval.
To find out if you need a building approval:
Accepted development
Some building work is considered accepted development under the Building Regulation 2021 (Qld), Schedule 1.
This means you don’t need a building approval for these types of work, subject to requirements. You must still ensure the work complies with any applicable standards.
Accepted building work includes some class 10 buildings and structures, such as:
- small tool sheds
- chicken coops
- greenhouses
- certain fences and retaining walls
- unroofed decks where the floor is less than 1m above natural ground level.
For class 10 buildings to be deemed accepted development, they must:
- have a floor area of less than 10m²
- be no higher than 2.4m
- have a mean height of no more than 2.1m
- have no side longer than 5m.
A fence or retaining wall must be no more than 2m above natural ground level. This does not include:
- swimming pool fencing
- retaining walls more than 1m high.
Free-standing signs (detached from a building) are also accepted development if they’re:
- no higher than 2m
- no wider than 1.2m.
For more information, see Self-assessing building work.
Exempt development
Some building work is considered exempt development under the:
This means you don’t need a building approval for the work. You must still ensure it complies with any applicable standards.
Exempt building work includes:
- erecting tents with a floor area of less than 100m²
- attaching sunhoods or window awnings of less than 2m² to an existing building
- installing playground equipment and market stalls under 10m² and no more than 3m above the natural ground surface.
For more information, see Buildings exempt from approval.
You can lodge an application through a licensed building certifier. They'll take you through the application requirements.
You can also lodge an application to Council either:
- online (preferred)
- by email
- in person.
Provide as much detail as possible in your application, including supporting reasons for your request.
Depending on the type of building work you're planning, you'll need to provide certain documents such as site plans.
Find out how to prepare and lodge a properly made application.
Apply online (preferred)
- Go to the online customer service portal.
- Register an account per business or person to track your application’s progress.
- Complete the online application form and provide all required supporting documents.
- Pay the application fee in line with our fees and charges.
Apply in person
- Complete the application form and gather the required supporting documents.
- Apply in person at your local Customer Service Centre.
- Pay the application fee in line with our fees and charges.
Assessing your application
After you submit your application, we'll do a site inspection of the property.
We'll assess the proposal in your application and advise you of the outcome.
To find out what approvals you might need:
Building certifiers assess building approval applications in line with the:
All building certifiers in Queensland must be licensed with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). They must also be accredited by either the:
Certifiers are bound by a strict code of conduct. They must always act in the public interest. Severe penalties apply if they don’t.
You can lodge a complaint against a building certifier with the QBCC.
For more information, see Building certifiers.
Building inspections
Building certifiers issue a building approval (or decision notice). They also inspect the building work at different stages to ensure it meets the approval.
Building certifiers don’t supervise the quality of the building work. Instead, they make sure it follows the approved plans and relevant building standards. This is a condition of the building approval.
Building inspections occur at different stages of construction:
- Footing or excavation
- Slab
- Frame
- Fire separation
- Final.
You must work with the contractor to ensure the building work is of an acceptable standard. An architect or designer can also supervise aspects of the work.
Once the work is ready for inspection, the builder must tell the building certifier.
For more information, see Building inspections.
An owner builder is a person who builds or renovates their own home. You can be an owner builder on your own building work, but there are a few things to be aware of.
If you’re managing the work yourself, you must still follow:
- building approval requirements
- workplace health and safety obligations
- the Building Act 1975 (Qld)
- all associated regulations.
Owner builder permits
If you want to carry out building work valued at more than $11,000 (including GST) on your own property, you need an owner builder permit. The value of the work includes labour and materials. Owner builder permits are issued by the QBCC.
For farm building work, this value can be up to $27,500.
Most people need to do an owner builder course before applying for an owner builder permit.
Find out more at the QBCC website.
Insurance as an owner builder
As an owner builder, the QBCC home warranty insurance doesn’t cover you for the building work.
This insurance only protects homeowners who have a contract with a licensed contractor. It’s compulsory for all residential construction work valued at more than $3300.
This insurance protects consumers in cases where:
- subsidence or settlement impacts the building
- the contractor fails to fix defective work
- the contractor fails to complete the building work and the consumer is not at fault.
Because you’re not covered by this insurance, you’ll need to arrange your own comprehensive insurance for the work.
Your role and responsibilities as an owner builder
As an owner builder, you’re the head contractor. This means you’re responsible for:
- handling subcontractors
- resolving any disputes
- checking the quality of workmanship.
You’re also responsible for meeting all industry regulations for the building work on your property.
Building site waste
Do not try to remove or handle any building site materials that may contain asbestos fibres. Hire a licensed contractor who specialises in asbestos removal and services.
For more information, see our page about Asbestos.
Check for underground services
Before you carry out any groundworks, visit Before You Dig Australia. Check for any underground pipe and cable networks on your property.
You're responsible for any development on your property, so talk to us on 131 872 before starting any work.
Working with a builder contractor
If you engage a licensed builder contractor for the project, you each have different responsibilities. You deal directly with the contractor, and they are then responsible for any subcontractors.
As the homeowner, you’re also responsible for arranging the building approval and inspections. The building contractor has obligations for the approval and inspection process.
Some builders offer a complete design, approval, and construction package. If the builder is arranging the building approval and inspections for you, make sure you:
- agree on these arrangements with the builder
- record details of the agreement in the contract.
The builder must comply with any lawful building work requirement. You may have some protection under the contract against the builder. You’re responsible for making sure the building work is compliant.
What to do if building work is unsatisfactory
If you’re not happy with the quality of the work, first talk to your builder.
If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can then file a dispute with the QBCC.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) also decides domestic and commercial building disputes. To contact QCAT:
Sometimes previous building work may have been constructed without the right approval.
If you sell the property or lodge an additional application, you need to get approval for the work after the fact.
This is not a simple process because:
- QBCC does not issue retrospective owner builder permits
- QBCC insurance does not cover building work without an approval
- your home insurance policy may not cover you in case of an accident.
You may have to remove parts of the work, such as the wall sheeting and external cladding, for an inspection.
The work may be hidden, preventing the building certifier or an engineer from inspecting it, such as the footings and slab.
If you can’t get approval, you may need to remove the work.
For more information call us on 131 872.
Disclaimer
The information on this page is only a guide. Toowoomba Regional Council has prepared this information to help people understand the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme and building legislation. Consult the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme for detailed information, including maps (zones, local plans, overlays and priority infrastructure plans), provisions and policies. This page doesn't replace the provisions of the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme and building legislation.