Self-assessable building work

Details

Last Updated: Wednesday, 09 January 2019 11:13

Some minor building work is deemed to be self-assessable. While a building permit is not required for self-assessable development, the owner is responsible to ensure it complies with any applicable standards and codes, such as structural sufficiency, size limits, Building Codes of Australia, Queensland Development Code and Council's planning scheme.

If your project is self-assessable, you do not need anything in writing from Council to commence the activity, provided you carry out a self-assessment to make sure you comply with the relevant code.

Building regulations*

Building work is deemed to be self-assessable where:

• The building work is for a Class 10 building or structure, and:

1. The building or structure is used exclusively as a greenhouse, unroofed pergola, unroofed deck not higher than 1 metre above natural ground level, gazebo, conservatory, summerhouse, fuel shed, lawn locker, tool house, cycle shed, aviary, milking bail, hay shed, stable, fowl house, pigsty, barn or for a similar purpose; and
   
   
2. for a building or structure attached to another Class 10 building or structure, the plan area (including overhangs and existing plan area) is not more than 10 square metres; and
   
   
3. for a detached building or structure, the plan area (including overhangs and existing plan area) is not more than 10 square metres; and
   
   
4. for a Class 10 building or structure attached to, or detached from, a single detached Class 1 building or Class 10 building or structure, the building has above the natural ground;
   
   
   • a height of not more than 2.4 metres; and
   • a mean height of not more than 2.1 metres; and
   • any side of the building or structure is no longer than 5 metres.

• It is a fence no higher than 2 metres above natural ground surface, other than swimming pool fences to which Chapter 8 of the Building Act applies.
  
  
• It is a non-load bearing aerial, antennae, satellite dish with a maximum diameter of 900 millimetres, flagpole, mast or tower, outside areas covered by airport Obstacle Limitation Surfaces Standards (OLS) of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and it is:
  1. detached from a building or structure and not more than 10 metres above natural ground surface and within the building envelope; or
     
     
  2. attached to a building or structure, is not more than 3.5 metres above the building or structure
     
     
• It is a retaining wall with no surcharge loadings and:
  
  
  1. the total finished height of the wall, or the total height of the fill or cut retained is not more than 1 metre above the adjoining ground level; and
     
     
  2. the wall is no closer than 1.5 metres to a building or another retaining wall.
     
     
• It is filling or excavation and:
  
  
  1. the proposed cut or fill is no deeper than 1 metre in relation to natural ground level; and
     
     
  2. any cut embankment is not steeper than:
     
     
     1. for sand - 2 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
     2. for silt - 4 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
     3. for firm clay - 1 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
     4. for soft clay - 3 horizontal to 2 vertical; and
        
        
  3. any fill embankment is not steeper than 4 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
     
     
  4. any compacted fill embankment is not steeper than:
     
     
     1. for sand - 3 horizontal to 2 vertical; and
     2. for silt - 4 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
     3. for firm clay - 2 horizontal to 1 vertical; and
        
        
  5. The building work is for a Class 10 building used exclusively as a greenhouse, conservatory, summerhouse, fuel shed, lawn locker, tool house, cycle shed, aviary, milking bail, hay shed, stable, fowl house, pigsty or barn or for a similar purpose, and it is:
     
     
  1. on land used for agricultural, horticultural, floricultural or pastoral purposes; and
  2. not part of the building is within 200 metres of a road or a boundary of the land on which the building is situated.
     
     
• It involves affixing minor attachments to an existing building, such as sun hoods projecting no more than 1 metre from the building, sun blinds, roof ventilators, basketball hoops or similar attachments.
  
  
• The building work involves minor structures no higher than 3 metres above natural ground level, such as playground and sporting equipment, garden furniture, temporary market stalls, minor plant and equipment covers, and similar structures.
  
  
• It involves repairs and maintenance to an existing building or structure and:
  
  
  1. the structural adequacy of the building or structure is not reduced; and
  2. fire safety of the building or structure is not reduced
     
     

* References

Building Regulation 2006, Schedule 1

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