How to get an owner builder permit in QLD
To get an owner builder permit in Queensland, you need to be on the property title (or a company director or lessee), complete a QBCC-approved owner builder course, then lodge an application with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) with your title search, ID and a description of the work. The application fee is currently $493.59, and the QBCC usually decides within 30 working days.
You need the permit before any work starts on site, including excavation. Here’s the whole process, step by step, and the mistakes that most often delay an application.
What is an owner builder permit?
An owner builder permit lets you manage a residential building project on your own land without engaging a licensed builder to run the job. You take on the builder’s role: you hire and coordinate the trades, schedule the work, keep the site safe and make sure the work is done properly.
The permit is issued by the QBCC under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991. Without it, residential building work valued over $11,000 must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed builder.
Owner building is popular for new homes, extensions, renovations, sheds, garages and pools, mainly because it can save the builder’s margin. It also means you carry the builder’s risks, which we cover in owner builder vs licensed builder.
Step 1: Check that you need a permit
You need an owner builder permit when the residential building work is valued at more than $11,000, including GST. The limit for genuine farm buildings is $27,500.
The value isn’t what you expect to spend. The QBCC wants the value of the work at trade price including GST, as if you paid a licensed contractor for all labour and materials, even if your brother-in-law is doing it for free or you’re using second-hand materials. Plenty of projects people think are under $11,000 aren’t once they’re valued this way.
If your project is under the limit, you don’t need a permit, but the work must still have any building approvals it needs and licensed trades for things like plumbing and electrical work. Read do I need an owner builder permit in QLD? for a full breakdown of the $11,000 rule and how to value your project.
Step 2: Check that you’re eligible
You can apply if you are:
- An owner listed on the property title
- A company director, where a company owns the land (every director must be included in the application)
- A lessee or someone with another interest in the land, with the owner’s written permission for the work
You can’t get a permit if you, or any other applicant, has:
- held an owner builder permit in the last 6 years (unless the QBCC grants an exemption)
- had an owner builder permit cancelled in the last 3 years
- been served a QBCC notice for Tier 1 defective work
- an unpaid QBCC infringement notice
The 6-year rule
In most cases, you can only have one owner builder permit every 6 years. The QBCC can grant an exemption in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious medical condition or severe financial hardship affecting you or someone you live with, where the proposed work would help. You apply for the exemption separately, and you must have the approval letter before you lodge your permit application.
What you can build
An owner builder permit covers residential work such as:
- a new house
- renovations, alterations and extensions to an existing house
- garages, carports and residential sheds
- residential swimming pools
- pergolas, decks and entertainment areas
- finishing a new house that a QBCC-licensed builder took to a particular stage
It doesn’t cover commercial or industrial buildings, or multiple dwellings such as duplexes, units, boarding houses or attached granny flats.
Step 3: Complete a QBCC-approved owner builder course
Unless you’re exempt, you must complete an owner builder course approved by the QBCC before you apply. The course covers the responsibilities you take on as an owner builder: planning and approvals, contracts and payments, managing trades, work health and safety, quality and defects, and finances.
Things to know about the course:
- It must be approved by the QBCC. The QBCC publishes a list of approved course providers, and each approved course has a course code.
- It must be no more than 5 years old when you lodge your application.
- Only one person needs to do it. If the property is jointly owned, one owner completes the course and becomes the nominated permit holder.
- It can be done online. Approved courses are offered online and face-to-face, and course fees are set by each provider, separately from the QBCC application fee.
Who is exempt from the course?
You don’t need to do the course if you:
- hold a current QBCC licence (you just enter your licence number on the application)
- hold a current interstate builder or trade contractor licence
- hold a qualification that meets the minimum technical qualification for a QBCC licence
- are qualified to work as a civil engineer, architect, building surveyor, assistant building surveyor, building technician, quantity surveyor or electrician (not a restricted licence)
Building experience alone isn’t enough. Apart from current QBCC licensees, you must apply for the exemption and receive the QBCC’s answer before you apply for the permit.
Step 4: Do asbestos awareness training if your home was built before 1990
If you’re renovating, extending or repairing a building that was built before 1990, or where asbestos may be present, you also need to complete asbestos awareness training. The QBCC doesn’t prescribe a specific course, but the nationally accredited course is 11084NAT Course in Asbestos Awareness.
You don’t have to send the certificate with your application, but the QBCC can ask you to produce it within 48 hours, so keep it handy. Owner builders also can’t remove more than 10m² of asbestos without an asbestos removal licence.
Step 5: Gather your documents
You’ll need:
- A title search (or Registration Confirmation Statement) from Titles Queensland, no more than 30 days old
- Photo ID for every applicant, such as a driver’s licence, proof of age card or passport
- Your owner builder course certificate (no more than 5 years old), your QBCC exemption letter, or your QBCC licence number
- The QBCC’s 6-year exemption approval letter, if you’ve held a permit in the last 6 years
- A current company extract, if a company owns the land
- Your lease, proof of ownership and the owner’s letter permitting and describing the work, if you’re a lessee
- Your contract with the licensed builder, if you’re finishing a house a builder took to a particular stage
Every owner, company director or lessee on the title must provide their details, ID and a signed declaration, not just the person who did the course.
Step 6: Describe the work and estimate its value
The application asks for a description of the work and its value at trade price including GST.
- For a new house, include the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and storeys, and the main construction material.
- For renovations and additions, describe the purpose and scope of the work, including any pool, garage, carport or shed.
- If work has already started, describe what’s been done and what’s still to come.
Be thorough. Vague descriptions are one of the most common reasons the QBCC emails applicants asking for more information, which delays the application. The permit also only covers the work it describes, so leaving something out can mean you’re not allowed to do it later without amending the permit.
Step 7: Lodge your application and pay the fee
You can apply online, which lets you fill in the application, pay and submit it in one go, or with the paper form, by email, post or in person at a QBCC customer service centre.
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Owner builder permit application | $493.59 |
| Replacement permit | $35.18 |
| Amending an existing permit | No fee |
| Exemption from the 6-year rule | No fee |
The QBCC sets the application fee on 1 July each year, so check the QBCC owner builder fees page for the current amount. The fee is non-refundable if your application is unsuccessful, and it’s separate from what you pay for your owner builder course.
Step 8: Wait for the decision
The QBCC usually decides applications within 30 working days. It can take longer when the application is complex, when information is missing or when application numbers are high. The QBCC contacts applicants by email, so use an email address you check regularly and respond quickly to any requests.
Your application can’t be assessed until all documents and the fee have been received, so the fastest way through is a complete application the first time.
After your permit is issued
Once you have your permit:
- Get your building approval. A building certifier can’t approve your plans until they’ve sighted your owner builder permit, so the permit usually comes first.
- Put up your sign. Before work starts, you must display a weatherproof sign, visible from the street, at least half a square metre in size, showing your permit number in letters at least 50mm high.
- Only use licensed contractors. Plumbing, drainage, gasfitting and termite management must be done by appropriately licensed trades, and you must hire QBCC-licensed contractors for the work that requires a licence.
- Put contracts in writing with each trade and pay them on time. Payment disputes can go to adjudication under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017.
- Stick to the permit. If your plans change, apply to amend your permit before doing the extra work.
- Manage site safety. You’re responsible for the safety of the trades, visitors and anyone else on site. See do owner builders need a White Card?
Your owner builder work is complete when your certifier issues the final certificate.
The permit goes on your title
When your permit is issued, the QBCC notifies Titles Queensland, and a notice goes on your property title for 7 years. Your name, location and a description of the work also appear on the QBCC’s public owner builder register. If you sell within 6 years of finishing the work, you must give buyers a written notice before they sign the contract. See selling an owner-built house in QLD.
Common mistakes that delay applications
- A title search older than 30 days. Order it close to when you lodge.
- Declarations signed more than 30 days before the QBCC receives them.
- Missing details or signatures from other owners or company directors.
- Undervaluing the work instead of using trade price including GST.
- A vague description of the work.
- Starting work before the permit is issued. This can lead to fines, prosecution and a 6-year ban on reapplying.
- Doing a course that isn’t QBCC-approved, or one that’s more than 5 years old.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get an owner builder permit in QLD?
The QBCC usually decides within 30 working days of receiving a complete application, but allow longer, especially if the QBCC needs more information. You’ll also need time for the owner builder course and any asbestos awareness training before you apply.
How much does an owner builder permit cost in QLD?
The QBCC application fee is currently $493.59. You’ll also pay for an approved owner builder course, a title search from Titles Queensland and, if needed, asbestos awareness training.
Can I do the owner builder course online?
Yes. The QBCC approves owner builder courses delivered online and face-to-face. Make sure the provider is on the QBCC’s list of approved owner builder course providers.
How long does an owner builder permit last?
Your permit has an expiry date, which can’t be extended, and you must follow the conditions printed on it. Check your permit for the dates that apply to you.
Can two people share an owner builder permit?
Yes. Everyone on the title is part of the application, but only one person, the nominated permit holder, needs to complete the course.
Can I build a granny flat as an owner builder?
The QBCC lists attached granny flats, along with duplexes and units, among the multiple dwellings an owner builder permit doesn’t cover. If you’re planning any kind of granny flat, check with the QBCC and your council before you go further.
What if the work is already done?
If you finished work without a permit, the QBCC has a separate work already completed process so the work can be certified. You may be fined for doing the work without a permit.
Need a White Card for your build?
If you’ll be working on site yourself, or you want to be ready when your trades start, our face-to-face Queensland White Card course takes 4.5 hours, costs $99 and you’ll leave with your White Card on the day.