Do owner builders need a White Card in QLD?
You don’t need a White Card to apply for an owner builder permit in Queensland. The QBCC asks for a QBCC-approved owner builder course, not a White Card.
But once building starts, your project is a construction site. As an owner builder managing trades, you have work health and safety duties for the site, and every trade worker on it must hold a White Card. If you plan to work on site yourself, or you want to understand the hazards you’re responsible for, a White Card is well worth having.
The QBCC permit doesn’t require a White Card
To get an owner builder permit, the QBCC requires:
- a QBCC-approved owner builder course completed in the last 5 years, or an exemption
- asbestos awareness training if your home was built before 1990 or asbestos may be present
- your title search, ID and a description of the work
A White Card isn’t on that list. Some course providers bundle a White Card with their owner builder course, but that’s the provider’s offer, not a QBCC requirement. See how to get an owner builder permit in QLD for the full process.
Why the WHS laws still matter on your build
Your permit is only one set of rules. Once trades are on site, your project is also a workplace under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) says that the duties of an owner builder who is managing contractors, such as plumbers or electricians, will generally be limited to:
- the duties of a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) with management or control of the workplace, and
- the duty to consult with other duty holders, such as the trades working on your site.
In practice, that means making sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that your site, the ways in and out of it, and anything arising from it don’t put people’s health and safety at risk, and working with your trades on how safety is managed. Think site access, edge protection, excavations, housekeeping, and keeping children and visitors away from the work.
Owner builders vs DIY renovators
The permit makes a difference. WHSQ says a person who doesn’t have an owner builder permit and is only:
- a home buyer, owner or occupier commissioning work on their home, or
- doing DIY maintenance, refurbishment or renovations on their own home, or helping a friend
isn’t conducting a business or undertaking, so has no duties under the WHS Act. Once you hold an owner builder permit and manage contractors, you do. Read WHSQ’s guidance for owner builders, or contact WHSQ if you’re unsure how it applies to your project.
What the White Card rules say
The White Card is the card you receive after completing general construction induction training, the unit CPCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the construction industry. Under section 317 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, a person conducting a business or undertaking must not direct or allow a worker to carry out construction work unless the worker has completed general construction induction training.
That duty sits with the businesses that engage the workers. Your plumber, electrician, carpenter and their employees and apprentices must all have a White Card, and their own business is responsible for making sure they do.
Who needs a White Card on an owner builder site?
| Person | White Card? |
|---|---|
| Trades and their workers | Yes. Their own business must make sure they’ve done the training, but it’s worth checking. |
| Friends and family helping with construction work | Recommended. Your trades may not want untrained people working alongside them. |
| You, if you’re doing construction work yourself | Strongly recommended. Your trades may also expect it. |
| You, if you’re only managing the trades | Recommended, so you understand the hazards you’re responsible for. |
| Visitors who don’t do any construction work | No, but they must be supervised and kept away from hazards. |
Construction work is defined broadly. It includes building, alterations, renovations, fit-outs, repairs, demolition, excavation and site preparation. Hanging doors, framing, laying pavers and digging footings all count.
Why owner builders should get a White Card anyway
Even where it’s not strictly required, a White Card is worth having for an owner builder:
- You manage and control the site. The course teaches you how to identify construction hazards and control the risks, and how to manage incidents and emergencies.
- You’ll know what to expect from your trades, such as safe work method statements for high risk construction work.
- Some trades and businesses expect it. Contractors, suppliers and other businesses working on your site may require anyone on site to have a White Card.
- It’s quick. The Queensland course takes 4.5 hours, and you leave with your card on the day.
- It doesn’t expire, as long as you don’t go 2 years or more without doing construction work. Read does a White Card expire?
Key hazards on an owner builder site
The White Card course covers the hazards that cause the most serious injuries on residential sites, including:
- Falls from heights, such as from roofs, scaffolds, ladders and unprotected edges
- Asbestos, in homes built before 1990
- Electricity, including overhead power lines and damaged leads
- Excavations and trenches
- Moving plant, such as excavators, bobcats and delivery trucks
- Manual handling, from carrying sheets, timber and materials
- Silica dust from cutting concrete, bricks and tiles
- Hazardous chemicals, noise and UV exposure
For owner builders, there’s one more: children and visitors. Your site is often also your home, so you need to keep family members and visitors away from hazards and secure the site when work isn’t happening.
Asbestos awareness is a separate requirement
If your home was built before 1990, or asbestos may be present, the QBCC requires owner builders to complete asbestos awareness training as well. The White Card course introduces asbestos as a hazard, but it isn’t a substitute for asbestos awareness training. And you can’t remove more than 10m² of asbestos without an asbestos removal licence.
Can I get my White Card online in Queensland?
No. In Queensland, the White Card course must be delivered face-to-face (or through connected real-time delivery), with a minimum course length of 4.5 hours. Self-paced online White Card courses are only available to residents of Western Australia and Tasmania. Read more about White Card online.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a White Card to get an owner builder permit in QLD?
No. The QBCC requires a QBCC-approved owner builder course, not a White Card. The trades working on your site must hold White Cards, and having your own is strongly recommended if you’ll be working on site.
Do my family members need a White Card to help on my build?
It’s strongly recommended if they’ll be doing construction work, especially alongside your trades. As the person managing the site, you’re responsible for keeping it safe, and a White Card means your helpers know the hazards. If they’re only visiting, they don’t need one, but keep them away from the work.
Is a White Card the same as the owner builder course?
No. The White Card is general construction safety induction training, required for workers before they carry out construction work. The owner builder course is a QBCC requirement for getting an owner builder permit, and it covers the responsibilities of managing a building project.
I did my White Card years ago. Is it still valid?
It is, as long as you’ve carried out construction work in the last 2 years. If you trained more than 2 years ago and haven’t done construction work since, you need to redo the course.
Can I use a White Card from another state?
Yes. White Cards issued in other states are recognised in Queensland. See using your White Card interstate.
Get your White Card before your build starts
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, ready for your build.