[ 06 ] Field guide // Owners & owner-builders
Owner-Builder vs Licensed Builder in Queensland: The Permit, the Missing Warranty, and the Records You Carry Alone
Building as an owner-builder saves the builder's margin, but moves almost every risk onto you. The permit, the home warranty you can't get, and the records you'll need if you sell within six years.
In this guide5 sections · 4 min read
// Module index · 05 modules
Building your own home as an owner-builder can save the builder's margin, but it moves almost every risk in the build onto you. In Queensland the difference comes down to three things: the permit you need before you start, the home warranty you can't get, and the records you'll carry alone if you sell within six years.
This guide sets out how owner-builder vs licensed builder works in Queensland, who carries each risk on each route, and the owner-builder checklist of records worth keeping from the first inspection to the day you sell.
The permit: what an owner-builder takes on
You need an owner-builder permit from the QBCC to do or supervise residential building work valued at more than $11,000 on your own land. It has to be approved before any work starts on site, and most people need to complete an approved owner-builder course before they apply.
- One permit every 6 years. The QBCC generally issues one owner-builder permit to a person in any six-year period, with exemptions in some circumstances.
- Licensed trades still apply. You can't do plumbing, drainage or gas fitting yourself without the right occupational licence, and electrical work needs a licensed electrician.
- You become the head contractor. Scheduling, supervising and paying trades, ordering materials and running the site all sit with you.
Who carries the risk on each route
With a licensed builder, the builder's licence, the contract and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme sit between you and most of what can go wrong. As an owner-builder, they don't. Owner-builders can't access the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, which is the single biggest difference in risk between the two routes.
Use the switch below to see where each risk lands: the permit, the warranty, defects, trades, site safety and what you have to disclose when you sell.
Risk ledger // Route A vs route B
Who carries the risk? Flip the route.
Switch between building it yourself and hiring a licensed builder. Each risk moves to whoever carries it.
On you 6 of 6
-
R-01 Permit You
You apply to the QBCC for an owner-builder permit for work valued over $11,000, usually after an approved course. It must be approved before work starts, and it's generally one permit every 6 years.
-
R-02 Warranty You
Owner-builders can't access the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme. If the work fails, there's no insurer behind it.
-
R-03 Defects You
There's no head contractor to call back. Defects are yours to find, prove and fix, and you can only pursue each trade for its own work.
-
R-04 Trades You
You hire, schedule and supervise every trade. Plumbing, drainage and gas fitting still need licensed trades, and electrical work a licensed electrician.
-
R-05 Safety You
You run the site, so its safety, its rules and who works on it sit with you. Check WorkSafe Queensland for the duties that apply to your project.
-
R-06 Sale disclosure You
Sell within 6 years of completion and you must give the buyer a written notice, before they sign, that the work isn't covered by insurance. The owner-builder note stays on the title for 7 years, and the permit register is public.
General information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change, so check with the QBCC before you apply, build or sell. QBCC: About owner-building (opens in a new tab)
Request bundle quoteSelling within 6 years: the owner-builder notice
If you sell within six years of completing owner-builder work, you must give the buyer a written notice before they sign the contract. It names the permit holder, describes the work and states that the work is not covered by insurance. The buyer signs one of two copies and returns it to you.
An owner-builder notation also sits on the property title for seven years, and the QBCC's owner-builder register is public. A careful buyer, or their building inspector, will ask what went into the walls.
The records you carry alone
With no builder and no home warranty behind the work, your own records are the evidence of what was built and when. Approvals, inspection certificates, trade invoices and compliance certificates cover the paperwork. They don't show what sits behind the plasterboard.
A frame-stage 3D record does. Captured before the sheets go on, it shows the framing, plumbing and electrical runs room by room, and a second capture at completion records the finished home. Together they give a buyer, and you, a dated record of both.
For the stages either side of the build, see our guides to site costs before the slab and the practical completion checklist.
Field kit // owner-builder records
The records you carry alone.
Tick Checked when it is done, and Recorded when you hold the proof. Ticks stay in this browser.
| Item | Checked | Recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Before work | ||
| 01Owner-builder permit approved before any work starts | ||
| 02Owner-builder course completed, unless you're exempt | ||
| 03Building approval and approved plans from the certifier | ||
| 04Licensed plumber, drainer, gas fitter and electrician engaged, licences checked | ||
| 05Site safety: rules, signage and who's on site | ||
| Frame & rough-in | ||
| 06Frame inspection passed | ||
| 07Plumbing and drainage rough-in inspected and signed off | ||
| 08Frame and services recorded before plasterboard (Stage A) | ||
| Completion | ||
| 09Final inspection certificate from the certifier | ||
| 10Trade invoices, warranties and compliance certificates filed | ||
| 11Finished home recorded at completion (Stage B) | ||
| Before you sell (within 6 years) | ||
| 12Owner-builder notice ready: two copies, given before the buyer signs | ||
| 13Records pack for the buyer: approvals, certificates, invoices and the 3D record | ||
Note //Without a builder or home warranty behind the work, these records are the evidence of what went into the walls.
Two-stage record // owner-builder
The Builder Assurance Bundle, with you as the builder
Stage A records the frame and services before plasterboard. Stage B records the finished home. It's the evidence a buyer may ask for in the six years after completion, captured at the two points you can't go back to.
[ Combined scope · quoted on request ]
Request bundle quoteOwner-builder vs licensed builder FAQs
Q.01Do I need an owner-builder permit in Queensland?
If the building work is valued at more than $11,000 and you're doing or supervising it yourself on your own land, yes. The permit has to be approved before any work starts.
Q.02Is owner-builder work covered by home warranty insurance?
No. Owner-builders can't access the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, so there's no insurer behind the work if it fails or isn't finished.
Q.03What do I have to tell a buyer if I sell?
If you sell within six years of completion, you must give the buyer a written owner-builder notice before they sign, including a statement that the work isn't covered by insurance. Get legal advice before you sell an owner-built home.
Q.04Can an owner-builder do their own plumbing or electrical work?
Not without the right licence. Plumbing, drainage and gas fitting need a licensed trade, and electrical work needs a licensed electrician.
Q.05Does a 3D scan replace inspections or certificates?
No. The certifier's inspections and the trades' compliance certificates still apply. The 3D record sits alongside them as an architectural-grade record of what was built, not a survey or a certificate.