Building

If you’re building or renovating there’s a good chance you need approval for your project.

  • Building work — structural projects including a new home, extensions, alterations, garages, carports, sheds, fences, retaining walls, swimming pools, driveways and crossovers.
  • Material change of use — changing the way a property is used, re-establishing a use and intensifying the scale of an existing use on a property. This will require a development application.
  • Operational work — activities that alter the shape or form of land including civil works, earthworks, vegetation clearing and roadworks. This will require a development application.

Building & Plumbing Searches

We can check if the property you own, or want to buy, has the necessary building approvals by doing a property search. We must also inspect all plumbing and drainage permit work and the work must be carried out by a licensed contractor.

We cannot guarantee that plans, permits and/or final certificates are available and search fees are non-refundable if no records are located.

Building records are dependent on:

  • a build application being received for the structure
  • the availability of files for historical and older properties
  • if the structure was built before the Building Act came into effect in 1975.

Types of Building & Plumbing Searches

Building Record Search Domestic

This search is a summary of building approvals issued on the property for Class 1a, Class 10a and Class10b. The information includes description of structure, permit number, permit approval date and final approval date (if finalised).  This search does not include copies of plans or final certificates.

Building Record Search Commercial

This search is a summary of building approvals issued on the property for Class 2–Class 9. The information includes description of structure, permit number, permit approval date and final approval date (if finalised).  This search does not include copies of plans or final certificates.

Building & Plumbing Plans

This search provides a copy of  building and/or plumbing plans in our records for structures on the property.  This search does not include other documents and is invoiced separately to a records search.

Final Certificate / Certificate of Classification

This search provides a copy of the certificates that have been issued for structures on the property following a compliant certified final inspection. This search does not include other documents and is invoiced separately to a records search.

A building development approval (or building permit) is needed before construction can start on most types of domestic building work. Engage a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, for applications for building approval (certification). The building approval sets out the mandatory inspections required at various stages in the construction process.

Building Certification (Building Permits)

Building certification (also known as a building permit) is needed before you start construction on most types of domestic or commercial building work.  This applies if you are doing the building work yourself or using a licensed builder.

Most building work require certification, including but not limited to:

  • new dwellings
  • alterations and additions to existing buildings (including new roofs)
  • house removal and relocation
  • demolitions
  • garages, carports and sheds (including the DIY kit type)
  • roofed patios, gazebos, pergolas and shade sails (including the DIY kit type)
  • fences over 2m in height above the natural ground level
  • retaining walls over 1m in height above natural ground level or within 1.5m of a building or other retaining wall
  • swimming pools, spas and pool fences.

You will need to engage a private building certifier if the proposed work complies with the Building Act 1975 and associated regulations and building standards.  All building certifiers must be registered with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). TRC does not do building certification and we cannot recommend private certifiers. The QBCC offers a finding a licensed certifier service.

If you are building over or near infrastructure including sewers, water mains, stormwater drains and combined sanitary drains you may also need to obtain referral agency permission from TRC.

Building Approval Records

Building certifiers must lodge approval documents, plans and inspection details with TRC within legislated timeframes. We keep these records for access by current and future owners. The particular documents that a building certifier must lodge include:

  • building application and associated documents (Planning Act Form 2)
  • notice of engagement (Form 56)
  • decision notice (Form 6)
  • final inspection certificate (Form 21), (Form 17) or certificate of classification (Form 11)
  • copy of the plans, drawings and specifications and other stamped and approved documents
  • other documents including a list of required fire safety installations and required special fire services applying to the building work certificates relied on to decide the application, and information relied on to decide the application in relation to local government easements, encumbrances or estates or interests in land likely to be relevant to the application.

Responsibility for Building Approval

The owner is responsible for ensuring building approval has been issued and any mandatory inspections have been completed.

The contractor and owner share the responsibility for ensuring building work meets an acceptable standard of quality and finish. Some owners may engage an architect or designer to supervise these aspects of the work.

The building contractor has statutory and contractual obligations for the approval and inspection process. Some builders offer a complete design, approval and construction package. If the builder is to arrange the building approval and inspections, those details should be in a contract.

The builder must comply with any legal requirement relating to the building work on behalf of the owner. Under the building contract, the builder must rectify any building work that doesn’t comply with the building legislation.

The party responsible for the cost of rectifying the work depends on the reason for the mistake. More than one party may be responsible for costs.

Sheds, Carports & Shipping Containers

You will need approval from TRC to build a shed or carport or locate a shipping container on your property. There are also specific rules for sheds, carports, patios, verandas, decks, shade sails and shipping containers.

This information relates to properties in residential areas (low density, low–medium density, medium and rural-residential zones). Contact us if your property is in a different zone.

Requirements

  • TRC services — clear of underground services like sewerage, water, stormwater and easements.
  • Front setback — 6m from road frontage
  • Height
    • Low- and medium-density — 8.5m
    • Rural residential — 8.5m
    • Rural — 12m
  • Side and rear setbacks
    • Low- and medium-density up to 4.5m high — 1.5m
    • Low- and medium-density 4.5m+ high — 2.0m
    • Rural residential — varies 1.5–10m. Contact us for details.
    • Rural — 10m
  • Site cover — a maximum of 50% of the property can be covered by buildings.

In some cases, a shed, carport or shipping container may be inside these boundary clearances if the height and length meet Queensland Development Code MP1.2.

Sheds On Vacant Land

Sheds are permitted on vacant land provided they are certified by a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

Other things to consider:

  • The general siting, setback and height requirements.
  • The shed is located to the back of the site so that any future house can be located in front of the shed.
  • The size of the shed leaves enough space to allow a future house to be established.
  • The shed does not include plumbing fixtures that would allow it to be used as a home or habitable building.

Living In A Shed

A shed on vacant land may only be used as a home if:

  • you have a temporary occupancy permit, which you can get once you have approval for building the house on the same site.
  • the shed meets a number of design and material criteria before it can be reclassified and approved as a house (or a Class 1a building).

It can be very expensive and time-consuming to design or modify a shed to make it legal to live in. Talk to a builder before considering the purchase of a property with only a shed, or choosing to build a shed to live in.

Shipping Containers & Railway Carriages

Shipping containers and railway carriages have the same requirements as sheds and carport for setbacks, height and design features (above). A shipping container, railway carriage or relocatable storage structure may be on a house block if you obtain building approval from a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

Shade Sails

A shade sail is a structure made of fabric material. The structure can have any number of posts or be affixed to a structure and is usually used to create shade. Impervious shade sails require building approval and are subject to the same requirements as carports, sheds and shipping containers. Permeable shade sails do not require approval.

Cyclone Resilience

The Tablelands are located within a Cyclonic Wind Region, which means there are certain structural standards and tie-down requirements when constructing buildings and structures. Structures that are relocated into the region, or relocated from within the region, also need to meet certain tests. Check the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Guide or with a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

Meeting Requirements

If your structure does not comply with all of the requirements, you will need to apply to us before commencing construction.

Tiny Homes & Houses

Tiny houses are small and compact dwellings that are usually fully self-contained and often relocatable e.g. on a trailer or wheels. They can range in size but by their very nature are significantly smaller than a standard dwelling. Tiny houses can be designed and built using green principles and provide affordable housing while minimising the urban footprint.

A tiny house that is:

  • on wheels
  • registered as a caravan or trailer
  • only used for accommodation while travelling away from home
  • not used as permanent or short-term accommodation

does not require approvals from TRC.

A tiny house that is:

  • on wheels or not on wheels and is used to provide a temporary home only while an approved house is being constructed on the same property

requires Local Laws approval. A building approval may also be necessary and we will advise you if this is the case. Building approval must be provided by a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

A tiny house that is:

  • on wheels or not on wheels and is used for permanent or short-term accommodation (or for another other permanent purpose e.g. office) on a property (whether vacant or otherwise)

requires building and plumbing approvals. Planning approval may also be necessary and we will advise you if this is the case. Building approval must be provided by a private certifier, licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

Forms & Resources