Building design dispute
If you believe that there is a design fault in your plans, lodge a complaint with us as soon you notice it. This can be:
- before or during construction
- after your contract has ended.
Who we can help
We may be able to help you with building design disputes if you are a:
- Property owner – you are the owner of the property where building work or renovations have or are being undertaken
- Body corporate – you represent the body corporate of a residential complex where building work or renovations have or are being undertaken (for common property only)
- Authorised agent – if you have authorised someone to act as your agent, they are eligible to lodge on your behalf.
Lodge a building design complaint
We recommend you lodge a complaint to us as soon as you can.
How we can help
When you lodge a complaint with the QBCC we will review the complaint and assess whether you meet the eligibility to qualify for our dispute resolution service.
What we can do
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If your contract is still active we may be able to contact both parties to try to facilitate an agreement.
If an agreement cannot be reached, we may inspect your property and provide you with a report. You may be able to use the report if you are taking legal action in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) or Magistrates Court.
Our dispute resolution service should not be used in place of seeking your own independent building inspection, building advice or legal advice.
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If your contract has ended we may inspect your property and provide you with a report. You may be able to use the report if you are taking legal action in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) or Magistrates Court.
Raise issues with your building designer
You must first speak to your building designer and clearly identify your concerns with them before you apply to use our service.
Explain what you consider to be the design faults.
You must put these concerns in writing as an email or letter and give them a reasonable timeframe (e.g. 14 days) to respond.
If you are not happy with their response, you can submit a complaint to us.
How to make a complaint
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Write to the building designer explaining what you believe to be the faults of the building design.
You will need this letter to lodge your complaint.
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Property owners:
- your complaint letter to the building designer
- building design plans.
Body corporates
- your complaint letter to the building designer
- building design plans
- community title search.
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Complete a Residential and Commercial Construction Work Complaint form online and upload required documents.
Manual option
You can choose to download and complete a manual form. You can find the form below in the related resources section.
To lodge your application you need to provide us with:
- the completed form
- all supporting documentation.
You can lodge the application:
- in person at a QBCC service centre
- by mail post it to us with all supporting documentation.
What happens next?
Once you have lodged your complaint, we will review your case to see if we can help. You will receive an email confirming receipt of the complaint, which provides your unique case number.
We will contact both parties to try to facilitate an agreement. If an agreement is reached the QBCC is not a party to the agreement and we do not formally document it. If an agreement cannot be reached, we may inspect your property and provide you with a report. You may be able to use the report if you are taking legal action in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) or Magistrates Court.
At the end of the process we will provide you with a letter that allows you to apply to the QCAT or the Magistrates Court if you wish to seek their help.
