Sapati Michael Faraimo was convicted and fined $15,000 on 19 November 2025 for unlawfully carrying out building work and failing to provide a written contract.
The charges relate to work done at a property in Daisy Hill, Brisbane, in 2022.
The matter was heard in Beenleigh Magistrates Court, where Mr Faraimo was previously convicted and fined $10,000 on 30 October 2024, for unlawful building work performed in 2021.
QBCC CEO and Commissioner, Angelo Lambrinos, said the QBCC was committed to a fair and transparent approach to compliance, but would not hesitate to take strong action when individuals repeatedly breached the law.
“I will unapologetically take all appropriate legislative action when someone is repeatedly or knowingly doing the wrong thing,” Mr Lambrinos said.
“When someone chooses to operate outside the law, the QBCC has a responsibility to act – not only to protect home owners and uphold industry standards, but to champion the reputation of hard-working licensed professionals.
“Protecting the integrity of the industry takes a united effort. We rely on home owners to speak up and licensed professionals to share their on -the-ground intelligence.
When something feels wrong or is wrong, tell us – your information helps us take decisive action against unlicensed operators who undermine trust and fairness”.
Mr Lambrinos urged home owners to check if an individual is licensed, review their compliance history, understand allowable maximum deposits and ensure a written, dated and signed contract is in place before work begins.
All this information and more is available on the QBCC’s Home Owner Hub – a free and practical online five-step guide to building and renovating to help owners avoid the most common pitfalls and understand the protections in place, like the QBCC’s nation-leading Home Warranty Scheme.
The newly available QBCC Digital Licence also makes it easy for licensees to download their credentials to their phone, and for owners to check.
Background
For the calendar year 2025 to date, the QBCC has finalised 39 matters, or about one per week, by way of a sentence outcome in court, with $577,984.88 ordered in fines and compensation. This action is in addition to other proactive compliance audits and related action undertaken by the QBCC.
Any individual found guilty of three or more unlicensed building-related offences under the QBCC Act may be subject to the maximum penalty of a fine of $58,415 or one-year’s imprisonment.
The hearing on 19 November 2025 was heard before his Honour Magistrate Howden.
In passing sentence, his Honour commented on the need for strong personal deterrence and said a substantial penalty was necessary to deter others within the building industry from contemplating similar offences.
