The QBCC Townsville office reopened today, Monday 10 February.
All services have resumed, with customers and staff able to access the premises.
The QBCC is rolling out new photo licence cards to provide greater anti-fraud protections for QBCC licensees and boost consumer confidence with a simpler way to verify licensed trades.
What you need to know before building or renovating your home – Join QBCC at the Brisbane Home Show!
Planning to build or renovate your home? Don’t miss the opportunity to get expert advice directly from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) at the upcoming Brisbane Home Show from February 21-23!
On Day 3 of the event (Sunday 23 February at 2:30pm) an all-star cast of some of the QBCC’s most knowledgeable and experienced industry experts will be delivering a presentation packed with important information for homeowners embarking on a renovation or looking to build their dream home.
Presenters include:
The presentation will cover everything from finding local, licensed contractors to understanding contracts, deposits, variations, and what to do in the event of a dispute. The presentation will also touch on other key information, like pool fence regulations to ensure your project is compliant and stress-free.
In addition to the presentation, QBCC will have a booth at the event where you can speak directly with our industry experts. The team will be there ready to take your questions across all three days of the event.
Whether you’re in the early planning stages or already embarking on a project, this event is the perfect opportunity to learn practical tips on building and renovating with confidence - and get the knowledge you need to make informed decisions.
Be sure to mark your calendars and visit QBCC at the Brisbane Home Show!
In the meantime, head on over to the QBCC's YouTube channel and check out our home owner video series, for everything you need to know about home warranty insurance.
Due to rectification works, staff from the QBCC’s Toowoomba customer service centre are working from a temporary office from Monday 3 February.
The temporary office is located in the carpark of the current service centre at 200 Hume Street, Toowoomba.
Staff will be onsite and available to provide customer service from the temporary office, however, be aware that there may be some impacts to internet and phone lines during this time. This could affect in-person services such as payments or any direct calls to the office.
Customers can still phone our main contact centre on 139 333, track and submit enquiries online and access services via myQBCC.
For those visiting the Toowoomba office in-person, please note that there will be reduced car parking onsite, however local street parking is available.
We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.
Works are expected to be complete by Friday 21 February 2025.
A new initiative announced by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is set to provide significant financial relief for industry and home owners accessing Australian Standards.
Significant national collaboration and engagement between Standards Australia, the QBCC and fellow building and construction regulators, has led to a release of curated access to specialised content sets from the Australian Standards catalogue at significantly reduced rates for mobile phone users.
Included in the initiative is the newly released National Construction Code (NCC) Primary Reference Set, which features 333 Standards referenced by the NCC.
QBCC Commissioner Anissa Levy says the new arrangement is a huge win for the building and construction industry and Queenslanders who are building a home or renovating.
“Australian Standards set specifications and design procedures for goods, services and systems and they are essential for compliance with the National Construction Code requirements,’’ Commissioner Levy says.
“This initiative, which allows users to access Australian Standards via their mobile, will provide significant financial relief to those in Queensland’s building and construction industry.
“For example, accessing Australian Standards 3600:2018 (Concrete Structures) currently costs $368.96 for a web reader version. However, under the new arrangement, they’ll be able to access all 333 standards for just $110 per year via their mobile.
“The mobile option also provides greater flexibility for those in the industry, such as tradespeople, and technicians, when they are offline or in remote areas and need to access information.”
Commissioner Levy says Home owners are not left out; the initiative provides limited free access to specific standards through the Standards Australia Reader Room upon request via the Standards Australia Reader Room.
“This arrangement is a monumental win for the building and construction sector. Australian Standards are vital for ensuring that all construction work meets rigorous quality and safety benchmarks essential for compliance with the National Construction Code,” Commissioner Levy says.
“This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting a sustainable and resilient industry while safeguarding lives and livelihoods.”
For more information or to access the Australian Standards Catalogue, visit the Standards Australia Store.
The QBCC is urging property owners around the state to arm themselves with knowledge before undertaking any building or construction work over the holiday season.
The statement follows public warnings by the Office of Fair Trading about unscrupulous operators ripping off home owners.
QBCC Commissioner Anissa Levy implores people to educate themselves and do their due diligence before engaging a builder or a tradesperson.
“It is so important that home owners who are looking to undertake building or renovation work use licensed contractors, ensure they have a contract in place, regardless of the size of the job and never pay excessive deposit amounts,” Commissioner Levy says.
“Asking friends and relatives for recommendations is a great place to start and a simple google search goes a long way.”
The QBCC website provides great advice and to help home and property owners make informed decisions when it comes to choosing a qualified, licensed local contractor, including their full licence history,” she says.
“Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make, so it’s vital that the contractor you choose is appropriately licensed for the work they have been engaged to do.
“Unlawful building work puts home owners at a higher risk of defects and could impact their eligibility under the Queensland Home Warranty Insurance Scheme.”
Commissioner Levy says the QBCC takes a proactive approach to safeguarding the building and construction industry and home owners from unscrupulous operators.
“We conduct ongoing audits of active building sites around the state to check that builders are appropriately licensed to perform their work,” Commissioner Levy says.
“We know from our ongoing audits of active building sites that most people do the right thing, but we also must hold to account those who are found to be operating unlawfully.
“Our regulatory actions range from issuing penalty infringement notices and warning notices to licence suspensions and cancellations and court prosecutions.”
To date this year, the QBCC has had outcomes in 22 prosecutions against individuals and companies who have engaged in illegal building related activities. This has resulted in more than $330,000 in fines, costs and compensation.
Commissioner Levy encourages anyone who has questions about a contractor they are intending to engage to contact the QBCC on 139 333.
Recent Warnings
On Monday 16 December 2024 the Office of Fair Trading issued a public warning for people not to do business with two tradies who have been ripping off home owners around south-east Queensland.
Public warnings were issued for James Bruce Michael Darren Brown and his stair supply and installation and renovation businesses, and Matthew Geoffrey Rixon AKA Joseph J Sara and his fencing and renovation businesses.
Meanwhile, a recent story in the Beaudesert Times warned about ‘fake tradies scamming locals’. The article stated, local police had received complaints about a ‘criminal gang rolling around town taking advantage of elderly people’.
Background - Maximum deposit amounts
Under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (the Act), the Act sets out maximum deposit amounts that can be requested.
The QBCC Act sets out maximum deposit amounts that can be requested by a contractor.
Background – unlawfully carrying out building work
Unlawfully carrying out building work is an offence under section 42 of the QBCC Act and attracts an escalating series of penalties for each offence.
For a third or later offence, an offender may be prosecuted upon indictment before the District Court, as they are alleged to have committed a crime.