QBCC licensing and home warranty cover

Why this page exists

Restumping is licensed structural work on the part of a house that holds everything else up. There is a system in Queensland designed to protect homeowners when that work goes wrong, and it is genuinely useful. But it only protects you if certain things happened before work started, and by the time you find out they did not, it is too late to fix.

Neither check takes long. Both are free.

Check 1: the licence

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission licenses building work in Queensland and maintains a public register. You can search it by company name, individual name, or licence number.

What you are looking for:

• Is there a current licence at all
• Does the licence class cover the work being done
• Does the name on the licence match the entity that will sign your contract, since these sometimes differ
• Is there anything recorded against them, such as directions to rectify or disciplinary history

That last point is worth dwelling on. A directions to rectify history is not automatically disqualifying, since disputes happen in construction. A pattern of them is a different signal.

Take the licence number from the quote and search it yourself. Do not rely on a number printed on a vehicle or a website, and do not accept a screenshot.

Check 2: home warranty insurance

The Queensland Home Warranty Scheme is administered by the QBCC and is compulsory for most residential construction work valued at more than $3,300, including materials, labour and GST. Restumping a house comfortably exceeds that in almost every case.

How it works in practice:

• The contractor takes out the policy, not you. They collect the premium from you as part of the contract price and pay it to the QBCC.
• It has to be paid before work starts. This is a legal obligation on the licensed contractor, not a formality.
• You should receive a Notice of Cover confirming it, by email. If you do not get one, chase it. A common cause is the builder entering their own email address rather than yours on the paperwork.
• Structural defect cover runs six years and six months from practical completion. Non structural cover is a much shorter period, so confirm the current figure with the QBCC.
• Variations matter. If the contract value increases by $5,000 or more, whether in one variation or several adding up, the contractor must notify the QBCC before the varied work starts so additional premium can be paid.

The scheme covers you if the contractor does not complete the work, or if there are defects they will not rectify. It is a last resort mechanism rather than a general building warranty, and it has limits and exclusions, which is why reading the current terms on the QBCC site is worth the ten minutes.

The claim window catches people out

There are time limits on making a claim, and they run from when you become aware of the problem rather than from when you decide to do something about it. The pattern the QBCC sees constantly is a homeowner spending months arguing with a builder, then months more hoping it resolves itself, and only then contacting the QBCC by which point the window has closed on a defect that was covered.

If you think there is a defect, put it in writing to the contractor and contact the QBCC early to understand the timeframes that apply. Doing that does not commit you to a dispute. Sitting on it can cost you the cover.

What a compliant arrangement looks like

1. A written contract, in the form Queensland requires for domestic building work of that value, with an itemised scope and price
2. The contractor's licence number on the contract, verified by you on the register
3. A deposit within the legal cap, which depends on the contract value
4. Home warranty premium paid by the contractor before work starts
5. Notice of Cover received by you, in your name, at your email address
6. Progress payments tied to stages of work actually completed
7. Variations agreed in writing before the varied work happens, with QBCC notified where the threshold is triggered
8. Where the work involves raising the house, building approval obtained

Warning signs

• Pressure to start without a written contract
• A cash discount for working off the books
• A deposit demand well above the legal cap
• Reluctance to provide a licence number, or a number that does not match on the register
• No mention of home warranty insurance anywhere in the quote
• A quote that is dramatically cheaper with no explanation of scope differences
• An entity name on the contract that differs from the licence holder without explanation

Paying cash to save the premium and the paperwork is the single worst trade available here. You save a small percentage and give up your entire recourse, your evidence in a dispute, and any documentation of the work when you come to sell.

If something has already gone wrong

Put your concerns to the contractor in writing, describing the defect specifically and asking for rectification, and keep a copy. Take dated photographs. Then contact the QBCC to understand what process applies and what timeframes you are working within. The QBCC has a dispute resolution process and can issue directions to rectify. If a contract is in dispute or amounts are significant, get legal advice rather than relying on general information.