QBCC licensing: the check every Queensland homeowner must do first
Queensland regulates building work harder than most states, and the regulator has teeth: the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). Before anyone touches your stumps, five minutes on the QBCC register can save you five figures. Here's what to know.
Restumping and raising are licensed work
Under Queensland law, building work valued over $3,300 including materials and labour requires a QBCC licence — and there is no restump or house raise that comes in under that. Restumping and raising a dwelling are typically carried out under a Builder licence class (Builder – Low Rise or above), while related footing work like underpinning falls under trade classes such as Foundation work (piling and anchors), which explicitly covers constructing underpinning. The licence must be in the right class for the work and held by the contracting entity — not just "someone on the crew".
Why the licence matters to you (not just them)
- Unlicensed contracting is illegal — and an unlicensed contractor generally cannot enforce their contract price against you, which tells you how seriously Queensland takes it.
- No licence usually means no Home Warranty cover — the insurance that protects you if the job goes wrong (see below).
- The register shows history: licence class and status, and whether the QBCC has taken disciplinary action.
How to check — 5 minutes, free
- Go to the QBCC website (qbcc.qld.gov.au) and open the free online licensee search.
- Search the exact contracting entity name or licence number from the quote — not the trading name on the ute.
- Confirm: licence is current, the class covers building work of this type, and the entity matches the name on your contract.
- While you're there, note any conditions or past disciplinary history.
The Queensland Home Warranty Scheme
This is where Queensland differs sharply from Victoria. Down south, builder's warranty insurance kicks in on bigger jobs only; in Queensland, most residential construction work valued over $3,300 — including structural work like restumping — must have cover under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, which is administered by the QBCC itself. The licensed contractor pays the premium to the QBCC (built into your contract price) before work starts, and the scheme covers you for defective or incomplete work, with cover that can extend for structural defects for years after completion. If your restumping quote doesn't mention the Home Warranty premium, ask why — a licensed contractor doing it properly can't avoid it.
The Queensland paperwork file
- Fixed written quote with stump count and materials
- QBCC licence number (verified by you on the register)
- Building approval from the private certifier + engineer's design
- Queensland Home Warranty Scheme premium confirmation
- Certifier's inspection records and final certificate
- Written guarantee
A professional produces all six without being asked twice. We build every one of them into every Queensland job — start with the free inspection.