To get a builder’s licence in Queensland, apply to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) for the class and licence type that cover the work you plan to do, and show that you meet its eligibility requirements. For a contractor licence, that means having your qualification, your experience, your referees and your finances lined up before you lodge, because QBCC checks all four.
This guide maps the contractor application from choosing the work through to the decision; each step links to a fuller guide. QBCC also checks identity and permission to work, along with whether you’re fit and proper, so use the current checklist for your class and licence type.
So if you’re planning to quote your own Queensland building jobs, sort out the class first. Everything else (qualification, experience, referees and finances) is checked against it.
1. Do I need a builder licence or a trade contractor licence in Queensland?
Quoting a carpentry package is different from signing for the whole renovation. QBCC treats them as different licences: a trade contractor licence covers your trade, while a builder can bring in other trades to do the parts of the job. Start with our builder licence versus trade contractor comparison, or check whether the work needs a QBCC licence if you’re unsure whether licensing applies at all. Carpenters weighing up their own class should read the QBCC carpentry class for chippies, and our trade contractor licence FAQs cover the common sticking points.
2. Which QBCC builder class do I need: Low Rise, Medium Rise or Open?
Pick the class that covers the buildings you want to contract for. QBCC publishes separate scopes for Low Rise and Medium Rise; Open includes building work on all building classes, but still has specialist-work exclusions. Don’t choose from storey count alone: compare the three builder classes and their limits.
3. What qualification do I need for a QBCC builder licence?
Check the qualification for your chosen class before paying for training. For Low Rise contractor and nominee supervisor applicants, QBCC’s application guide lists Certificate IV in Building and Construction (CPC40120), or a qualification QBCC considers at least equivalent. Our qualification and experience guide explains what to compare; if there’s a genuine qualification gap, read how RPL fits before a QBCC application rather than treating it as a licence in itself.
4. How much building experience does QBCC require?
For Low Rise, QBCC lists two years of relevant experience with a carpentry or bricklaying and blocklaying trade qualification, or four years without one of those qualifications. The same guide expects your primary role to have been full-time site supervision across construction stages and subtrades, so years doing one trade aren’t the same evidence. Read what counts as QBCC builder experience; if your work was overseas or your role changed on site, use the Queensland experience guidance.
5. What financial requirements apply to a Queensland builder licence?
If you’ll contract in your own name, you’ll usually need to show you meet QBCC’s minimum financial requirements (MFR). Depending on your turnover, that’s a declaration or an accountant’s report. The smaller SC1 category is not available to builders. Check the contracting entity, intended revenue and required evidence with your accountant, then use our MFR guide for the detail.
6. Who can complete my QBCC builder referee reports?
Choose referees who personally supervised or contracted for the work you’re claiming and can verify your role. The builder referee report requires a licensed builder who was a suitably qualified supervisor or principal contractor on the site, held the required licence or qualification level at the time, and can personally verify your work. Read our referee report guidance before asking someone to sign; if nobody you worked under fits the form, ask QBCC what other proof it will accept.
Not sure your referees and project records line up? Check your next step before anyone signs a report.
7. Does my company need a QBCC licence and a nominee?
If the company will contract for the work, don’t treat your individual licence as the company’s licence. QBCC requires the company to hold a contractor-type licence and its nominee to be a director, secretary or employee holding a contractor or nominee supervisor licence in the same class. Our company licence and nominee guide explains the separate roles and what to check for a company, partnership or trustee.
8. How do I lodge my QBCC application, and how long does it take?
Use the current form, supporting-document checklist and payment instructions on the relevant class page. QBCC’s guidance on that page says to allow around eight weeks, with some applications taking longer. Its builder application form says assessment can’t proceed until the required documents are received and accepted and fees are paid. For lodgement methods, delays and what to check if you’ve already applied, read how long a QBCC application takes; the eight weeks is a guide, not a date to promise a client.
9. What happens after QBCC decides my builder licence application?
If approved, read your licence letter: QBCC says it includes your licence number and scope of work. If refused, check the reasons and review rights promptly, using QBCC’s review instructions and the Queensland section of our refusal guide. Before taking on residential work, also check home warranty insurance requirements: most residential building work over $3,300, including labour, materials and GST, requires cover, but the scheme doesn’t cover every project.
How can BLS help before I lodge?
Builders Licence Success (BLS) can walk you through the likely class, your existing qualifications and experience, and the application support you need to get the gaps sorted before you lodge. If you want to see what that involves, read what BLS checks before a Queensland builder application or visit our Queensland application support page. QBCC assesses every application and makes the decision.
Rather talk it through? Call us on 0468 008 598.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Queensland builder licence without a trade qualification?
For Low Rise, QBCC provides a four-year relevant-experience route if you don’t hold the specified carpentry or bricklaying and blocklaying trade qualification. You still need the technical qualification for the builder class and must meet the other requirements.
Does a Certificate IV give me a QBCC builder licence?
No. QBCC assesses more than the technical qualification, including experience, financial information and fit-and-proper requirements where they apply. A qualification isn’t the licence decision.
Can RPL help if I don’t have the required qualification?
It may help close a qualification gap. QBCC explains that an RTO assesses RPL or qualification equivalence; that doesn’t replace QBCC’s separate licence assessment.
What does a QBCC builder licence application cost?
There isn’t one fee for every applicant. Check the current QBCC fee schedule for your licence type, financial category and whether you’re applying as an individual or a company; SC1 isn’t available to builders.
Can I contract for work with a site supervisor licence?
No, not on that licence alone. QBCC’s licence-type guidance distinguishes supervision as an employee from contracting in your own right.
Will my builder licence application take exactly eight weeks?
Not necessarily. QBCC says to allow around eight weeks as a guide, and some applications take longer. The clock starts when you lodge, so the time you spend getting your evidence together comes first.
What should I do if QBCC refuses my licence application?
Read the reasons and review rights promptly. QBCC says an internal review application must use the approved form within 28 calendar days after you’re given notice of the original decision or otherwise become aware of it. Get legal advice if you’re unsure how to preserve your review rights.
Sources
Official sources checked 10 November 2026. General information, not legal or financial advice. Check the current requirements for your class and licence type before lodging.
- QBCC: Eligibility requirements and Fit and proper.
- QBCC: Which licence type you need.
- QBCC builder scopes: Low Rise, Medium Rise and Open.
- QBCC: Builder–Low Rise application guide, effective March 2026, printed pages 2 and 4.
- QBCC: Recognition of prior learning.
- QBCC: Financial information and Licence fees.
- QBCC: Referee report form – Builder, page 1.
- QBCC: Company, partnership and trust requirements.
- QBCC: Builder application form, pages 1–2.
- QBCC: Apply for an internal review.
- QBCC: What work requires insurance.