Owner-builder permits
and what they hand you.
An owner-builder permit is not a licence to do everything yourself. It is a transfer of responsibility, and it is worth understanding what moves before you apply.
The short answer
You generally need an owner-builder permit from the QBCC to manage building work on your own home above a value threshold, and an approved course is usually required first. The permit does not let you do licensed work — plumbing and electrical still need licensed trades. It also carries restrictions on selling the property for a period afterwards. Check the current threshold and rules directly; both change.
What the permit actually is
It is permission to take on the role a licensed builder would otherwise hold on your own property. The QBCC issues it, generally where the work exceeds a value threshold, and an approved owner-builder course is usually a prerequisite. What it is not is a licence to perform trade work. You are becoming the manager of the project and the person legally accountable for it, not the tradesperson.
What still needs a licensed trade
Plumbing and electrical work must be carried out and certified by licensed trades regardless of your permit. So must several other categories. This is the point owner-builders most often get wrong, and it is expensive rather than academic: unlicensed work can void insurance, fail at inspection, and surface years later in a building and pest report when you try to sell.
What you take on
Verifying every trade on your site holds a current licence, and keeping the records. Workplace health and safety on your own site. Insurance appropriate to the work. Coordinating certification. Warranty responsibility that a builder would otherwise carry. None of it is unmanageable, and all of it is work most people underestimate when comparing an owner-build against a contract build.
The restriction on selling
Queensland places restrictions on selling a property you owner-built for a set period after the work, and there are disclosure obligations if you do. If a sale within a few years is even possible, factor this in before you apply — it is the single most common regret we hear. The QBCC publishes the current period; do not rely on what someone told you at a barbecue.
Where the kitchen fits
Cabinetry is generally not what triggers a certification requirement — the building work around it is. We supply owner-builders regularly: the kitchen is designed to your measurements, delivered assembled, and fitted by your crew, with a full set of service drawings so your plumber and electrician can rough in correctly the first time. More on that in owner-builder kitchen supply, and on approvals in our approvals guide.
Before you apply
Read the current requirements on the QBCC site rather than a forum. Confirm the value threshold and the course requirement as they stand now. Talk to a building certifier about your specific project. And check with Rockhampton Regional Council or your own council about the planning side, which is separate from the building approval and often forgotten.
Last checked: September 2026. General information, not building, legal or financial advice. Requirements differ by council and change without notice — confirm with the authority linked above, or a building certifier, before you commit to anything.
Frequently asked
Common questions
If your question is not here, call the studio. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Ask us directly →Do I need an owner-builder permit in Queensland?
Generally yes, where the value of the building work exceeds a threshold set by the QBCC. The threshold changes, so check the current figure on their site rather than relying on a number you have been told.
Can an owner-builder do their own plumbing and electrical?
No. Those remain licensed trades regardless of an owner-builder permit, and the work must be certified by the licensed tradesperson. Unlicensed work in these categories causes problems at inspection, at sale and with insurers.
Can I install my own kitchen as an owner-builder?
Fitting cabinetry is generally within what an owner-builder manages, provided the plumbing and electrical connections are done by licensed trades. We supply owner-builders assembled cabinetry and service drawings for exactly this.
Can I sell a house I owner-built?
Yes, but Queensland applies restrictions and disclosure obligations for a period after the work. Check the current rules with the QBCC before you apply for the permit, particularly if you might sell within a few years.
Delivered assembled
The assembly is done
before it arrives.
Carcasses built square on a bench, Blum hardware fitted, doors hung and adjusted to even gaps. On site you are fixing finished cabinets to a wall, not building them on the floor. Our own team fits it in Central Queensland; your installer fits it anywhere else in Australia. Prefer to build it yourself? The same kitchen ships flat pack.
Galley layout for a narrow room
Handleless rail on an assembled run
American oak and stone
Owner-builders
One less trade
to chase.
Send us the plans and we will quote the cabinetry fixed and itemised, delivered assembled when your build is actually ready rather than when it suits our calendar.