Does re-roofing need building approval in Queensland?

Published 22 October 2026

The 20% rule for roof work in the Building Regulation

Under the Building Regulation 2021, some building work doesn’t need a building approval. Schedule 1, “Accepted development (self assessable)”, covers repairs and maintenance that don’t touch structural components (section 7), and repairs that affect only minor structural components within limits (section 8). The limit that matters for a roof:

When roof work needs building approval: what the sources say

Building Regulation 2021, version in force from 14 August 2026; Brisbane City Council severe weather fact sheet, March 2025; City of Gold Coast building approval page, undated. Checked 22 October 2026. The regulation counts structural components of the same type, not roof area; the Gold Coast wording is that council’s own.

Business Queensland adds that for accepted development “the owner is responsible for ensuring the work complies with applicable standards, including structural sufficiency, size limits and boundary setbacks.” Patching a few storm-damaged sheets is a different job from a re-roof, and the roof leak guide covers it.

Building certifiers, and who gets the approval

A private building certifier assesses and approves building work and inspects it. Business Queensland says certifiers “can also advise whether a building approval is needed, as some minor building work may not require an approval”. They “must not design the building or carry out any of the work”, and they must hold a QBCC licence.

The QBCC puts the responsibility on you: “It’s your responsibility as a home owner to make sure the right building approvals are in place before work starts—even if you’ve hired a builder.” It adds: “Usually, your builder will engage a certifier on your behalf. However, you can choose to appoint a certifier directly.”

Roof tie-down when you re-roof an older house

Tie-down is what holds the roof on in a storm: the straps, bolts and screws connecting the roof sheets to the battens, the battens to the rafters, and the rafters to the walls. A Queensland Government fact sheet for its cyclone-coast resilience program (which doesn’t cover Brisbane) explains the problem with older houses: “Homes built before the current building code came into effect were generally nailed together. The new building code has upgraded these tie-downs for weak points of the structure by a combination of steel strapping, mechanical fixings, and steel tie-down systems.”

A re-roof is the one time those connections are exposed. Brisbane City Council’s fact sheet, on repairs to structural framing, says to “Contact your builder or certifier who can calculate this and recommend which building standards the repairs should comply with.”

• Our advice: ask each roofer how they’ll check the battens and the batten-to-rafter and rafter-to-wall connections once the old roof is off.
• Ask what tie-down upgrade is in the price, what’s an extra, and whether the certifier will inspect it.
• Get the answer in the written scope, so quotes can be compared like for like.

QBCC roofing licence: the $3,300 threshold and licence classes

The QBCC says you need a contractor licence for building work “valued over $3,300”. For roofs, the class matters:

• Roof and wall cladding covers metal roofs: “Select and install roof cladding other than terracotta and concrete roof tiles”, plus flashings, rainwater goods, skylights and ventilators.
• Roof tiling covers tiles: “Cut and fix roof tiles”, and “Bedding, pointing and installing of associated flashing”.
• Both classes cover “Refurbish and maintain roofs, excluding painting roofs”. Painting needs a painting class, and removing an asbestos roof needs an asbestos removal licence (see the asbestos roof guide).

Written contracts, deposits and cooling-off for a re-roof

The QBCC says “You need a written contract if you’re carrying out domestic building work priced over $3,300 including labour, materials and GST.” The contract level and the most the roofer can ask as a deposit depend on the price:

QBCC contract and deposit rules by contract price

QBCC domestic building contracts page (last reviewed 26 June 2024) and deposits and progress payments page (last reviewed 27 June 2025), checked 22 October 2026. The contracts page says level 2 is “$20,000 and over”; the deposits page says “more than $20,000”. A larger deposit of up to 20% is allowed only where off-site prefabrication is more than half the contract price.

Progress payments must keep pace with the work: the QBCC says “the contractor can’t claim more than 50% of the contract price, including the deposit, until at least 50% of the work onsite has been completed.” And “All contracts for building work valued at over $3,300 must include advice about your right to a ‘cooling-off’ period.”

Queensland Home Warranty Scheme cover on a new roof

Home warranty insurance is “compulsory for all residential construction work valued at more than $3,300 (including cost of materials, labour and GST)”. The contractor collects the premium from you as part of the contract and pays it to the QBCC before work begins. The QBCC says the cover “lasts for 6 years and 6 months” and “pays up to a maximum of $200,000 on claims”.

Two things protect your cover. “If your project will cost more than $3,300 (including labour, materials and GST), make sure the home warranty insurance premium is included in each quote so you can compare accurately.” And don’t overpay the deposit: “If you pay more than the lawful deposit, you will not be entitled to recover the excess you have paid in the event you need to make a claim under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme for refund of deposit.”

Common questions