Owner-builder steel frame kits in Queensland: permits, limits and what you provide

The short answer

Yes, we supply owner-builders. The frame is made to your plans, the same way as for a licensed builder. Before you order, make sure the permit side is in place, because a certifier cannot sign off your plans until the permit has been sighted.

The QBCC owner-builder permit

• An owner-builder permit is needed to undertake or supervise building work valued at more than $11,000. QBCC lists a separate threshold for farm buildings.
• The permit must be approved before any work starts.
• Most applicants must complete an approved course. QBCC licensees are exempt.
• QBCC says applications are usually processed in about 30 working days. It can take longer.
• A building certifier cannot approve your plans until they have sighted the permit.

Build the permit time into your programme. Frames are manufactured once plans and layouts are confirmed, so the permit tends to be the first thing that holds a project up.

What owner-builders cannot build

QBCC does not allow owner-builders to build multiple dwellings, such as duplexes or attached granny flats, or commercial and industrial buildings. Owner-builders generally get one permit every six years and cannot access the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme.

In practice this means a duplex kit cannot be supplied to an owner-builder as the builder of record. If you are planning a duplex, you will need a licensed builder, and we can quote the framing for them.

What we supply and what you provide

Standing the frame

Erecting steel wall framing and roof structures is licensed work in Queensland. The QBCC carpentry licence scope starts with constructing and erecting timber and steel wall framing and roof structures. As an owner-builder you can manage this work under your permit, and anyone you contract to do building work valued over $3,300 must hold the appropriate QBCC licence.

Lockyer Sheds is a registered business name of Builtwise Group Pty Ltd, which holds QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open). In Queensland we can quote to erect the frame we supply. In northern NSW we supply and deliver only.

Licensed trades still apply

An owner-builder permit does not let you do licensed trade work yourself. Electrical work is the clearest example with a steel frame. Industry guidance from NASH and the College of Electrical Training says a steel frame must be earthed by the electrician under AS/NZS 3000, and cables passing through steel members need bushed or shaped holes. Brief your electrician that the house is steel-framed before rough-in.

How an owner-builder frame project runs

1. You finalise the design with your designer or architect.
2. You apply for the owner-builder permit and complete the course if it applies to you.
3. You send us the plans and site address. We review them and quote the frame, trusses, floor system, delivery and, if you want it, erection in Queensland.
4. Once you accept, we prepare frame layouts and engineering documentation for your plans and site.
5. You check the layouts against your plans and confirm them. Nothing is manufactured before this.
6. We roll-form, assemble, label and pack the kit at Crowley Vale.
7. We deliver on the booked date, and the frame is stood by our Queensland crew or by the licensed erector you engage.
8. Your certifier inspects the frame stage.

Checking the layouts

The layout drawings are the last point where a change is cheap. Take the time to check them against your approved plans. Look at wall lengths and heights, window and door openings, the position of internal walls, the roof shape, and any set-downs in the slab for wet areas. If something does not match, tell us before you confirm. After manufacture, a change means new members.

What to include in your budget

• QBCC owner-builder permit fee and any required course.
• Certifier's fees and inspections.
• The frame kit: wall frames, roof trusses and floor system if your design has one.
• Delivery to your site.
• Frame erection, by us in Queensland or by a licensed erector.
• Licensed trades, including the electrician, plumber and any others your build needs.
• Thermal break material if your walls are clad in weatherboard, fibre-cement or metal sheeting.

Our quote itemises the frame, delivery and erection so you can slot the numbers straight into your budget.

Checklist before you order

1. Confirm your project is a single dwelling or other work an owner-builder may do.
2. Apply for the owner-builder permit, allowing for the course and processing time.
3. Engage a certifier and get your plans to them.
4. Send the plans and site address to us for a quote.
5. Check and confirm the frame layouts we send you.
6. Book delivery for when the slab is ready and decide who will stand the frame.

Note:Queensland applies NCC 2022 until 1 May 2027, when NCC 2025 is adopted. Clause numbers in this guide are NCC 2022 references and will be reviewed when the new edition takes effect.