What a private certifier does in Queensland (and when you do not need council)

Private certifier or building certifier: same job, two names

In Queensland, the person who assesses your building work and signs off on it is usually called a private certifier or a building certifier. They are licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) and work under the Building Act 1975. Their job is to assess your plans against the National Construction Code (NCC) and the Queensland Development Code (QDC), carry out or oversee the mandatory inspections during construction, and issue the final certificate once the work is compliant.

You can appoint a private certifier directly, or in some council areas you can use council's own certification service. Most builders and homeowners use a private certifier because it is generally faster to book inspections and get questions answered.

Building approval versus development approval: the part that confuses people

This is where the terminology trips people up, so it is worth explaining once, properly.

Here is the part that surprises a lot of homeowners: many straightforward residential projects, such as a standard house on a standard block, a shed, a carport or a secondary dwelling that fits within the planning scheme's size and siting rules, are treated as "accepted development" under the planning scheme. Accepted development does not need a council DA at all. It only needs a building approval from your certifier. Council still has a role if the planning scheme requires notification or referral, but for a lot of everyday builds, your certifier is the only approval authority you deal with.

Projects that sit outside the accepted development thresholds, such as a build with a variation to setbacks or site cover, or one in a heritage or flood-prone area, will usually need a DA from council first. Your certifier can generally tell you early on which category your project falls into, based on the plans and the site.

What a private certifier actually checks

Across a typical residential job, your certifier is responsible for:

Why the sequence matters

Getting the private certifier engaged early, ideally before you finalise your drawings, means design issues get caught on paper instead of on site. A certifier who has worked in construction as well as compliance will usually flag a workable fix rather than just a list of problems. It also means your inspection bookings can be planned around your build schedule instead of chasing approvals after the fact, which is one of the more common causes of delay on a Queensland build.

It is also worth knowing that even accepted development still has to meet every technical requirement in the NCC and QDC. Skipping council does not mean skipping scrutiny. It just means one authority, rather than two, is assessing the project.

Key takeaways

If you are planning a new home, renovation or extension in Brisbane or one of the surrounding council areas, our building certifier Brisbane team can tell you early on whether your project needs a council DA or can proceed on building approval alone. For new home builds specifically, see our building approvals for new homes page. Call our Woolloongabba office on (07) 3112 7689 to talk through your project, or use our get a free quote page to send through your plans.