A QBCC licence says what work a person or company may contract for, and the class is the part that matters for a second home. A house or granny flat is a class 1 building under the National Construction Code, so the installer needs Builder low rise, medium rise or open; a builder restricted to kitchens and bathrooms cannot sign for one. Checking takes ten minutes on the QBCC licensee register: search the name or number, confirm the licence is current, the class covers class 1, the name on the licence is the name on the quote, and the financial category fits the size of business they claim to be. Plumbers and electricians carry their own licences whatever the value of the work.
The classes, and which ones cover a granny flat
| Licence class | What it covers | A granny flat? |
|---|---|---|
| Builder, low rise | Building work on a class 1 or class 10 building, and classes 2 to 9 up to 2,000 m² gross floor area outside Type A and B construction | Yes |
| Builder, medium rise | Adds buildings up to three storeys, with limits | Yes |
| Builder, open | Buildings of any height and floor area | Yes |
| Builder restricted | One area only: kitchen, bathroom and laundry; shopfitting; structural landscaping; special structures | No |
| Trade contractor | One trade: carpentry, concreting, roofing and so on | Not as the builder of the whole job |
Plumbing, drainage and gasfitting need a licensed plumber at any value, through the QBCC's separate plumbing register. Electrical work needs an electrician licensed by the Electrical Safety Office. A building certifier is licensed by the QBCC too, in its own class.
How to check, step by step
- Search the licensee register, not only the find-a-contractor tool. The register gives the full licence history; the contractor tool only finds people by trade and area.
- Status. Current, not suspended or cancelled. No result after two searches means the person may be unlicensed: the QBCC says do not engage them and call it.
- Class. One of the three builder classes above for a class 1 building.
- Name. The name on the licence must be the name on the quote, the contract and the advertising, exactly. A company and its director hold separate licences with different numbers, and the QBCC's own disclaimer says to search both.
- Financial category. The register shows the category, not the dollar figure. The two smallest categories allow up to $200,000 and up to $800,000 of turnover a year, category 1 runs to $3 million. A builder on five granny flats at once inside an $800,000 cap is a question to ask.
- Full history. The register's full-history view shows what the QBCC is required to publish. Insolvencies, bankruptcies and civil disputes are not in it; those sit with ASIC, AFSA and the courts.
What the register cannot tell you
Whether they are any good. The register says a builder is allowed to build. Past clients say what it is like to have them build. Ask for three jobs like yours from the last two years with phone numbers, ring them, and stand in one finished home. Ask what went wrong on the last job and what they did about it. How to check a builder in Queensland goes through the questions and the red flags: a deposit over the cap, no written contract, cash pressure, a name on the contract that is not the name on the licence.
On this site
Every installer on the builders register shows its licence number as published, and makers that say they install show the number they publish, each with the date it was read. A listing is not a check. Run the number through the QBCC register before signing anything.
See it for your block
Questions people ask next
Which QBCC licence class can build a granny flat?
Builder low rise, medium rise or open. A granny flat is a class 1 building, and the low rise class covers building work on class 1 and class 10 buildings. A builder restricted to kitchens and bathrooms, or a trade contractor, cannot sign as the builder of the whole job.
How do I check a builder's licence in Queensland?
Search the QBCC licensee register by name or licence number. Check the licence is current, the class covers class 1 buildings, the name matches the quote and contract, and the financial category fits the size of the business. The full-history view shows the licence history the QBCC publishes.
What does the financial category mean?
The QBCC sets a maximum revenue for each licensee from its net tangible assets. The register shows the category: the two smallest allow up to $200,000 and up to $800,000 of turnover a year, and category 1 runs to $3 million. It is the only financial information the QBCC publishes.
- QBCC, builder low rise, scope of work, read 16 October 2026
- QBCC, builder medium rise, read October 2026
- QBCC, builder open, read October 2026
- QBCC, builder and builder restricted licences, read October 2026
- QBCC, find a licensed contractor (the register against the contractor tool), read October 2026
- QBCC, checking the record of a QBCC licensee (fact sheet), read 16 October 2026
- QBCC, online licence search, read 16 October 2026
- QBCC, maximum revenue and financial categories, read October 2026
- ABCB, National Construction Code building classifications, read October 2026