Renovation FAQs: 50 Questions Queensland Homeowners Ask

This is the reference page we point clients to. It answers the questions that come up on nearly every Gold Coast and Brisbane renovation - budgets, approvals, contracts, trades, timelines and what happens when something goes wrong. Where a question deserves a full article, we have linked to it.

Money

Renovation budgets fail for predictable reasons: no contingency, provisional sums left unresolved, and selections made after contract. Set the contingency at 10-15 per cent (15-20 per cent pre-1990), convert provisional sums to fixed prices as early as possible, and finalise every selection before signing. Detailed 2026 numbers are in our Queensland renovation cost guide.

Approvals and compliance

Cosmetic work is generally exempt from approval. Structural work needs building approval through a private certifier, and planning overlays can trigger a development application. Waterproofing must comply with AS 3740, framing with AS 1684, and all electrical and plumbing work must be done by licensed trades with certificates issued. Full detail sits in our council approval guide.

Choosing who does the work

Check the QBCC licence number and class on the public register, confirm the licensed entity is the entity on the contract, and confirm home warranty insurance where the contract value requires it. Orange Projects holds QBCC Licence No. 15620733 and carries full public liability and works insurance.

• A carpenter is the right call for decking, framing, doors, skirting, architraves, feature walls and repairs
• A licensed builder is required once the work is structural, multi-trade or above the contract threshold
• A designer or architect earns their fee on reconfiguration, extensions and second storeys
• A private certifier is mandatory on approvable building work

During the build

Expect a written program, a nominated site contact, agreed working hours, and variations priced and approved in writing before the work proceeds. Expect dust - even with protection. Expect at least one concealed condition on any home over 30 years old. What you should never expect is being asked to pay ahead of a completed stage.

After handover

You should receive the Form 21 final certificate, waterproofing and services compliance certificates, engineering certification where applicable, and product warranties. The defects liability period then runs, during which the builder returns to rectify defects at no cost. Keep the whole folder - it is worth real money at resale.