Compliance Certificate Changes We have all being hearing about industry reforms coming to strengthen the public’s confidence in the building industry and the final product on the ground. Today (1 September 2021) Queensland has updated the Building Regulation 2006 to the Building Regulation 2021 and it has introduced significant changes in the required inspection forms…
Any good builder will tell you that, to have a successful building project, you have to be able to see the project completed before you start. If you haven’t worked through details of the project in your mind, and solved and documented all the problems first, you are heading for some unexpected surprises as well as costs.
Completing a Form 43. 1. Indicate the scope of the aspect/s As a QBCC Licensee you are licenced for a Licence Class or Classes. These classes can be found on this QBCC Link. https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/when-you-need-licence/licence-classes If you scroll down the page, you will find this drop down of the licence class groups. If you click on…
Any good builder will tell you that, to have a successful building project, you have to be able to see the project completed before you start. If you haven’t worked through details of the project in your mind, and solved and documented all the problems first, you are heading for some unexpected surprises as well as costs.
The Building Act 1975 establishes the laws and other documents for the assessment of building development applications under Section 30 and defines them as the Building Assessment Provisions. The Building Code of Australia (BCA) and the Queensland Development Code (QDC) are both building assessment provisions and are both required to be applied where relevant. The…
It has come to our attention that new smoke alarm requirements will be introduced to the Building Regulation 2006 and will come into force on January 1, 2017. Unlike the QFES legislation being introduced about smoke alarms, this legislation will affect building approval issued after January 1, 2017. As of January 1, 2017 a building application for…
After reading the last two articles we have published on form 16’s – because we are sure you have read them, you should have a clear understanding about the use of Form 16’s and what your responsibilities are under the Building Act 1975. We will now walk you through the form step-by-step and clearly explain each part and how to fill it out.
Following on from our last article, it’s important for everyone to understand their statutory functions and duties when they are carrying out inspections and issuing Form 16’s. This is the first instalment on how to understand, and correctly fill out this form.
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“I’m thinking of subdividing land. I have spare land at the back of my property and looking at the option of subdividing to make some money, can I do that?” is a question many land owners ask, and a question Town Planners deal with everyday. The answer to subdividing land is generally yes, but not without…
“Well firstly you need to go get your DA and then you can focus on getting your BA”. Have you ever heard your planner or building certifier using this terminology and wondered “huh?” Well you are most likely not alone. All industries have little sayings and acronyms which can be extremely confusing if you are…
We want you to install stair nosing once and only once. We often have to tell builders to remove stair nosing and refit them to comply with code requirements. Here are the 6 critical issues about stair nosing; Must be non-slip Must contain a luminance contrast strip not less than 50 mm or more than 75 mm.…
Pool fencing rules and regulation save lives every day, however, I never cease to be surprised at the negative attitudes towards it. If you are looking for a way to get around pool fencing laws, this story is not for you.
We all have an appreciation for our country’s history and the buildings that represent it, but mention the words “Heritage Listed” to us builders and developers and watch us run for the hills. But heritage development doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.
When a referral agency becomes involved in your assessment process for your development application, it can result in unexpected costs, unplanned re-designs, and delays for your application approval.
Planning Approvals, aka Decision Notices, are made up of a lot of information and a lot of different requirements. There is, however, one item you should pay particular attention to when determining the budget of a development – the Infrastructure Charges Notice.
Plumbing and drainage was a lot simpler in the good old days. The main requirements were location, location, location – preferably downwind from the house. Thankfully, this method has long since been buried in the history books and sewer and septic systems have taken their place. Of course, along with these modern systems came new legislations and requirements. Here is The Oil Stone’s simple break down of what you need to know.
Exempt, self-assessable, assessable, compliance, prohibited. All these words refer to a category of development, and it is essential to know which category your project belongs to before you begin planning. So how do you determine which category, and how will the result affect your proposed development? Here is The Oil Stone’s brief explanation.
We need to talk about walls. Separating walls to be specific. They are essential to protect against noise and fire, but choosing the right installation or modifying an older system, can seem quite a daunting task. Here is The Oil Stone’s quick discussion.
Class 1a Dwelling Units Class 1a Dwelling units have a separating wall between each dwelling unit that extends continuously from the ground to the underside of the roof of the units. Class 1 buildings cannot be built on top of each other, and each is totally independent of the adjoining class 1a except they share…
Whether you are in the building industry or not, it is common knowledge that there are certain Boundary Setback Requirements which you must abide by when conducting any type of construction. However determining the exact requirements for your block of land can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Here is where to start.
A shiny new planning scheme has come into effect, changing your construction project’s level of assessment, which could ultimately affect the approval requirements. So, what does this mean for your project and what should you do?
Are you dreaming of building your own home? Let’s imagine for a minute that you have just signed a contract to buy a block of land and about to set that dream in motion then you notice that the property has a covenant over the land. So, what does this mean for construction of your new home?
This phrase “ABC of the BCA” is a simple but memorable one that I made up years ago. It has since become an incredibly useful tool and has helped me to do my job well, every day. If you apply this simple “ABC of the BCA” rule, you will begin to easily establish what you need to know and where to find it.
Restricting building heights is one of the hot topics of the general community, particularly when new Planning Schemes are being written. But what happens when your design forces you to exceed the height allowance?
All you die-hard home renovation fans know what an exciting project a shed-to-house conversion presents – your Pinterest account is probably filled with incredibly clever examples. But what many don’t realise, is that there is a lot more to a conversion than just changing the appearance and fitting it out with a sweet interior.
We have all, at some time, been lucky enough to stay a night at the dreaded “Highway Motel” where the constant noise from the passing cars and trucks has left you about 39 shy of the required 40 winks. So why is this lucky?
You’ve just completed the design of your development project. But wait, building assessment provisions have suddenly changed. This means a major redesign of the development, an increase in the project’s budget, and most likely, an unhappy client. So do you do?
The Building Assessment Provisions below are found in Section 30 of the Building Act 1975. The Building Assessment Provisions are the list of provisions that building works is assessed against for compliance in Queensland. Building Assessment Provisions Chapter 3 and 4 of the Building Act 1975; The fire safety standard; (Refer Chapter 7) The fire…
Congratulations! You’ve just received your Material Change of Use (MCU) approval from the council for your building project and you’ve subsequently applied for and received building approval with your building certifier. So, it should be all smooth sailing from here right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
A Building Certifier is a professional person with broad knowledge and experience in building legislation, design, materials and construction. They are not necessarily specialists…
Have you ever heard the expression: “To assume only makes an ass out of u and me? Well, this rule applies when you assume competence without fully understanding the criteria that qualifies you as a Competent Person under the Building Act 1975. As we discussed in an earlier article, failure to correctly understand this term and the responsibilities the role entails, could result in serious future consequences.
Now you would think that putting up a retaining wall would be a relatively easy process. However, this is not always the case.
Six months ago you purchased a kit garden shed from your local hardware shop and erected it in your backyard – a little DIY project for the weekend. However, you have now received an Unlawful Building Work Notice from your local Council. What do you do?
If you don’t fully understand the construction costs associated with building in a Bushfire Prone Area, the unplanned budget changes can feel like you are watching your money burn.
As members of the building development industry, we can easily recognise how the clever design of an environment can help make lives easier and facilitate independence. Contrary to popular sentiment, Luminance Contact is one such clever design idea.
As most of us all know, easements come in all shapes and sizes, and varying categories. But what do they mean for your property? If your land is affected by an easement, you are generally restricted with what you can do. This often means you can be prevented from building in or over the land in the area. So, what should you do?
Everyone loves a home with a great view. This generally means your house must be built on a sloping site, therefore it is important to determine any issues early on in the planning stage, or else things could go down hill very quickly.
“A horse is a horse, of course, of course”…except when it is not. The same is true of shipping containers. If you are counting on your transformed shipping container to be a cheaper storage solution than a regular shed, beware. You might be signing up for a Trojan horse of problems that don’t turn out so cheap after all.
The 2011 floods devastated Queensland. Many properties were destroyed and lives were lost. This tragic event made us realise our vulnerability, and prompted a change in laws for building within a flood hazard area.
Documentation of Decisions Decisions made under the BCA should be fully documented and copies of all relevant documentation should be retained. Examples of the kind of documentation which should be prepared and retained include: (a) Details of the Building Solution including all relevant plans and other supporting documentation. (b) In cases where an Alternative Solution…
Most alternate solutions in the past have involved fire engineering, however they don’t have to. Alternate solutions can be done on any part, or parts of the BCA, and the process does not have to be so complicated.
BCA (Volume 1) A0.9 Assessment Methods and BCA (Volume 2) 1.0.9 Assessment Methods are similar as below* The following Assessment Methods, or any combination of them, can be used to determine that a Building Solution complies with the Performance Requirements: (a) Evidence to support that the use of a material, form of construction or design…
BCA (Volume 1) A0.5 Meeting the Performance Requirements and BCA (Volume 2) 1.0.5 Meeting the Performance Requirements read exactly the same as below * Compliance with the Performance Requirements can only be achieved by: (a) complying with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions; or (b) formulating an Alternative Solution which, (i) complies with the Performance Requirements; or (ii) is shown to be…
BCA (Volume 1) A0.10 Relevant Performance Requirements and BCA (Volume 2) 1.0.10 Relevant Performance Requirements are similar as below * The following method must be used to determine the Performance Requirement or Performance Requirements relevant to the Alternative Solution: (a) Identify the relevant Deemed-to-Satisfy Provision of each Section or Part that is to be the subject of the…
You are just days away from turning the dirt on your block of land, ready to start building your dream home, then your building certifier contacts you with the bad news – “there is a sewer line on your lot and your building is too close”.
You have more than likely heard the terms Performance-Based Building Solution, and Deem-to-Satsify building solution. But what so they really mean? And in looking for the best Alternate Building Solution, what is the best option?
When you talk to professionals in the industry, they will refer to your building by its classification or class. So, it really pays to know the category your proposed building will be under. We have put together a quick list that will help you to easily identify your building project.
Completing a Form 16 correctly should protect you, and ensure you are taking responsibility for what you actually want to certify and nothing else. However, we receive Form 16’s all day, every day, and not one day goes by when we are not asking someone to amend or correct them.
In building, as with real estate, it is all about “location, location, location!” Unfortunately, this means something entirely different for our industry, mostly related to a lot of extra leg and ‘head’ work.
If all doors were required to hinge from the top and have handles and latches located within 200 mm from the floor can you imagine the outcry. Well this is how many people with disabilities feel when they struggle to get in or out of a building or office, that has not provided access suitable for them.
Everyone is looking for building cost savings no matter how large or small the building project. We all love surprises – except when it comes to spending money, and even less when it is your own. In the development industry hidden costs are often unavoidable, however, the surprise doesn’t have to be.
