Before you pay a deposit on a patio, carport or deck, it is worth ten minutes checking who you are dealing with. In Queensland that is easy, because the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) keeps a public licence register. Here is what to look for and what it tells you.
Step 1: get the licence number
A licensed contractor has to show their QBCC licence number on their quotes, contracts, signs and advertising. Ours is on every page of this website. If a quote has no licence number on it, ask for one.
Step 2: look it up
Go to the QBCC website and use the online licence search. You can search by licence number, by name or by business name. The result shows:
- The name of the licensee, which should match the business on your quote;
- Whether the licence is current, suspended or cancelled;
- The licence class or classes held;
- Any relevant history the QBCC publishes, such as disciplinary action.
Check the name carefully. A licence held by one person or company does not cover a different business that happens to use the number.
Step 3: check the class fits the job
QBCC licences come in classes, each covering a type of work. A builder licence covers a wider scope than a trade licence, and some classes are restricted to particular work. The search shows the class; the QBCC website explains what each class allows. If the patio includes a deck, an enclosure or work on the house roof, check the class covers all of it.
Home warranty insurance
The QBCC explains that residential construction work worth more than $3,300 needs a licensed contractor, and that for most of that work the contractor must take out cover under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme before work starts. The premium is paid by the contractor, and you should receive a notice of cover.
The scheme can help if the contractor does not finish the work or does not fix defective work, within the time limits it sets. Not every kind of structure is treated the same way under the scheme, so ask your builder whether your job is covered and check the notice.
The written contract
For residential work over $3,300, the QBCC explains that the contract must be in writing and signed by both parties, and that you should receive a copy along with the QBCC consumer guide. A good patio contract also spells out:
- The exact structure: size, roof product, steel, posts, footings and finishes;
- What is included: plans, engineering, approval, council or water authority fees, removal of any old structure;
- What is not included, such as electrical work or concrete you are arranging yourself;
- The start and finish dates, or how they are worked out;
- The payment stages, tied to work that has actually been done.
Deposits and cooling off
The QBCC explains that the deposit on a domestic building contract is capped: 10% where the contract price is under $20,000, and 5% where it is $20,000 or more. It also explains that you generally have a cooling-off period of five business days after you receive the signed contract. Be wary of anyone asking for more up front, or for large payments before the work they relate to.
Other things worth asking
- Who will actually build it: the business’s own team, or subcontractors?
- Who prepares the plans and engineering, and who lodges the approval?
- What steel and roof panels are used, and who backs their warranties?
- What workmanship warranty the builder gives, in writing.
- Whether the price is fixed once the design is settled.
Warning signs
- A quote with no licence number, or a number that belongs to someone else.
- Pressure to sign on the day, or a "special price" that ends tonight.
- A request for cash, or for most of the money before any work is done.
- No mention of plans, engineering or approval for a roofed patio or carport.
- A vague description of the roof and steel that does not name the product.
Our details
Australian Innovate holds QBCC licence 15264446, shown in the footer of every page. We build with genuine COLORBOND® steel and BlueScope steel, Superior Panel insulated panels and LYSAGHT® products, and our own team builds the job. Look us up, and ask us anything about the licence, the contract or the insurance at the on-site quote.
COLORBOND® is a registered trade mark of BlueScope Steel Limited.