When a patio, carport or deck needs a building approval in Queensland, it comes with a small stack of forms. Most owners only hear the numbers: "the Form 15 is with the engineer", "the certifier has issued the Form 21". Here is what each one is, who signs it, and why it is worth keeping the set in a safe place.
Who is who
- The building certifier: a licensed professional who checks the design against the building rules, issues the building approval and inspects the work. Most patios are approved by a private certifier rather than by council.
- The engineer: a registered professional engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) who designs the structure for your wind rating and soil.
- The builder: that is us. We hold the QBCC licence, build to the approved plans and arrange the inspections.
- The council and the water authority: they only come in when something needs their agreement first, such as a setback or building near a sewer.
Form 15: the design certificate
A Form 15 is a compliance certificate for building design or specification. On a patio or carport it is signed by the engineer, and it says the structural design meets the building rules for your site: the posts, beams, connections, roof and footings for your wind rating and soil.
The certifier relies on it to approve the structure. Without it, there is no building approval. It is also the document people mean when they say a patio is "engineered".
Form 16: inspection certificates
A Form 16 is an inspection certificate, or aspect certificate. It is signed by a competent person who inspected one part of the work, and it confirms that part matches the approved plans. The certifier can rely on it for a stage of the work, or for a part they did not inspect themselves.
On a patio, a Form 16 can cover things like the footings before the concrete goes in, or the steel connections. Whether one is needed, and from whom, depends on the certifier and the job.
Form 21: the final inspection certificate
A patio, carport, deck or shed is a class 10 building. When it is finished, the certifier carries out the final inspection and issues a Form 21, the final inspection certificate. This is the document that closes the approval.
Homes and other habitable buildings get a different certificate at the end. For a class 10 structure, the Form 21 is the one you want.
When the certifier inspects
The building rules set the stages at which the certifier must inspect. For a patio or carport these are usually:
- The footings, before the concrete is poured, so the size and depth of the holes can be checked;
- The final, once the structure is complete, before the Form 21 is issued.
On some jobs the certifier also wants to see the frame or the connections before they are covered. We book each inspection at the right time so the build does not have to stop and wait.
The other papers in the set
- The building approval itself, with the stamped plans and any conditions.
- The site plan, showing the boundaries, the house, the new structure and the setbacks.
- Any council referral response, for example a siting variation for a carport near the street.
- Any build-over or build-near approval from the council or the water authority.
- The engineering drawings and the Form 15.
Why you should keep them
When you sell, the buyer’s solicitor or building inspector may ask whether the patio or carport was approved. A council property search shows the approval, and the papers in your hands answer the question quickly. Insurers can also ask about structures after storm damage.
Keep the set with your house documents, and a scanned copy somewhere safe. If you buy a house with a patio, ask the seller for the Form 21.
What if there is no Form 21?
Sometimes a patio was approved but never got its final inspection, so the approval lapsed without a Form 21. Sometimes it was never approved at all. Either way, the fix starts with a certifier looking at what is there. Our post on selling with an unapproved patio explains the options.
How we handle it
On every job that needs approval, we prepare the site plan, get the engineering and Form 15, lodge the approval with the certifier, handle any council or water authority referral, book the inspections and pass the final paperwork on to you. You do not need to find a draftsperson, an engineer or a certifier yourself.
