Shed and garage certification in Queensland
Lockyer Sheds coordinates the certification of the sheds, garages and carports we supply and build in Queensland with independent, QBCC-licensed building certifiers. The certifier assesses the engineering and plans, carries out the inspections the approval requires and, at the end, issues the final inspection certificate. We prepare the documents, give notice of each stage and pass the records on to you.
Who this is for
- Owners building a Lockyer Sheds shed, garage or carport that needs a building approval
- Kit buyers who want the engineering and documents for their certifier
- Businesses and farms that need records of certification for insurance or a future sale
What a building certifier does
A building certifier assesses the building application, decides whether to issue the building approval, inspects the work and certifies it. Certifiers are licensed by the QBCC and can work privately or for a council. Importantly, they must not design the building or carry out the work, so certification is independent of us as the supplier and builder.
We work with accredited certifiers who know Queensland's requirements, but the engagement is a written agreement that states the certification fee, and the certifier's decisions are their own.
Engineering and documents
Before approval, the certifier assesses the drawings and the engineering documentation for the shed, including how it has been designed for the site's wind classification and how it is held down to the slab or footings. We prepare that documentation from the design and answer the certifier's questions about it.
Inspections during the build
For a Class 10 building such as a shed or garage, the certifier can require inspections of the excavation, footings or slab as a condition of the approval, and the final stage must be inspected and signed off by a building certifier. On our builds we give notice of each stage so inspections happen before work is covered up.
How certification works with us
1. Consultation: we explain the approval and certification steps for your shed and site.
2. Document review: we prepare or review the plans and engineering documentation the certifier needs.
3. Certifier engagement: the certifier is engaged under a written agreement and assesses the application.
4. Stage inspections: we give notice of the stages the approval requires and coordinate the inspection times.
5. Final inspection: the certifier inspects the finished building and, if it complies with the approval, issues the final inspection certificate.
6. Records: you receive the final inspection certificate and the inspection documents for your records.
Why the records matter
The final inspection certificate and inspection records show the building was approved and inspected. Keep them: buyers, insurers and councils may ask for them later. In Queensland, the certifier gives the final stage documents to the owner.
Things to know
- Independent by law
- Building certifiers must be licensed with the QBCC and must not design the building or carry out any of the work.
- Final inspection certificate
- For Class 1 and 10 buildings, the certifier gives a final inspection certificate once the final stage is inspected and complies with the approval. Other building classes receive a certificate of occupancy instead.
- Stage inspections
- For Class 10 buildings, excavation, footing and slab stage inspections apply where the certifier specifies them in the approval; the final stage must be signed off by a building certifier.
- Engineering assessed
- The certifier may ask for any design, certificate or documentation needed to decide that the work complies with the NCC and planning laws.
Why use us for this
Documents ready
Engineering and drawings prepared from the same design as your shed.
Stages coordinated
We give notice of each stage so inspections happen at the right point in the build.
Independent sign-off
A licensed certifier, not the builder, decides whether the work complies.
Records for later
You receive the final certificate and inspection records for insurance or sale.
What the service covers
Included
- Preparation of the engineering and documents the certifier needs
- Coordination of the certifier's engagement and application
- Notice of each inspection stage on builds we carry out
- Responses to the certifier's questions about the design
- Handover of the final inspection certificate and inspection records
Not included, or needs someone else
- The certification decision, which belongs to the licensed building certifier.
- Certifier fees, which are set in the certifier's written engagement and paid by the owner.
- Certification of buildings in NSW, which follows a different system.
- Rectification of non-compliant work by others on structures we did not supply or build.
Where it's available
| What | Queensland | New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Council approval paperwork | Yes | Ask us |
Building work is carried out in Queensland only, under QBCC licence 15445275. Remote Queensland towns are by arrangement. See our service areas.
Certification: common questions
Do you certify sheds yourselves?
No. Certification is carried out by an independent building certifier licensed by the QBCC. Certifiers must not design or build the work. We prepare the documents and coordinate the process.
What certificate do I get at the end?
For a shed, garage or carport (a Class 10 building), the certifier issues a final inspection certificate once the final stage has been inspected and complies with the approval.
Which inspections will my shed need?
The certifier sets them in the approval. For Class 10 buildings the final stage is always inspected, and excavation, footing or slab inspections apply where the approval requires them.
Can I use my own certifier?
Yes. Tell us who you have engaged and we will provide the engineering and documents they need for the shed we supply.
Can you get an existing unapproved shed certified?
That is a matter for a building certifier, who decides what is possible for an existing structure. We can help with documentation for buildings we have supplied.
Who pays the certifier?
The owner. The certifier's fee is stated in their written engagement agreement, and we list it separately in our quote if we are arranging the engagement.
Plan the certification with your shed
Send the site address and the shed you are planning. We will explain the approval and inspection steps and include them in your quote.
Call 07 5466 5858