Retrospective building approvals
Unapproved building work can be approved.
A deck without paperwork. A shed the last owner built. A council letter on the kitchen bench. These situations feel bad, but they have a defined legal pathway, and walking people through it is the thing we do most.
Why people call us
4 situations we resolve every week
Council sent a show cause notice
Council has found the structure and is asking you to justify it. You usually have a fixed number of days to respond. Do not ignore it: penalties for unapproved building work start around $1,000 and can exceed $12,000, and council can escalate to enforcement or demolition orders.
You are selling the property
Since 1 Aug 2025, QLD sellers must disclose unapproved building work to buyers before contracts are signed. Unapproved structures now surface in almost every sale. Resolving approval before listing protects your price and your settlement.
You found it after buying
A previous owner built the deck, shed or extension without approval and now it is your problem. As the current owner, responsibility for the structure sits with you. The good news: it can usually be approved in your name.
The builder never finalised it
The work was done but the approval lapsed or the final inspection never happened. This is common and usually the simplest case to close out.
Fixed fee · First step
Preliminary inspection, $800
Before anyone talks about applications, engineering or council, you need to know exactly what you are dealing with. The preliminary inspection answers that.
- A licensed certifier inspects the structure on site
- Written summary: what complies, what does not
- The exact documents and consultants your approval needs
- A realistic timeframe and cost picture before you commit
- The inspection fee is credited toward the full application if you proceed
The pathway
From council letter to approval certificate
5 steps. You will know where your case sits at every one of them.
- 01
Call us before you respond to council
Describe the structure and any council correspondence. We tell you what pathway applies and what the realistic outcome looks like. If council has given you a deadline, we help you deal with it properly.
- 02
Preliminary inspection
A certifier visits the property, inspects the structure and documents its condition. You get a written summary of what complies, what does not, and exactly what is needed to reach approval.
- 03
Build the compliance file
We coordinate what the application needs: engineering certification, drawings of the as-built structure, energy and siting checks. You only engage the consultants the file actually requires.
- 04
Lodgement and assessment
We lodge the application, respond to any requests for information and manage the assessment through to a decision. If council is involved, we handle that correspondence.
- 05
Approval issued
You receive the approval documents for the structure. The show cause matter is closed, the disclosure issue is resolved and the paperwork is on record for any future sale.
Structures we approve retrospectively
If it was built, it can be assessed
Something else on your property? Call anyway. We assess unapproved work across all building classes, including commercial structures.
Nervous? That is normal
The questions everyone asks
What is a show cause notice?
It is a formal letter from council asking you to show why enforcement action should not be taken over building work done without approval. It has a response deadline. It is serious, but it is also the start of a defined process, and a certifier can usually steer that process toward approval rather than demolition.
Will council make me demolish it?
Demolition is the last resort, not the default. If the structure can be shown to meet the building standards, or can be brought up to them with rectification work, approval is the usual outcome. We have handled many difficult council cases and know what the file needs to show for council to accept the structure.
There are no plans for the structure. Is that a problem?
No. Most unapproved structures have no paperwork at all. Part of the process is producing as-built drawings and an engineering assessment of what is physically there. We coordinate this for you.
How long does retrospective approval take?
Simple structures like a deck or shed are often resolved in a few weeks once the documents are together. Structures needing rectification work or council concessions take longer. After the preliminary inspection we can give you a timeframe for your specific case.
What does it cost?
The preliminary inspection is a fixed fee. Beyond that, cost depends on the structure, the engineering required and whether rectification work is needed. You get a clear scope after the inspection, before you commit to the full application.
Can I sell before the approval comes through?
You can sell, but since 1 Aug 2025 you must disclose the unapproved work to the buyer, and buyers use that disclosure to renegotiate or walk away. An approval in progress, or better, one already issued, puts you in a far stronger position at the negotiation table.
Talk to a certifier
Got a council letter or an unapproved structure?
Call before you respond to council. 10 minutes on the phone will tell you exactly where you stand.