Statutory scheme · Queensland · QLD
QBCC home warranty scheme
Queensland statutory cover protecting homeowners where residential building work is defective or incomplete. The licensed contractor pays the premium to the regulator; it is not shopped on the open market.
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What the scheme requires
- Work value threshold: Most residential building work in Queensland valued at more than $3,300 including materials, labour and GST must have insurance through the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
- Who pays premium: The contractor pays the premium, which is based on the insurable value of the work; the home owner pays for any optional additional cover. The premium is paid to QBCC when cover is taken out for the job. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
- Premium basis: The premium comes from QBCC's published premium table applied to the insurable value of the work, which includes the cost of associated work. For multiple dwellings the insurable value is divided per dwelling, priced from the table, then multiplied back. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
- Certificate issued to: Once the premium is paid, QBCC sends a Notice of Cover to the contractor and the home owner. Anyone can run an insurance search on a property through QBCC to see home warranty policy details; policies generally expire about six and a half years after completion. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
- Cover scope: The scheme covers a maximum of $200,000 for each category of loss, including refunding a deposit and non-completion, rising to $300,000 where optional additional cover has been taken out. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
- Variation treatment: If a variation increases the insurable value of the work, extra premium may be payable; cover is amended through the QBCC portal (edit policy details, amend) and any additional premium is paid with the request. Cover can also be changed to correct errors or decrease the value. QLD · effective 2026-08-13 QBCC · 2026-08-13
Who administers it
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — Licences building and construction work in Queensland and administers the state home warranty scheme.
What this scheme does not do
Scheme cover and a business’s own insurance answer different questions. A residential building scheme protects the homeowner when work is defective or unfinished; it does not cover the contractor’s liability to third parties or the contractor’s own losses.
Sources
- QBCC — Queensland Building and Construction Commission