Skip to content

Do I need a building permit for this work?

The short answer

Structural work, most extensions, decks above a certain height, carports, pools and re-roofing generally need approval. Cosmetic work usually does not. The thresholds are set by your state and your council, so this must be checked locally.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 5 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

There is no national answer to this question, and any article that gives you one is misleading you. Building approval in Australia operates through state legislation applied by local councils or private certifiers, and the exemption thresholds genuinely differ, including between councils within the same state.

Generally requires approval

  • Anything structural: removing or altering load-bearing walls, underpinning, restumping, changing the roof structure.
  • Extensions and new habitable rooms.
  • Decks and verandahs above a specified height above ground.
  • Carports, garages and sheds above a specified floor area.
  • Swimming pools and their barriers, which carry their own strict and separately enforced rules.
  • Retaining walls above a specified height.

Generally exempt

  • Painting, and internal finishes that are not structural.
  • Replacing like for like: a new kitchen in the same footprint, new floor coverings, replacing fixtures.
  • Minor repairs and maintenance.

Why it matters more than it seems

Unapproved building work does not quietly disappear. It surfaces at sale, when a buyer's conveyancer asks for approvals that do not exist; at insurance claim time, when an insurer examines whether the work was approved; and if a neighbour complains. Retrospective approval is possible in many cases but is more expensive and more uncertain than approval sought at the right time.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. National Construction Code · Australian Building Codes BoardChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  2. Building and renovating · Consumer Affairs VictoriaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. Building or renovating a home · NSW GovernmentChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  4. QBCC · Queensland Building and Construction CommissionChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  5. Building and Energy · Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA)Checked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK

Read next

More building & renovation questions

All 34 →