16 Springvale St · Thrive One Trust
Data as at 24 Sep 2026
Forms guide
Every Queensland form and certificate this project will be asked for — what it is, who issues it, what it takes, and when we need it.
Nobody asks us for a "certificate" — the buyer's valuer, the buyer's solicitor and the buyer's building & pest inspector test the house, and each one reads a different form. A form that is missing or unsigned is read as unapproved work: a price discount, a retention clause, or a failed settlement. This page is the head of the fish — know the form before the cut, so every trade leaves the paper the sale will need.
Definitions and criteria live here. Dates and owners are owned by Compliance · clocks and 30 Days · milestones; status by form is on Compliance · approval chain.
Map — the whole chain
From the first trade on site to the buyer's solicitor. "Needed by" links to the owner of the date.
| Work | Form / certificate | Issued by | Needed by | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any trade, before signing | QBCC licence check | QBCC register (online) | Before every quote is accepted | #qbcc |
| Converted garage, pool, deck history | Council building records search | City of Gold Coast | This week (D24) | #council-search |
| Granny flat, fire-rated wall, roof truss | Building approval (BA) | Private certifier (Apex) | Lodged W41 | #ba |
| Fire wall, truss D41, deck substructure | Form 15 — design compliance | RPEQ engineer | 2 Oct | #form-15 |
| Each stage before it is covered | Form 16 (and Form 12 / 43) | Certifier · RPEQ · QBCC licensee | Fire wall before 9 Oct | #form-16 |
| Plumbing: sewer pump, trench, bathrooms | Form 4 — notifiable work | Licensed plumber → QBCC | 10 business days after each invoice | #form-4 |
| Electrical: solar removal, AC, circuits, alarms | CoTC | Licensed electrical contractor | At the end of every job | #cotc |
| Any residential job over $3,300 | QBCC Home Warranty Insurance | Contractor pays QBCC | Before work starts | #hwi |
| Pool barrier | Form 23 — pool safety certificate | Licensed pool safety inspector | Wed 8 Oct · definitive 16 Nov | #form-23 |
| Pool barrier fails inspection | Form 26 — nonconformity notice | Same inspector | Plan B only — 3 months to fix | #form-26 |
| Pool without a certificate at sale | Form 36 — notice of no PSC | Seller → QBCC + buyer | We received one in July; not for our exit | #form-36 |
| Whole BA at completion | Form 21 — final inspection | Private certifier (Apex) | 11 Dec | #form-21 |
| Our own inspection before listing | Pre-sale building & pest | Independent inspector (AS 4349) | 14–16 Dec | #bp |
| Sale contract | Form 2 — seller disclosure | Our solicitor | Pack in Nov–Dec, before any buyer signs | #form-2 |
| Transfer at settlement | Form 24 — smoke alarm declaration | Seller (Titles Registry form) | Settlement, Mar 2027 | #form-24 |
The forms, one by one
Order follows the build: approval chain, then trades' evidence, then the pool, then the sale pack.
Building approval (BA) approval chainDecision notice from a private certifier under the Building Act 1975
- What it is
- The approval that makes the works lawful. A private certifier assesses the drawings against the National Construction Code and the Queensland Development Code and issues a decision notice; the same certifier then inspects the stages and closes the approval with Form 21. For us it covers the granny flat (secondary dwelling, 53.88 m²), the fire-rated wall between house and granny flat, the roof truss repair (D41) and — depending on D24 — the earlier garage conversion. The deck restoration stays outside it (like-for-like = accepted development; any extension or new footing brings it in).
- Issued by
- Private certifier — Apex Approvals (engagement fee paid 8 Sep).
- What it takes
- Drawings the certifier accepts (site plan, floor plan, elevations, section through the fire wall); Form 15s for engineered elements; energy-efficiency compliance for a habitable addition; the council records result for the garage (D24); the owner's details in the trustee's name. If Apex says our drawings are not enough, full working drawings come back into scope.
- How long
- Two years to complete the work and have it inspected (one year for demolition); the certifier must send a reminder notice before it lapses and can renew it once. Check the period written on Apex's decision notice.
- When we need it
- Written scope from Apex by Fri 26 Sep; lodged W41 (Compliance · 23 Sep). Rule agreed at G5: no plasterboard on the granny flat without Apex's written position.
- Owner
- Rei (certifier, technical drawings).
Form 15 — compliance certificate for building design or specification approval chainThe engineer certifies the design before it is built
- What it is
- A signed statement by an appointed competent person that a design or specification will comply with the building assessment provisions if built as drawn. The certifier relies on it instead of assessing the engineering personally.
- Issued by
- An appointed competent person — for structure, an RPEQ engineer (Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland).
- What it takes
- One site visit and three aspects: the fire-rated wall (FRL, floor to roof), the fire-damaged roof truss beside the chimney (D41) and the deck substructure (posts, bearers, joists, brackets). The engineer needs access, the existing drawings and the certifier's name; the output is a drawing or specification with the Form 15 attached, in the trustee's name.
- When we need it
- By 2 Oct (Compliance · 23 Sep) — before the fire wall is inspected and before the deck structure is quoted. Fee: quoted by the provider.
- Owner
- Rei.
Form 16 — inspection certificate before the wall closesWith its two companions: Form 12 (competent person) and Form 43 (QBCC licensee)
- What it is
- The certificate that a stage of the building work was inspected and complies with the approval. Since 1 Sep 2021 the family is split: Form 16 is the certifier's stage certificate (foundation, slab, frame, final); Form 12 is an aspect certificate by an appointed competent person, such as the RPEQ inspecting the truss repair; Form 43 is an aspect certificate by a QBCC licensee for work within their licence, such as waterproofing. All three end up attached to Form 21.
- Issued by
- Certifier (Form 16); RPEQ or other competent person appointed by the certifier (Form 12); licensed trade (Form 43).
- What it takes
- The inspection must happen while the work is visible. Once plasterboard covers the fire-rated wall, the certifier can only certify what is seen — which means opening the wall again, at our cost and on the critical path. Same logic for the deck substructure before boards go down and for waterproofing before tiles.
- When we need it
- Fire wall before plasterboard on Fri 9 Oct, zero float (Compliance · 23 Sep). Waterproofing to the ensuite (milestone 4) was paid without a Form 43 in the file — to be collected (D33).
- Owner
- Rei (certifier) · Jean (collects the trades' Form 43s).
Form 21 — final inspection certificate closes the BAThe one document the buyer's solicitor asks for
- What it is
- The certifier's statement that the building work was inspected and complies with the building development approval (Building Act 1975 ss 98–99). Without it the approval is open: the valuer treats the granny flat as unfinished or unapproved work and the buyer's solicitor asks for a retention or a price change.
- Issued by
- The private certifier who holds the approval (Apex).
- What it takes
- Every inspection document the certifier relied on: Form 16 / 12 / 43s for each stage, Form 15s, the plumber's Form 4s, the electrician's CoTCs, working smoke alarms, and a final site inspection. The certifier lodges the Form 21 and its attachments with council (s 149) and keeps them seven years (s 150).
- When we need it
- 11 Dec, one week after practical completion on 4 Dec (Compliance · 23 Sep). It is the gate to the pre-sale B&P and the photos.
- Owner
- Rei.
Form 4 — notifiable work (plumbing) trade evidenceThe plumber lodges it; we only check it exists
- What it is
- Plumbing and drainage work that a licensed plumber may do without a council permit or mandatory inspection, provided it is registered with the QBCC. The twelve categories are in schedule 1 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019: bathroom and kitchen renovations, new or relocated fixtures, replacing hot-water systems, sanitary drains within the property. The QBCC register is what the buyer's solicitor can search.
- Issued by
- The licensed plumber or drainer, lodged with the QBCC within 10 business days of issuing the invoice. The QBCC lodgement fee is usually passed through in the plumber's invoice.
- What it takes
- Property address, licence number, description of the work and the owner's name (the trustee). We ask for the Form 4 confirmation number with the invoice; no invoice is paid without it (G4).
- When we need it
- Every plumbing job: granny-flat sewer pump, sewer trench, kitchen, ensuite and bathroom rough-in and fit-off, hot-water system (D44). None on file yet from Dean's work (D33).
- Owner
- Jean (documentary evidence).
CoTC — electrical certificate of testing and compliance trade evidenceOne per job, from the licensed electrical contractor
- What it is
- The electrical contractor's certificate that installation work connected to a supply was tested and complies with the wiring rules (Electrical Safety Regulation 2013). It names the customer, the address, the work, the test date and the licence number.
- Issued by
- The licensed electrical contractor, to the person who engaged them, as soon as possible after completion; the contractor keeps a copy five years.
- What it takes
- Nothing from us but asking for it — and refusing final payment without it (G4). Hard-wired smoke alarms also need a CoTC, which is how the Form 24 declaration is evidenced.
- When we need it
- Solar panel removal (outstanding, D33), ducted air-conditioning and condenser relocation, new circuits for the granny flat, smoke alarms (D42). Fee: included in the job.
- Owner
- Jean.
QBCC Home Warranty Insurance (HWI) trade evidenceQueensland Home Warranty Scheme — the contractor pays it, we check it
- What it is
- Statutory cover for residential building work worth more than $3,300 including labour, materials and GST: protects the owner (and the next owner) against defective or incomplete work if the contractor disappears. Structural cover runs six years and six months from completion.
- Issued by
- The QBCC, on a premium the principal contractor collects from the owner and pays before work starts or within 10 business days of signing, whichever is earlier. Premium per the QBCC table on the contract value (calculator online).
- What it takes
- A licensed contractor with a written contract in the trustee's name. This is why the deck needs one party responsible for the structure: split the job between a carpenter for the substructure and a mate for the boards and nobody's HWI covers the whole deck — the buyer's B&P then finds a structure with no insured builder behind it.
- When we need it
- Hamilton (granny flat, $36,545): contract is in "Reinaldo's" name and the HWI is not yet confirmed (D22/D23). Deck contractor: HWI certificate before the 1 Oct start (Compliance · 23 Sep).
- Owner
- Rei (builder, deck) · Marcos (contracts in the trustee's name).
QBCC licence check before signingTwo minutes online, before every quote is accepted
- What it is
- The QBCC licensee register: search by name or licence number and read the licence class, current status, conditions, insurance and demerit history. If the person is not in the register they may be unlicensed — the QBCC line is 139 333.
- What to check
- Class matches the job (builder, carpentry, waterproofing, plumbing, pool safety inspector); status "current"; no conditions that exclude the work; the entity on the licence is the entity on the quote and the invoice; the electrician's licence is checked with the Electrical Safety Office, not the QBCC.
- When we need it
- Before any quote over $5,000 is accepted (G1–G6: quotes in the trustee's name, two quotes over $5k, written contract over $10k). Today: the deck contractor (JW / Braso / Bela Vista), the pool safety inspector, the second certifier.
- Owner
- Jean (quotes collection) · Marcos (before a contract is signed).
Form 23 — pool safety certificate (PSC) statutory · 8 OctBuilding Act 1975, chapter 8 — the pool safety standard
- What it is
- The licensed inspector's certificate that the pool barrier meets the Queensland pool safety standard. Valid two years for a non-shared pool (one year for a shared pool). It is registered with the QBCC and the buyer's solicitor checks the register.
- Issued by
- A pool safety inspector licensed by the QBCC (search the QBCC pool safety register). No set fee — quoted by the inspector; our quotes have been $150–300 per inspection (indicative, certificacao doc).
- What the barrier must meet
- Fence at least 1200 mm high at every point; gap under the barrier no more than 100 mm; a 900 mm non-climbable zone outside the fence and 300 mm inside (no furniture, pots, pumps or branches); gates that self-close and self-latch from any position and open outwards from the pool; and a CPR sign, at least 300 × 300 mm, weatherproof, visible from the pool. The house must not open directly onto the pool area without a compliant barrier.
- When we need it
- Statutory deadline Wed 8 Oct (90 days from settlement, no extension — see Form 36); definitive certificate on the frameless glass fence 16 Nov (Compliance · 23 Sep). Plan A is two certificates (temporary fence now, glass later); Plan B is one inspection before 8 Oct that may fail — see Form 26. Deck stays outside the barrier (D40).
- Owner
- Rod.
Form 26 — pool safety nonconformity notice plan BWhat "failing" the inspection actually buys
- What it is
- When the barrier does not meet the standard, the inspector issues a Form 26 listing every nonconformity. It is not a penalty: it documents that an inspection happened and gives the owner time to fix.
- Issued by
- The same licensed inspector who did the inspection.
- What it takes
- The owner has 3 months to rectify and have the same inspector re-inspect. If that passes without a re-inspection the inspector must tell the local government, which can then fine. A Form 26 does not replace the 90-day obligation; it shows the buyer's obligation was acted on before it expired.
- When we need it
- Only under Plan B: inspection before 8 Oct on the barrier as it stands → Form 26 → one Form 23 on the glass fence by 16 Nov, inside the 3 months (Compliance · 23 Sep). G5 rule: choose A or B on total cost.
- Owner
- Rod.
Form 36 — notice of no pool safety certificate received, not to be reusedWhy our clock started at settlement
- What it is
- The seller's notice, lodged with the QBCC and given to the buyer before the contract, that the pool has no current certificate. It transfers the obligation: the buyer must obtain a Form 23 within 90 days of settlement. It is not an exemption — the barrier must be safe at all times regardless.
- Issued by
- The seller (their solicitor lodges it).
- What it bought us
- We settled in July with a Form 36; 90 days runs to Wed 8 Oct (Compliance · 23 Sep) — the one date on this project set by statute, not by us.
- At our exit
- Legally available, but a buyer prices a Form 36 as a defect and the valuer notes an unfenced pool. We sell with a current Form 23 attached to the Form 2.
- Owner
- Rod (clock) · Marcos (copy in the contract file).
Council building records search D24 · this weekExtract of building records — City of Gold Coast
- What it is
- Council's record of every approval on the lot: building applications, the builder's name, amendments, inspection details and any final certificate (Form 21, or Form 17 for older pools), plus notices and orders. Four products: extract of building records, copy of the final inspection certificate, certificate of classification, and a building compliance inspection by a council officer.
- Issued by
- City of Gold Coast — online form, in person or by mail; fee per the council's register of fees (first four applications included). Residential turnaround approximately 15 business days.
- What D24 is looking for
- Lot 16 RP224196: an approval and Form 21 for the triple-garage conversion; the pool's original approval and Form 17; anything on the existing deck and pergola; any notice or order still open. The March B&P already told the previous buyer to check this.
- When we need it
- This week (Compliance · 23 Sep); result feeds the BA scope. Our plan assumed 5–10 business days; council states about 15 — source conflict noted in QA.
- Owner
- Rei.
Pre-sale building & pest inspection before listingOur own AS 4349.1 / AS 4349.3 report, ordered by the trustee
- What it is
- The same inspection the buyer will commission — visual building inspection to AS 4349.1 and timber pest inspection to AS 4349.3 — done by us first, so the buyer's report reads as confirmation, not discovery. A report is non-transferable: only the named client can rely on it, which is why the March 2026 report (ordered by the previous buyer) is an internal baseline, not sale evidence.
- Issued by
- An independent licensed inspector (building) and a licensed timber pest inspector; cost quoted by the provider (~$700–900 in P15, indicative).
- What it takes
- Practical completion, Form 21 in hand, termite system recommissioned with the AS 3660 durable notice in the meter box, and the 27 lines of the March B&P closed with evidence — remediated, replaced by the works, or declared (D43). That list is the R-matrix.
- When we need it
- 14–16 Dec, after Form 21 and before photos on 17–18 Dec (Compliance · 23 Sep).
- Owner
- Rei (P15).
Form 2 — seller disclosure statement statutory · before any buyer signsProperty Law Act 2023 — new regime from 1 Aug 2025
- What it is
- The statement every Queensland seller must give the buyer before the buyer signs the contract — not with it, not after. If it or a prescribed certificate is missing or materially wrong, the buyer can terminate up to settlement, no materiality test for a missing certificate (s 104). It answers prescribed questions (encumbrances, zoning, transport proposals, contamination, notices and orders) and attaches the prescribed certificates.
- Issued by
- Our solicitor prepares it; the trustee signs. Searches plus solicitor: quoted by the provider (~$0.5–1.5k indicative).
- What it attaches
- Current title search; registered plan; rates and water notices; land tax; zoning; contaminated land search; any statutory notice or order; pool safety certificate (or Form 36); owner-builder notice if any; body corporate certificate — not applicable here. The Act does not make the BA or Form 21 attachments, but the buyer's solicitor runs the council and QBCC searches and asks — so our pack carries them anyway.
- Why December
- Each certificate is ordered separately and takes days to weeks; any old notice on the pergola, deck or pool surfaces here. Assembling in Nov–Dec (G5 rule) means the pack is ready before the first buyer, not after the first offer.
- When we need it
- Pack complete Nov–Dec; listing 12–14 Jan (Compliance · 23 Sep).
- Owner
- Marcos (coordinates the solicitor).
Form 24 — transfer, smoke alarm declaration at settlementFire Services Act 1990 — rules for dwellings sold from 1 Jan 2022
- What it is
- The Titles Registry property information (transfer) form lodged at settlement, on which the seller declares whether the dwelling has compliant smoke alarms. The standard for a sale: photoelectric alarms to AS 3786-2014, interconnected, in every bedroom, in every hallway connecting bedrooms to the rest of the house, and on every level — hard-wired or 10-year sealed battery. From 1 Jan 2027 the same standard applies to every home regardless of sale.
- Issued by
- The seller signs; the electrician's CoTC is the evidence for hard-wired alarms.
- What it takes
- Alarms in the house and the granny flat in the same electrical job as the air-conditioning (D42); a test on the day and a photo per alarm. If non-compliant at settlement the REIQ contract gives the buyer 0.15% of the price as a sole remedy — about $2,550 on $1,700,000 — and no right to delay. Indicative cost $0.6–1.5k (certificacao doc).
- When we need it
- Installed with the AC electrical, declared at settlement (Mar 2027).
- Owner
- Rod (scope in the AC job) · Marcos (declaration at transfer).
Reading order for a sale in January
The sequence, one line each. Every step needs the one before it.
- QBCC licence check on every trade before a quote is accepted — and HWI paid before any job over $3,300 starts.
- Council records search (D24) — tells Apex what the BA must cover.
- Form 15 from the RPEQ engineer: fire wall, truss, deck substructure — one visit by 2 Oct.
- Form 23 (or Plan B Form 26) before Wed 8 Oct — the Form 36 clock.
- Form 16 on the fire-rated wall before plasterboard, Fri 9 Oct; Form 43 on waterproofing before tiles; Form 12 on the truss repair.
- Form 4 and CoTC with every plumbing and electrical invoice — no evidence, no payment.
- Definitive Form 23 on the glass fence, 16 Nov.
- Form 21 from Apex, 11 Dec — closes the BA.
- Pre-sale building & pest, 14–16 Dec, with the R-matrix closed.
- Form 2 pack with Form 23, searches and the BA/Form 21 copies — ready before listing on 12–14 Jan.
- Form 24 smoke alarm declaration at settlement, Mar 2027.