Building work for a food business may include:

• fit-out of the kitchen
• adding an additional coldroom
• adding a new mechanical exhaust canopy.

All building work is assessed against the building assessment provisions (including, but not limited to, the National Construction Code and the Queensland Development Code) which set the minimum requirements for building structure, fire safety, access and egress, health and amenity, and energy efficiency.

To find out if you need building approval, you can:

• lodge an enquiry with Council
• engage a building certifier licensed with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission
• self-assess proposed work against Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the Building Regulation 2021.

Compliance certificates for building work

Assessable building work requires building approval from a building certifier.  Sometimes the building certifier relies on advice from other people for assessing the design/specification and inspection of buildings.

The building certifier uses these forms to accept advice on assessable building work.

• Form 15 specifies the design and its limitations.
• Form 16 confirms the installation or construction meets the design.

Your building certifier will collect these forms if necessary.

During the licence application process, Council may ask for a Form 15 that certifies the design of a major component of your business (e.g. mechanical exhaust canopy), and a Form 16 to certify that the component was installed to the design specification.

Find out more about Forms 15 and 16.