Can I get retrospective patio approval in Queensland?

Often, yes, but not as an ordinary building approval. In Queensland a certifier approves building work before it starts, so a patio that is already standing goes through the as built or retrospective route the certifier or the council offers instead, and how that works varies from council to council. In most versions the patio is inspected, checked against the rules, and then signed off or changed until it meets them. The post on approval after it is built covers the general path, and this one narrows it to a patio.

Did the patio need approval when it was built?

Check that first. A small open patio that met every condition the state set at the time may have been accepted development, and then nothing is missing, though a certifier can confirm it in writing for a buyer. A roofed patio attached to the house, or one close to a boundary, usually needed building approval, and one forward of the house or in an overlay may have needed the council as well. The post on patio approval in Queensland sets out those tests.

What does the certifier inspect?

The patio as it stands: the posts and the footings under them, the beams, the roof sheets and their fixing, the tie down to the house where it is attached, and the gutters and where the water goes. Footings poured long ago cannot be seen, so the certifier may ask for one to be dug out beside, or for an engineer to report on the frame and its fixings against the site’s wind.

Where does the council come in?

On the siting. If the patio sits closer to a boundary than the state’s siting rules allow, the council has to agree to that position before the certifier can sign off, the same siting variation a new patio would need. The council weighs the neighbour’s light, privacy and outlook, and if it says no, the patio has to be cut back or moved. Some councils run the whole as built process themselves, and some want a certifier’s report before they look. The post on boundary relaxations explains the siting decision.

What goes on the as built site plan?

the patio measured on site, not taken from the original quote
its distance to each boundary, from the posts and from the roof edge
whether it is attached to the house, and which sides are open
the gutters, the downpipes and where the roof water goes
the site cover with the patio counted in

Mark it as existing, so it reads as work already done.

Reading it for your own lot

RapidSiteplan reads the council and building rules for your lot from its address, checks the design against them as you place it, lets you edit it as often as you like, and prints the site plan. Site plans and assessments in minutes. Set the patio to Existing on its card and the sheet marks it as standing work, with its distance to every boundary dimensioned from it.

Search your address, see what the plan shows for a patio or carport, or read what we hold for Gold Coast. Queensland councils are listed by name, and site plans by council covers the rest of Australia.

Common questions

Can I get retrospective patio approval in Queensland? Usually, through the as built or retrospective route the certifier or the council offers, since an ordinary building approval is given before work starts. The patio is inspected, checked against the rules and signed off or changed. How it works varies by council.

What happens to a patio built without approval? The council can require it to be brought into line, changed or taken down where it cannot meet the rules, and a buyer’s searches can turn it up. The risk sits with the owner, whoever built it, so dealing with it early is usually cheaper.

How much does as built patio approval cost? More than approval before the build, because of the inspection, an engineer’s report where the footings cannot be seen, and any siting decision from the council. Each certifier and council sets its own fees, so ask what a quote covers.