The key distinction
A director’s personal QBCC licence does not automatically authorise a Pty Ltd company to contract building work. If the company enters the contract in its own name, the company needs its own contractor licence and an appropriately licensed nominee supervisor.
A QBCC company licence application is different from an individual licence application because QBCC is assessing two connected things at the same time: the company as the contracting entity and the licensed person who provides the technical authority behind that entity. The licence class, nominee status, company records and financial capacity all need to align.
This guide explains how to prepare a QBCC company and nominee licence application, what supporting evidence is commonly required, how Minimum Financial Requirements affect the company, and which mistakes usually create delays or rework.
Quick answer
For a straightforward company application, confirm four items before you start filling forms: the exact QBCC licence class, the nominee’s matching individual licence, the company’s ASIC and control details, and the financial category/maximum revenue the business can support.
Table of Contents
1. When Does a Company Need Its Own QBCC Licence?
A company is a separate legal entity from its directors and shareholders. If a company enters building contracts, invoices clients or takes on licensed building work in the company name, the entity needs the appropriate QBCC contractor licence. A director holding a personal builder or trade contractor licence does not extend that authority to the company.
For most building work, licensing becomes relevant when the value is over $3,300, although some regulated work has lower or any-value licensing requirements and exemptions can apply. The safest starting point is therefore the exact scope of work and the entity named on the contract, rather than relying on a single dollar threshold.
If you are still deciding whether the business needs a company, individual or other pathway, compare the main QBCC licence options before you prepare the application.
Do not blur the contracting entity
If the quote, contract, invoice and bank account are in the company name, assume QBCC will assess the company as the contractor. Make the licence structure match the commercial structure.
2. Nominee Supervisor Requirements: The Person Behind the Company Licence
Every QBCC company contractor licence needs a nominee supervisor. The nominee is the qualified licensed individual connected to the company who is accountable for the technical standard and adequate supervision of the work carried out under the company licence.
The nominee must be a director, secretary or employee of the company and must hold either a contractor-type licence or a nominee supervisor-type licence in the same licence class as the company. A site supervisor licence can be relevant to site supervision roles, but it is not a substitute for the company nominee requirement.
If the intended nominee is licensed interstate or in New Zealand, review the QBCC Mutual Recognition pathway. Mutual recognition applies to the individual; the company still needs its own Queensland licence.
Nominee not licensed yet?
That does not always mean the company application must wait. Where the nominee needs an individual licence first, the individual and company pathways can be sequenced together so the evidence and classes match from the start.
3. What You Need for a QBCC Company Licence Application
A QBCC company licence application should be treated as an evidence pack, not just a form. The company information, nominee information and financial information are cross-dependent. A mismatch in any one area can trigger a request for further information even when the rest of the application is complete.
The exact documents depend on the licence class, company structure and financial category, but the application normally needs the following information prepared and checked before lodgement:
- ✓Current ASIC company registration details and the exact legal company name, ACN and registered structure.
- ✓Director, secretary and other relevant control-person details so QBCC can assess the company and its officers.
- ✓The precise QBCC licence class or classes the company wants to hold, based on the work it intends to contract.
- ✓Nominee supervisor details, employment/director/secretary relationship and evidence of the nominee’s matching licence class.
- ✓If the nominee is applying at the same time: the individual qualification, experience and identity evidence required for that class.
- ✓Minimum Financial Requirements evidence appropriate to the intended maximum revenue and financial category.
- ✓Correct declarations and signatures using the current QBCC company application form.
If the company intends to contract across builder classes, review the relevant QBCC Builder licence scopes. For trade-specific work, compare the QBCC Trade Contractor licence pathway so the company does not apply under the wrong class.
4. Minimum Financial Requirements, NTA and Maximum Revenue
Because a company licence is a contractor licence, the company must meet QBCC Minimum Financial Requirements (MFR). At a high level, MFR is designed to show that the business has enough working capital and net tangible assets to support the amount of annual revenue it intends to earn.
QBCC currently describes the core MFR baseline as a current ratio of at least 1:1, net tangible assets of at least $0, and sufficient working capital for the approved maximum revenue. The maximum revenue amount is not simply an estimate; it is the turnover cap QBCC sets based on the financial evidence accepted for the licence.
Financial evidence changes by category
SC1 and SC2 applicants can often use an MFR declaration in the application, while Category 1 and above generally require an MFR report prepared by a qualified accountant. Builder classes and particular structures can have additional requirements, so check the current QBCC rule before lodgement.
Company licensees also have ongoing annual financial reporting obligations. QBCC Express explains an important company-specific issue in its article on the SC1/SC2 reporting exemption and company licences.
After approval, ongoing licence, ASIC and financial-status monitoring can also matter across live projects. See QX Checker for QBCC Express’s compliance monitoring platform.
5. How to Complete a QBCC Company Licence Application Step by Step
The order of preparation matters. Starting with the company form before the class, nominee and financial position are confirmed often creates duplicated work. A cleaner process is to lock the licensing strategy first, then build the evidence around it.
Step 1 — Confirm the contracting entity and licence class
Identify exactly which company will sign contracts and what work it will contract. Match that scope to the correct QBCC class.
Step 2 — Lock in the nominee supervisor
Confirm the nominee is a director, secretary or employee and holds the same class at contractor or nominee supervisor type.
Step 3 — Build any nominee individual application
If the nominee does not yet hold the Queensland licence, map qualification, experience, RPL or mutual recognition requirements and sequence the individual application with the company application.
Step 4 — Confirm maximum revenue and MFR
Work with the accountant on the financial category, net tangible assets, current ratio and required MFR declaration or report.
Step 5 — Reconcile company records
Check the legal company name, ACN, officeholders, nominee relationship and all declarations against current ASIC and QBCC records.
Step 6 — Assemble and review the full evidence pack
Make sure the licence class, nominee class, company structure and financial evidence all tell the same story.
Step 7 — Lodge the application and manage queries
Submit the company application and any linked nominee application, then respond promptly and consistently if QBCC requests additional information.
Step 8 — Verify the granted licence before contracting
Once the licence is issued, confirm the company name, class, nominee and financial category are correct before relying on it for new contracts.
If you want the company and nominee pathway reviewed before lodgement, use the QBCC Company & Nominee Licence service or contact QBCC Express with your company structure, intended class and nominee details.
6. Common Delays, Rework and Nominee Changes to Avoid
Most avoidable company application delays come from inconsistency rather than a total absence of evidence. QBCC can assess a well-organised application faster when the entity, licence class, nominee and financial documents are internally consistent.
- ✓Applying for a company licence class that is broader than the nominee’s individual licence class.
- ✓Using a person as nominee who is not a director, secretary or genuine employee of the company.
- ✓Assuming a Site Supervisor licence satisfies the nominee requirement for a company contractor licence.
- ✓Lodging company details that do not match current ASIC records or using outdated officer information.
- ✓Preparing financial evidence for a turnover target the company’s NTA and current ratio do not support.
- ✓Using old or inconsistent financial documents when QBCC needs current information.
- ✓Changing the nominee during assessment without updating the company application quickly and correctly.
- ✓Sending partial answers to QBCC requests that create new inconsistencies elsewhere in the application.
Nominee changes are a live compliance issue
A nominee resignation can affect an application immediately. For an already licensed company, there are also statutory notification and compliance deadlines. Read QBCC Express’s guide to the nominee supervisor 14-day notification and 28-day licence clock before the issue becomes urgent.
Read: Your QBCC Nominee Supervisor Just Quit: The 28-Day Clock on Your Company Licence
7. How QBCC Express Supports Company and Nominee Applications
QBCC Express does not issue licences; QBCC is the regulator and makes the licensing decision. The role of QBCC Express is to prepare and manage the application so the company, nominee and evidence pathway is structured before it reaches assessment.
For a company application, that means treating the work as one coordinated licensing project rather than separate pieces of paperwork. The service can include confirming the company licence class, checking the nominee’s individual scope, coordinating qualification or mutual recognition needs, collaborating with the accountant on MFR evidence, preparing the company and nominee application pack, and managing QBCC queries through the assessment process.
Start with the dedicated QBCC Company & Nominee Licence page and use the QBCC licensing FAQs for broader licence questions.
Prepare the company and nominee together
The goal is not simply to submit quickly. It is to make sure the company class, nominee authority, financial category and evidence all support the same licensing outcome before QBCC starts asking questions.
8. FAQs
Can my company use my personal QBCC builder licence?
No. A company is a separate legal entity. If the company contracts for licensed building work in its own name, it needs its own QBCC contractor licence and a nominee supervisor in the same class. See the QBCC Company & Nominee Licence service.
Does the nominee supervisor have to be a director?
Not necessarily. The nominee can be a director, secretary or employee of the company, but must hold the appropriate contractor or nominee supervisor type of licence in the same class as the company licence.
Can a Site Supervisor licence holder be the company nominee?
A Site Supervisor licence is not the licence type QBCC requires for the company nominee. The nominee must hold a contractor-type or nominee supervisor-type licence in the same class as the company.
What if our nominee is not licensed in Queensland yet?
The nominee’s individual Queensland licensing pathway may be prepared alongside the company application. If the nominee is licensed interstate or in New Zealand, review Mutual Recognition to determine the equivalent individual class first.
Does a QBCC company licence application need financial information?
Yes. A company contractor licence must meet Minimum Financial Requirements. The type of declaration, MFR report and supporting financial information depends on the company’s financial category, licence class and circumstances.
How long does a QBCC company licence application take?
Assessment time varies with the licence class, whether the nominee is already licensed, the financial evidence and whether QBCC needs further information. A complete, internally consistent submission reduces avoidable back-and-forth, but no service can control or guarantee the regulator’s assessment time.
What happens if the nominee leaves after the company is licensed?
The company must act quickly because the licence depends on maintaining an appropriate nominee. QBCC Express explains the key deadlines in its Nominee Supervisor 28-day licence clock guide.
Where should I start if I am unsure about the class or nominee?
Start with a licence strategy check. Review the QBCC Company & Nominee Licence page or contact QBCC Express with the company structure, intended work scope and nominee details.
Ready to map the application?
Confirm the company licence class, nominee and financial pathway before you lodge. A structured pre-lodgement review can prevent class mismatches, nominee issues and financial evidence problems from becoming assessment delays.
Licensing and financial requirements can change. Check the current QBCC forms and requirements before lodgement.
