Toolkit for licensed contractors

About flood resilient design

Flood resilient design is one of many ways Queenslanders can build their resilience to floods.

It involves adapting the design, construction and materials incorporated into buildings to minimise damage caused by floodwaters. Resilience measures are not new, materials have been around for many years and there is a growing demand among homeowners for resilient, sustainable homes.

Incorporating resilient building design may reduce the effort, cost and time of clean up and recovery which means people can return to their home faster following a flood.

Flooding is a natural part of the environment but as the frequency and intensity of floods increase, building homes that are better equipped to withstand the next event is becoming more important than ever.

The licensed contractor toolbox

• Design Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes (PDF, 14.8 MB)
• Industry Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes (PDF, 14.3 MB)
• Example Home Raise quote (PDF, 113.9 KB)
• Example Resilient Retrofit quote (PDF, 593.5 KB)
• Video: A builder's testimonial
• Checklist for builders (PDF, 290.5 KB)

Quoting for work

Scope of works

Eligible homeowners will have their homes assessed by a Resilient Homes Fund assessor and, after that, be sent a Home Assessment Report. This report details the resilience options available for that home and assessed flood levels for the property, where available at the time of preparing the report. The homeowner should provide the licensed contractor with a copy of the report and this information should be considered when quoting.

Licensed contractors are responsible for determining if a strategy is appropriate with consideration given to the Home Assessment Report, Industry Design Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes, homeowner wishes and mobility, flood levels, available funding, house design, site conditions, and a range of other items. Licensed contractors should consider the resilient strategy and certification requirements when scoping works.

Preparing a quote

Before homeowners can apply for funding, they need to get a quote from a licensed contractor. The Resilient Homes Fund team has created two exemplar quotes – one for Home Raise and one for Resilient Retrofit – to help you clearly itemise and cost resilient works undertaken.

These examples provide a simple, standardised approach that aligns with program requirements and follows common industry practices. It is not compulsory to use them, but they can help simplify the process and save you time.

Use these examples as a guide for your own quoting system:

• Home Raise quote (PDF, 113.9 KB)
• Resilient Retrofit quote (PDF, 593.5 KB)

Works valued at under $11,000

If the total cost of works exceeds $11,000, funding can only be approved for one quote from a suitable licensed contractor. Where multiple trades are involved such as building, electrical and plumbing works, the licensed contractor will include everyone’s costs and requirements in one quote and oversee the completion of works. This is a policy requirement under the Resilient Homes Fund program to ensure works are managed in a coordinated manner and deliver a quality outcome.

Works valued at over $11,000

While a single quote incorporating all the works is the preferred option, if the works are valued less than $11,000, homeowners can provide separate quotes from suitable licensed contractors such as builders, electricians, and plumbers in their funding application.

What to include in your quote

Quotes for the Home Raise program need to:

• Itemise the construction costs directly related to the raising of the home.
• Detail all preliminaries such as:
  • supervision and project management costs (itemised with hourly rates for site supervision, project management, construction management where required)
  • regulatory fees such as Home Warranty Insurance Scheme policy, Portable Long Service (if applicable)
  • council permits
  • any building approval fees.
• Include the applicable mark-up percentage to construction costs (mark-up is preferred method instead of margin). Builder’s mark-up should not be charged on preliminaries.
• Confirm the new habitable floor level meets or exceeds both the assessed flood Level and 2021-2022 flood event levels.

Quotes for the Resilient Retrofit program need to:

• Outline a scope of work that adheres to the design and material guidance in the Industry Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes (PDF, 14.3 MB)
• Itemise the construction costs (exclusive of GST) directly related to each of the selected resilience strategies listed in the Home Assessment Report, including:
  • type of works
  • quantity
  • unit of measure
  • resilient materials
  • total cost of resilient strategy (inclusive of labour and materials).
• Include the applicable mark-up percentage to construction costs (mark-up is preferred method instead of margin). Builder’s mark-up should not be charged on preliminaries.
• Detail all preliminaries (exclusive of GST) such as:
  • supervision and project management costs (itemised with hourly rates for site supervision, project management, construction management where required)
  • regulatory fees such as Home Warranty Insurance Scheme policy, Portable Long Service (if applicable)
  • council permits
  • any building approval fees.

Value for Money process

The homeowner will submit the quote with a funding application via the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) portal to be assessed.

The Queensland Government will review all quotes to ensure costs are fair and reasonable and deliver value for money.

The government may seek further information from you or the homeowner about the quote or request a revision of some elements of the quote.

For example, further information may be requested if part of the scope is complex, and the description provided does not detail the resilient materials to be used. Another example would be where works are quoted at a rate considered above standard industry rates or the offered markup or margin is assessed as not aligning with current market rates.

The quote won’t progress in the submission process until all necessary information is gathered. The best way to avoid delays is to provide as much information as you can to ensure you can book the job as fast as possible.

Entering into a contract

Once the homeowner’s funding application is conditionally approved, they will receive a Certificate of Conditional Approval and can enter into a building construction contract with their chosen licensed contractor. The licensed contractor is responsible for drafting the contract, which should comply with the requirements set out in the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) Act 1991. Visit the QBCC website for useful guides and templates for writing and entering into contracts for building work.

Flooding is an inevitable part of living in Queensland. The intent of the program is to minimise damage from a flood to improve recovery, however, these works will not flood proof a property. Licensed contractors may wish to consider including a Special Condition in their building contract with the homeowner, to the effect that the homeowner acknowledges that the builder does not warrant that flood resilience works will prevent damage to the home from any future flood. If insurance works have been completed, we do not encourage people to rip out completed ‘like for like’ works. There are different types of retrofit works that may complement completed insurance repairs and include strategies such as raising services. Before the works can commence, the homeowner will provide the contract to QRIDA for review. The homeowner will then be provided a Letter of Offer. At this point, the works can commence.

Carrying out the work

Works must align with the Industry Design Guideline for Flood Resilient Homes, which is based on existing Australian building standards. These guidelines provide examples of how standard construction techniques and materials can be applied in different ways to enhance resilience. For example, using water-resistant wall linings or wetproofing living areas in addition to bathrooms. All works should be also completed in accordance with the National Construction Code and relevant building standards. All works must be completed by 30 June 2026.

Variations to approved work

If there are any variations to the approved works under the Letter of Offer, homeowners will be required to submit a Variation Request form to QRIDA, together with any supporting information such as a revised quote, scope of works and relevant photos. Variations should be approved prior to commencing with the variation work. Variation requests will be processed as quickly as possible, upon receipt of all the relevant information.

There will be some variations where it is impractical to obtain prior approval, for example where there is an immediate ‘make safe’ obligation. In these cases, the contractor will still be required to provide the necessary supporting information to the homeowner to enable them to seek funding approval. Payments incorporating variations will not be authorised without a Value for Money assessment. The new value for money assessments ensure the revised scope of works still meets eligibility requirements and represents value for money.

Getting paid for the work

In most cases, payments will be made directly to the licensed contractor by the Queensland Government. Payments are made at agreed milestones set out by the licensed contractor in the building construction contract and confirmed in the Letter of Offer. The number of payments will depend on the value of the works and should comply with the requirements set out in the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) Act 1991. For payments to be made to the licensed contractor, the homeowner will need to submit a Milestone Claim Form to QRIDA at each milestone certifying that the works have been completed, together with invoices. Licensed contractors performing resilience works under Insurer Delivery Partner arrangements will be paid on terms agreed with the insurer.

Completion requirements for final payments

As per the requirements for final payments under the Resilient Homes Fund, licensed contractors need to provide the homeowner with the relevant certification on completion of works. Refer to the Resilient Homes Fund website for further information about the certification requirements for final payments. Before final payment is released, the Resilient Homes Fund may attend the home to undertake an inspection of completed works. The Resilient Homes Fund will provide the homeowner with a summary of the works approved and completed through the Fund.

More information

For support or more information, call the Resilient Homes Fund team on (07) 3007 4485 (option 2) on weekdays between 9am and 5pm or email resilienthomes@epw.qld.gov.au.