Demolition work licence

A person conducing a business or undertaking (PCBU) must hold a licence to carry out certain types of demolition work.

Demolition licences are valid for a period of two years from the date of issue.

Demolition work requiring a licence

You must have a demolition work licence to demolish or dismantle a structure that:

1. contains pre-tensioned or post-tensioned structural components
2. involves use of load shifting equipment (e.g. use of combination front-end loader and backhoe, skid steer loader, excavator, crane).
3. involves the use of explosives or another induced collapse method.

You must have a demolition work licence for all other demolition work unless the structure being demolished or dismantled is:

• a domestic house
• a structure built as, and still generally having the characteristics of, a domestic house (e.g. a domestic house converted to flats or an office)
• a structure that is ancillary to a domestic house or a structure with the characteristics of a domestic house (e.g. a carport or garage for a domestic house)

and

• the structure does not contain the structural components described in (1) above and the work does not involve the use of load shifting equipment, or the demolition methods described in (2) or (3) above.

PLEASE NOTE: The definition of 'demolition work' is designed to be different to the definition of 'demolition work requiring a licence'.

With the enacting of the WHS Regulation in 2012, the definition for 'demolition work' was changed to include a much broader definition than previously defined.

Additionally in 2012, the licencing structure was changed from a tiered system to a single licence. This was designed to ensure that low risk demolition work, (i.e. demolition by hand of a domestic dwelling) was not brought into scope with the new broader definition of demolition work. Considering this, the definition of demolition work requiring a licence remained unchanged from with the previous legislation.

Read more about demolition work.

Apply for a licence to carry out demolition work

1. Complete Form 76 - Application for a licence to carry out demolition work (PDF, 0.44 MB) and ensure you attached the required documents.

Information Paper D1 (PDF, 0.28 MB), and Information Paper D2 (PDF, 0.23 MB) will assist you to fill out the application form.

2. Submit the form, supporting documents and fee to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ).
3. We will contact you if any additional information is required.
4. If approved, we will issue the licence to the PCBU.
5. We will issue the licence to the business.

Alter, maintain, remodel or repair structures

If you are going to alter, maintain, remodel or repair a structure which requires you to demolish or dismantle part of a structure that is load bearing, this work classed as demolition. This includes any part of the structure related to the physical integrity of the structure.

However this work is not classed as demolition if you replace the structure with another load bearing element before you remove this structure.

Other work that does not compromise load bearing or physical integrity of a structure is also not classed as demolition work.

Examples of work that is not considered demolition includes:

• replacing a load-bearing column with a deep beam so that the column no longer provides physical integrity to the structure before removing it
• removing cladding, such as plasterboard, that is not load bearing or provides physical integrity to the structure

There are other requirements in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 which may apply to demolition or dismantling of a structure. Examples include:

• work that involves removal or disturbance of asbestos containing material
• high risk construction work.