In most of Australia the first question about a building project is "do I need a permit?" In Tasmania the question is slightly different, and getting it wrong is what causes delays: which category does my work fall into?
Under the Building Act 2016, building and demolition work in Tasmania is sorted into three categories — low risk, notifiable and permit work. Each has a different approval pathway, a different set of paperwork, and different rules about who is allowed to do the work.
Here is a plain-English guide to how the categories work, and where a structural or civil engineer becomes part of the process.
The categories are set out in a Determination made by the Director of Building Control, which lists types of building and demolition work and who may carry them out. The practical effect is a sliding scale: the higher the risk, the more oversight.
| Low risk | No building permit and no notification required |
| Notifiable | Approved by a building surveyor; owner notifies the permit authority before work starts and again when it finishes |
| Permit | Building permit required from the permit authority — normally your council |
The category is determined by the nature of the work, not by its cost. A modest job on a difficult site can sit higher up the scale than a larger job on a straightforward one.
This is the smallest end of the scale — minor work that does not affect the structure and does not need council involvement. Typical examples include small non-structural alterations and minor freestanding structures within the size limits set by the Determination.
The trap here is assuming your job qualifies because it feels small. Two things routinely push work out of low risk: touching anything structural, and the site itself. Work in a hazardous area — a mapped landslip hazard zone, for example — is treated differently from the same work on a stable block.
Notifiable work is the middle tier, and it covers a great deal of ordinary residential building. It can be approved by a building surveyor rather than going through a full permit, but the owner must notify the permit authority when the work is about to start and again when it is complete.
This is usually where engineering enters the picture. A building surveyor assessing notifiable work will want documentation showing the structure complies with the National Construction Code — which for anything carrying load means engineered design: footings sized for the site classification, beams and lintels designed for their spans, retaining designed for the retained height and surcharge.
Notifiable work generally assumes the job is not in a hazardous area and is not being done by an owner builder. Change either of those and the pathway usually changes with it.
Permit work is the high-risk tier and requires a building permit from your permit authority. New dwellings, significant structural alterations, larger commercial work and building in hazardous areas typically land here.
For permit work the documentation requirements are fullest: engineered structural design, civil and stormwater design where relevant, geotechnical information for the site, and certification from the licensed practitioners responsible for each part.
An owner intending to carry out work themselves that is not categorised as low risk will also need an owner builder permit from CBOS, separately from the building permit issued by the council.
Engineers working on building projects in Tasmania are licensed as building services providers through Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS). The scope of each licence class is set by the Occupational Licensing (Building Services Work) Determination.
The engineer civil class is unrestricted within the field of civil engineering and covers civil, structural, geotechnical and environmental engineering, including both deemed-to-satisfy solutions and performance solutions.
Eligibility rests on qualifications and experience, or on listing with the National Engineers Register (NER) or recognition as a Chartered Professional Engineer. Every building services provider must also work only within their area of competence — a licence is not a licence to do everything.
Tasmania asks more of a footing and framing design than most of the mainland, and the reasons are local:
A design imported unchanged from Victoria or New South Wales will often miss at least one of these.
QED Engineers provides structural and civil engineering across Tasmania — footings and slabs designed for your site classification, retaining walls for steep and split-level blocks, and documentation your building surveyor can work with. Our engineers are listed on the National Engineers Register.
Send us your plans and site details for a fast, no-obligation fee proposal.
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Who decides which category my work falls into?
The categories are set by the Director of Building Control's Determination. In practice your building surveyor will confirm the category for your specific job, since it depends on the nature of the work and the site.
Does notifiable work still need engineering?
Often yes. Notifiable work avoids a full building permit, but it does not remove the requirement to comply with the National Construction Code. Anything carrying load still needs to be designed and documented properly.
What is the difference between a building surveyor and an engineer here?
The engineer designs the structure and certifies that design. The building surveyor assesses compliance and, for notifiable work, provides the approval. They are separate roles held by separately licensed practitioners.
Do I need a site classification in Tasmania?
For anything with footings, effectively yes. A site classification to AS 2870 drives your footing design, and Tasmanian soils vary enough that a neighbour's classification is not a reliable guide to yours.
Can an interstate engineer work on my Tasmanian project?
They need to hold the appropriate Tasmanian building services provider licence to carry out building services work here. Being registered in another state does not by itself authorise the work.
What if my site is in a landslip hazard area?
Expect a higher category, additional geotechnical input, and specific planning requirements. This is one of the clearest cases where assuming your job is low risk can cost months.
This article is general information only and reflects Tasmanian building requirements at the time of writing. Categories, licensing requirements and determinations are administered by CBOS and the Director of Building Control and can change — confirm the current position for your specific project.
