- Build-under
- Enclosing the space below a raised Queenslander to create habitable floor area.
- Certifier
- A private building certifier licensed to issue building permits and conduct inspections at mandatory hold points.
- DA
- Development Approval. Required from Brisbane City Council for most Queenslander raises, especially in character or heritage overlays.
- Edge beam
- A deepened section of slab around the perimeter that handles ground variability and structural loads. Common on raft slabs.
- Hold point
- A mandatory inspection stage where work cannot continue until signed off by the certifier and/or engineer.
- Owner-builder
- A homeowner who acts as the builder on their own project, holding a QBCC owner-builder permit and managing licensed trades directly.
- Pre-line inspection
- A certifier inspection after services rough-in and framing, before insulation and plasterboard. A critical hold point.
- QBCC
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Licenses builders, certifiers and other building trades. Issues owner-builder permits.
- Raft slab
- A reinforced concrete slab cast as a single connected raft, designed to spread structural load over variable ground.
- Restump
- Replacing the existing stumps under a Queenslander without raising the house. Different scope to raising.
- Rough-in
- Initial installation of electrical and plumbing services inside walls and floors, before plasterboard. Followed by fit-off after lining.
- RPEQ
- Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland. The qualification required for engineers signing structural designs in Queensland.
- Subfloor
- The structural area below the original house, exposed once the Queenslander is raised. Houses the new lower-level frame and services.
- Tie-down
- Engineering specification for connecting roof framing to walls and structural members. Mandatory in Queensland cyclone zones.
- Variation
- A change to the scope of work agreed mid-build, typically priced separately from the original quote.
Learn
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms trades, certifiers and engineers use without explanation. The vocabulary you'll need to manage a Queenslander renovation.

Reference reader
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The Coorparoo line items in a structured XLSX, plus the 8-stage Inspection Checklist PDF. Free reference material when you subscribe.