📍 Coorparoo, Brisbane · Owner-Builder Project
Guides
Queenslander Built documents a completed owner-builder raise and build-under in Coorparoo, Brisbane - costs, approvals, trade sequencing, photos and lessons from a project that ran from 2018 to 2020.
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🧭 Where are you right now?
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I'm researching costs
The real $331,510 Coorparoo build-under breakdown: every category, every line item, with notes on where things came in over initial estimates and where we saved.
I'm considering going owner-builder
Understand what the owner-builder role actually involves: QBCC permit, trade sequencing, inspections and the admin nobody tells you about.
Council, QBCC and certification
Navigate the approvals pathway: DA, building permit, private certifier, owner-builder permit and the inspection hold points in between.
Planning the sequence of trades
Understand the order work must happen in: and the hold points that stop you if something isn't signed off.
Before & after photos
The original 1920s Queenslander through to the completed raise and build-under: 6 stages documented in photos.
Free build-under budget tracker
Every line item from the $331,510 Coorparoo project as a working spreadsheet: free for subscribers.
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Practical guides built around the real decisions Brisbane homeowners face: costs, approvals, sequencing, permits and buyer due diligence.
Costs & Budget
Real costs: $331,510 broken down
Every cost category from the Coorparoo build-under, with notes on items over budget and where we saved.
View costs → →
Owner-Builder
Owner-builder process
Trade sequencing, hold points and the admin behind a successful build.
See how it works → →
Approvals
QBCC owner-builder licence
Eligibility, the QBCC course, the application and what the licence covers.
Check eligibility → →
Approvals
Brisbane City Council approvals
DA, building permits, private certifiers and the inspections along the way.
Understand approvals → →
Project Management
Build timeline
From first quote and approval through raise day to practical completion.
See the timeline → →
Buying
Buying a Queenslander
Risk checklist and inspection guidance before you sign a contract.
Buyer checklist → →
🧮 Build planning tools
Calculators, downloads and toolkits
The free planning calculators, paid templates and subscriber downloads built from the same project live on two dedicated pages.
🧮 Tools
Calculators and paid templates
Three free calculators (budget estimator, owner-builder savings, raise-readiness score) plus the four paid templates and toolkits: Budget Toolkit, Control Pack, Readiness Pack, QBCC Course Prep.
Open the tools page →📥 Free downloads
Budget Tracker + Inspection Checklist
Two free subscriber bonuses: the Coorparoo line items as a read-only XLSX and the 8-stage owner-builder inspection checklist (PDF).
Open the downloads page →🏠 About this project
A real project, documented honestly.
We documented a completed Coorparoo Queenslander raise and build-under from an owner-builder perspective: costs, approvals, sequencing, mistakes and practical lessons.
The site is not generic renovation inspiration. It's a specific project on a specific block with real figures, real approvals and real trade decisions: the kind of information that's genuinely hard to find when you're planning a project like this.
Disclaimer: Everything here is one owner-builder's experience from one project in one location. It is general information only: not building, legal, financial or certification advice. Always confirm requirements with QBCC, Brisbane City Council, your certifier and relevant professionals.
Project facts
- Location
- Coorparoo, Brisbane
- House
- 1920s Queenslander
- Raise height
- 3.35 m / 11 feet
- Enclosed build-under
- 112.5 m²
- Procurement
- Owner-builder
- Project timeframe
- 2018-2020
- Build-under total
- $331,510
Free for subscribers
Get the Build-Under Budget Tracker
The Coorparoo line items as a read-only reference spreadsheet. All 8 categories, every line item, the actual figures paid.