Your Nominee Has Left. Here's What Happens Next.
When a licensee nominee resigns, your company licence doesn’t quietly continue as it was. QBCC must be notified within 14 days, and until a suitable replacement is approved, your company’s ability to contract for building work is at risk.
For a Brisbane, Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast builder mid-way through a contract, that’s not a paperwork problem. It’s a business continuity problem.
| The 14-Day Obligation | The Exposure Window | The Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| QBCC must be notified when a nominee ceases to act. Missing that window creates a compliance issue on top of the licensing one. | Without an approved nominee, your company licence cannot support new contracts. Existing work, insurance and client obligations all sit in the balance. | A replacement nominee must hold the right licence class, be genuinely available to supervise, and be approved by QBCC before your licence is secure again. |
Talk to us today — we move fast on nominee replacements.
Your Path to Changing or Replacing QBCC Nominee Supervisor Starts Here
Before we match you with a nominee supervisor or map out your licence pathway, we start with what matters most — understanding exactly where you stand. Every BHB client begins with a structured health check of your current position against QBCC builder licensing requirements with our industry professional partners.
STEP 01
Book A Licensing Consultation
Our licensing specialists conduct a structured review of your qualifications, experience, and evidence against QBCC builder licensing requirements — giving you a clear picture of where you stand before you spend a cent on an application.
- Qualifications & licence class alignment reviewed
- Construction & supervision experience assessed
- Evidence gaps identified upfront
STEP 02
Receive Your Personal Roadmap
Within 3 business days, you’ll receive a clear, personalised roadmap outlining your eligibility, the right licence class for your situation, any gaps in your application, and the specific actions needed to move forward with confidence.
- Eligible licence class confirmed
- Experience and evidence gaps identified
- Clear action plan to strengthen your application
STEP 03
We Walk the Path With You
With your roadmap in hand, BHB matches you with the right nominee supervisor for your situation, helps you build your evidence portfolio, and guides you through the QBCC application — start to finish. Stay focused on running your business while we handle the complexity.
- Nominee supervisor matched to your business
- Evidence portfolio compiled and reviewed
- Full QBCC application support provided
What Genuine Supervision Actually Looks Like
A nominee supervisor arrangement only works if the supervision is real. That means genuine oversight of the work your company contracts for, and reasonable availability to the sites and the team.
What that looks like in practice:
- Involvement in how work is planned, sequenced and quality-checked
- Reachable by site staff when decisions need to be made
- Visibility over the projects running under the company licence
- Records that demonstrate the supervision actually occurred
This is the line between a compliant nominee arrangement and one that creates serious risk for both parties. Every arrangement we structure is built to stand up to scrutiny.
Where Nominee Arrangements Come Under Scrutiny
QBCC looks closely at nominee arrangements that don’t add up. If any of the following describe your situation, it’s worth a conversation before it becomes a problem.
- Supervision that doesn’t match the workload. A part-time nominee attached to a company running full-time project volume.
- Distance. Sites a long way from where the nominee is actually based.
- Multiple entities. One nominee spread across several companies with overlapping project commitments.
- Thin records. Building records need to be retained for seven years. Gaps are difficult to explain after the fact.
- Notification delays. Not reporting a nominee’s departure inside the required window.
None of these are automatically fatal. All of them are easier to address before QBCC raises them. QBCC nominee supervisor liability.
Questions to Ask Before You Appoint a Nominee
If you’re considering a nominee — whether through us or independently — these are the questions worth asking.
- What licence class do you hold, and is it current?
- How many other companies are you currently nominee for?
- How many active projects are you supervising right now?
- How will you be involved in our projects week to week?
- How do you document your supervision?
- What’s your notice period if you decide to step away?
- Have you supervised work of this class and scale before?
- What happens if QBCC audits our arrangement?
If the answers are vague, keep looking. How to choose a QBCC nominee supervisor.
We're All About Helping Building Businesses Stay Compliant and Keep Growing
You’ve established yourself as a capable low-rise residential builder, delivering quality projects and building strong client relationships. As your business grows, you may find your clients’ needs evolving—particularly into commercial construction or projects that fall outside your current licence class, such as those requiring a Medium Rise Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licence.
Rather than stepping away from these opportunities or referring them elsewhere, Builders Helping Builders (BHB) provides a structured pathway to help you retain and service your clients as they grow. Through our Nominee Supervisor and licensee support model, we assist you in transitioning into higher-value and more complex projects while maintaining compliance with QBCC requirements.
Keep Your Business Operating Without Missing a Beat
A change in your licensee nominee doesn’t have to mean disruption. With the right support in place, you can transition smoothly, stay compliant with QBCC regulations, and continue winning and delivering work without interruption.
We work with you to understand your business structure, identify the right nominee match, and manage the application process from start to finish — so nothing slips through the cracks.
Your Pathway Includes:
- Nominee Agreement & Structure
- Licence Category Guidance
- Post-Approval Business Setup Support
How We Support Building Businesses Through the Nominee Process
At Builders Helping Builders, we take the complexity out of licensee nominee changes — with a structured, compliant process that protects your business and keeps your operations moving forward.
- Nominee Eligibility Assessment & Matching
- QBCC Application Preparation Evidence Gathering
- Licensee Nominee Placement & Agreement Structure
- Business Compliance Review & Risk Assessment
- Ongoing Compliance Support Post-Placement
Companies We Have Worked With
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Your Licence. Your Business. Let's Make It Happen.
✓ Specialist QBCC licence knowledge
✓ Matched to the right licensee nominee for your situation
✓ Mentoring that protects you and your projects
✓ Trusted by sole traders, developers & construction businesses across QLD
"We don't just help you get licensed — we help you build a business that lasts."
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FAQs for QBCC Nominee Management
For existing builders and company directors in SEQ managing or replacing a QBCC nominee.
Can a company have more than one QBCC Nominee Supervisor?
Yes. A company can appoint multiple nominees — common where a company holds several licence classes and needs a qualified nominee covering each one.
Can one person be a nominee for multiple companies?
Yes, provided they can genuinely and adequately supervise the building work of each company at the same time. QBCC looks closely at whether someone spread across multiple companies can still meet the “adequate supervision” standard — it’s not a box-ticking exercise.
Does a nominee need to work full-time?
Not necessarily full-time hours, but their time commitment must be genuinely sufficient to provide adequate supervision. QBCC weighs up factors like employment status, distance from the work site, and any other nominee roles the person holds elsewhere.
What happens if our nominee resigns?
The company must notify QBCC within 14 days and appoint a replacement nominee as soon as possible. Operating without a nominee for an extended period puts the company licence at risk of suspension or cancellation, so it pays to act quickly.
Can a company change nominees later?
Yes — whether you’re replacing a departing nominee or bringing in someone better suited to your current workload, the process is the same: confirm the incoming nominee’s licence class matches the company’s, and notify QBCC within 14 days of the change.
How do I find a suitable Nominee Supervisor?
Look for someone holding the correct licence class, with genuine capacity to supervise your scope of work, and a real employment, director or secretary relationship with your company — not just a name on paper.
What questions should I ask before appointing a nominee?
Useful questions include: Do they hold the right licence class for our work? Can they realistically supervise this volume and location of work alongside any other roles they hold? Will they genuinely be involved on-site, or just listed on the licence? What’s their track record with QBCC compliance?
Is a part-time nominee legal?
There’s no rule requiring a nominee to work full-time hours, but their time commitment must be genuinely sufficient to adequately supervise the work. QBCC will scrutinise arrangements where a casual or part-time nominee is nominally overseeing a full-time operation.
How many projects can one nominee supervise?
There’s no fixed numeric limit, but the number must be realistic given the nominee’s other commitments. QBCC’s test is whether the nominee can still provide adequate supervision across everything they’re responsible for — more sites generally means more documented systems and oversight are needed to satisfy that test.
What makes a good supervision system?
A good supervision system includes clear documentation of how work is checked against plans and standards, a sensible schedule of site inspections relative to project size and risk, defined processes for catching and rectifying defects, and oversight that scales appropriately with the number and complexity of projects underway.
Which Licence Class Does Your Business Need?
Your company licence class determines what work you can contract for — and what class your nominee must hold.
| Class | Scope |
|---|---|
| Low Rise Builder | Class 1 and 10 buildings. Also Class 2–9 buildings with a gross floor area of not more than 2,000m², excluding Type A or Type B construction. Multi-residential (Class 2 and 3) up to three storeys. |
| Medium Rise Builder | Class 2–9 buildings up to three storeys, including Class 4–9 up to three storeys. |
| Open Builder | No height or floor area restriction across building classes. |
If your clients are asking for work outside your current class, the answer isn’t always a new licence — sometimes it’s the right nominee arrangement. How to upgrade from a low rise to medium rise builder licence.
Not Every Licensed Builder Can Be Your Nominee
QBCC applies specific tests to licensee nominees. Getting the match wrong costs you weeks and can put the application back to the start. Here’s what actually matters.
| Requirement | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|
| Licence class | The nominee must hold a licence class equal to or above the class your company is licensed for. A Low Rise nominee can’t support a Medium Rise company licence. |
| Licence currency | The nominee’s own licence must be current and in good standing — no suspensions, no outstanding conditions. |
| Genuine availability | The nominee must be able to actually supervise the work your company is contracted to perform. |
| Geographic reach | Distance between the nominee and your sites matters. QBCC considers whether supervision is realistically achievable. |
| Existing commitments | A nominee already supervising multiple companies or a heavy project load may not satisfy QBCC. |
| Business structure fit | Company, trust and partnership structures each have different nominee requirements. |
We assess all of this before anyone is put forward — so the application you lodge is one QBCC can approve.