The best builders on the Gold Coast

Gold Coast pricing tracks Brisbane closely. Where it moves away is the block: waterfront lots, flood-affected land and tight beachside sites add engineering and approval costs that a standard suburban block doesn't have. RLB forecasts Gold Coast tender prices to rise 5.5% in 2026, after 4.5% in 2025.

Consumer guide figures are indicative. RLB rates exclude GST, land, site works and professional fees. The ABS average is a Queensland figure.

Compare renovation builders on the Gold Coast, new home builders on the Gold Coast and commercial builders on the Gold Coast, or read our building costs guide.

The Gold Coast has 5 main rivers, the Broadwater and many creeks, lakes and canals. If you own a waterfront block, the City of Gold Coast is clear that some of the work is yours:

• Revetment walls on your property are your responsibility to keep in a good, safe and structurally sound condition. On community title developments, the body corporate is responsible.
• Pontoons, jetties, boat ramps and decks must be maintained, and you need approval before installing any structure or doing any dredging.
• Stormwater from canal front lots has to go to the street under City Plan, not into the canal, unless the City approves otherwise.

Flooding is the other check. The City publishes flood maps and sells flood level search reports, and the City Plan flood overlay code may apply to your build. If you are renovating or building new in a flood risk area, ask your builder whether they have worked to the City's flood resilient design guideline before.

Queensland building approvals are issued by private building certifiers, not Council. The formal name is a development permit for building work. The certifier assesses the plans, issues the approval and inspects at set stages. Your builder will often engage one for you, but you can appoint your own.

The City of Gold Coast comes in on the planning side. City Plan rules such as the flood overlay code may apply to your build, and on a canal block you need approval before installing any waterfront structure. Some smaller jobs, such as certain renovations and repairs, decks, fences and retaining walls, don't need a certifier's approval at all; the City's domestic building works pages explain where the lines sit.

Queensland's rules kick in early. Any residential building work over $3,300 (labour, materials and GST) needs a QBCC licensed contractor, a written, signed and dated contract, and QBCC home warranty insurance. That covers a bathroom as much as a new house.

• Home warranty insurance is arranged by the builder, who collects the premium from you and pays it to QBCC before work starts. It covers you if the builder doesn't finish, doesn't fix defects, or the building suffers subsidence, up to $200,000 for each category of loss ($300,000 with optional extra cover). It does not apply to commercial work.
• Deposits are capped: 10% for work from $3,301 to $19,999, and 5% for $20,000 or more. A builder asking for more is breaking the rules.
• Progress payments have to match the work done. For example, no more than 50% of the price (deposit included) until at least 50% of the work is finished.
• Cooling-off is 5 business days, starting the day after you receive the signed contract (and, for jobs of $20,000 or more, the QBCC Consumer Building Guide). Pulling out can cost you $100 plus the builder's reasonable out-of-pocket costs.
• Disputes go to QBCC first. QCAT will only hear a building dispute after QBCC has dealt with it.

Our home warranty insurance guide compares Queensland with the other states.