The average new house approved in Queensland in the 12 months to July 2026 had a building value of $530,040. That comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Building Approvals release, which recorded 27,351 new houses approved in Queensland worth $14,497.1 million over that period. The ABS does not split houses by bedroom count, so $530,040 is the average across every new detached house in the state — compact three-bedroom homes sit below it, larger four and five-bedroom builds sit above. The ABS also counts the building work only: its methodology says approval values “should exclude the value of land, demolition and landscaping but include site preparation costs associated with building activity”, with GST included. Treat $530,000 as the contract-side number, then add land and the items below.
What the $530,040 average actually covers
An approval value is the estimated value of the building work when finished, as declared on the building approval paperwork. For a three-bedroom house that is the slab or subfloor, frame, roof, cladding, windows, services rough-in, linings, kitchen, bathrooms, floor coverings and fit-out. It is not the block you build on, demolishing what is already there, or the landscaping, fencing, driveway and pool that turn a finished house into a finished property. The ABS notes it “generally accepts values provided by approving bodies”, so reporting is not perfectly consistent between builders. It is a state-wide benchmark, not a price for your block.
How the Queensland average has moved since 2021
Averaged over rolling twelve-month periods to July each year, the value of a new Queensland house approval has risen 68.8% in five years.
| 12 months to July | New houses approved (Qld) | Total value | Average per house | Change on prior year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30,314 | $9,516.0m | $313,915 | — |
| 2022 | 23,705 | $9,255.9m | $390,461 | +24.4% |
| 2023 | 21,277 | $9,580.4m | $450,272 | +15.3% |
| 2024 | 22,141 | $10,667.1m | $481,781 | +7.0% |
| 2025 | 24,555 | $12,405.1m | $505,198 | +4.9% |
| 2026 | 27,351 | $14,497.1m | $530,040 | +4.9% |
Source: ABS, Building Approvals, Australia, Table 24 “Dwelling units approved in new residential buildings, number and value, original — Queensland”, July 2026 release. The 24.4% jump in 2022 is the material and labour shock working through; the last two years have settled to a steadier 4.9%. If your build will not start for nine months, that trend matters more to your budget than the headline average.
Why a three-bedroom build on the Sunshine Coast lands above the state average
A state average blends Townsville, Toowoomba, the Ipswich growth corridors and Noosa Heads into one figure. Coastal Sunshine Coast and Noosa Shire work sits at the expensive end of that spread, for structural reasons rather than cosmetic ones.
- Footings. Your soil classification under AS 2870 (Residential slabs and footings) sets the slab design. A reactive or problem site means a heavier slab, piers or both, decided by a geotechnical report rather than by preference.
- Wind. Housing is designed to a wind classification under AS 4055. Exposed coastal sites at Coolum Beach, Marcus Beach and Yaroomba rate higher than a sheltered inland lot, which flows into bracing, tie-downs, glazing and roof fixing.
- Slope and access. Hinterland blocks around Ninderry add retaining, earthworks, drainage and pump or crane access — see building on a sloping block in Queensland.
- Bushfire. Where a bushfire hazard overlay applies under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 or Noosa Plan 2020, you build to the relevant Bushfire Attack Level under AS 3959, changing windows, decking, sub-floor sealing and cladding.
- Corrosion and termites. Salt exposure drives material selection near the beach, and termite management under AS 3660.1 is not optional.
None of that is padding. If you are weighing a catalogue plan against a designed home, our comparison of a custom build versus a project home shows where the money goes.
The costs that sit outside the build contract
| Item | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Trunk infrastructure charge | Schedule 16 of the Planning Regulation 2017 sets the prescribed amount at $38,029.25 per dwelling with three or more bedrooms, and $27,163.80 for two or fewer. That is the ceiling; what is levied comes from your council’s charges resolution — Sunshine Coast Council’s is Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No. 9) 2022, commenced 28 March 2022. |
| Home warranty insurance | QBCC requires cover under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme for most residential work valued over $3,300 including materials, labour and GST. Your licensed contractor takes it out. Standard cover is $200,000 each for non-completion, defects and subsidence, with optional additional cover lifting that to $300,000. |
| Energy compliance | The Queensland Government states that since 1 May 2024 the NCC 2022 residential standards apply: 7 stars for most houses, 6 for eligible raised floor construction, 5 for eligible small homes of 50 square metres or less, plus a Whole of Home score of at least 60 out of 100. |
| Land, demolition, landscaping | Excluded from ABS approval values, so excluded from the $530,040 benchmark. Budget separately. |
| First home owner grant (an offset) | Queensland Revenue Office pays $30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, provided the value of the home is less than $750,000 including land and any contract variations. |
That $750,000 cap catches Sunshine Coast first home buyers. Add a $530,000 build to coastal land and you can lose eligibility on the land price alone, so run the numbers before you sign.
What a compliant Queensland contract looks like
The QBCC states you need a written contract for domestic building work “priced over $3,300 including labour, materials and GST”. A new home is well past that, and any contract of $20,000 or more falls in the top value band, where the obligations are tightest. Before you sign, the contractor must give you a copy of the QBCC consumer building guide. The QBCC caps the deposit at 5% of the contract price on work valued at $20,000 or more. You must receive a signed and dated copy of the contract within 5 business days of entering it, and the commencement notice within 10 business days of work starting on site.
You also get a cooling-off period, and it is worth knowing when the clock starts. The QBCC puts it at 5 business days, beginning the day after you receive a signed copy of the entire contract — plans and specifications included — plus the consumer building guide on contracts of $20,000 or more. So it runs from the day the paperwork lands in your hands, not from the handshake.
Before you hand over a deposit, confirm the licence — see how to check a QBCC licence. Roebuck Concepts holds QBCC licence 15280811, and Tom Roebuck holds individual licence 15015060. For how pricing is structured, read our guide to fixed price building contracts in Queensland, and for a regional breakdown see the cost to build a house on the Sunshine Coast. We build across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Shire from our office at Coolum Beach — see how we approach new home builds on the Sunshine Coast, or call 0477 333 386.
Frequently asked questions
Is $530,000 enough to build a three-bedroom house in Queensland?
It is the right order of magnitude for the building work. The ABS average for all new Queensland houses approved in the 12 months to July 2026 was $530,040, excluding land, demolition and landscaping. A modest three-bedroom home on a flat, serviced lot with easy access can come in under it. One on a sloping or exposed coastal block, with the footings and wind classification that follow, will not.
Does that average include the land?
No. The ABS methodology states approval values should exclude land, demolition and landscaping, while including site preparation and GST. Land is a separate budget line, and on the Sunshine Coast it is usually the larger one.
How much can a builder ask for as a deposit?
The QBCC sets the cap by contract value. For work valued at $20,000 or more, which covers any new home, the maximum deposit is 5% of the contract price. For $3,301 to $19,999 it is 10%, and for work of $3,300 or less it is 20%. A deposit of up to 20% on a larger job is only allowed where more than half the contract price is work custom-made or prefabricated off site — made-to-measure cabinetry, windows, sheds or cladding.
Why has the cost risen so much since 2021?
ABS data shows the Queensland average rose from $313,915 in the 12 months to July 2021 to $530,040 in the 12 months to July 2026 — up 68.8%, with the largest single step the 24.4% jump in the year to July 2022. Compliance moved too: Queensland adopted the NCC 2022 residential standards on 1 May 2024, taking most new houses to 7 stars plus a Whole of Home score of 60.
How long will a three-bedroom build take?
The programme depends on approvals, site conditions and trade availability rather than bedroom count. We set out the real drivers in how long it takes to build a house in Queensland.