Construction services on the Gold Coast

What is different about building on the Gold Coast

Three distinct building environments sit inside one council area, and they ask for different detailing.

The coastal strip. Anywhere within a few kilometres of the beach is a marine environment. Salt-laden air attacks fixings and flashings faster than anything else in south-east Queensland, and it does it invisibly - the fascia looks fine and the screws holding it do not. Coastal work gets fixings and flashing materials chosen for the exposure, not chosen by default.

The northern corridor. Coomera, Upper Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau are among the fastest-growing residential areas in the country, and they are almost entirely new estate housing on compact lots. The work here is decks, patios, carports, sheds and privacy screens on blocks where there is very little room between the house and the boundary - which makes setting out and access the hard part rather than the building.

The hinterland. Nerang, Mudgeeraba, Worongary, Tallai, Bonogin and Maudsland are acreage and sloping ground. Retaining, level changes and structures on fall are routine, and a deck on a steep block is a retaining problem before it is a carpentry one.

Approvals

Building and plumbing approvals on the Gold Coast run through City of Gold Coast. Whether a deck, carport, shed or structure needs approval depends on its size, height and siting - this is confirmed at the consultation, before anything is quoted.