Concrete Cancer Repair on the Sunshine Coast — questions and answers
Short answers on concrete cancer on the Sunshine Coast: when a licence applies, who pays in a body corporate scheme, and when an engineer is needed. Every rule is the regulator's own, with the page and the date it was read.
Call (07) 5227 8232Cost
How much does concrete cancer repair cost on the Sunshine Coast?
We do not answer that with a price, because no government source sets one. Over A$3,300 the contractor needs a QBCC licence and the owner must have a written contract, and the checker lists each rule with its source. Check which rules apply at your job's value.
Do I need a licensed contractor for concrete repair?
QBCC says individuals and companies must hold a QBCC licence to carry out building work valued over A$3,300. QBCC's licence pages name no class for concrete cancer repair, so ask which licence the quote is under.
Concrete cancer on the Sunshine Coast
Five lines to put to a provider before the concrete is touched
From the cause to the licence, each in the words of UNSW or the Queensland source, with its read date.
Illustrative diagram. Layers are not drawn to scale. The top layer is listed first.
water
UNSW says water seeping through cracks or pores in the concrete reacts with the steel reinforcing to form rust.
If there are cracks or pores in the concrete then water may seep in and react with the steel reinforcing to form rust.
Source: UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering, concrete cancer · read
bigger cracks
UNSW says corrosion that produces rust forces open bigger cracks, letting more water in.
Corrosion that produces rust will force open bigger cracks, degrading the concrete further by progressively letting more water in.
Source: UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering, concrete cancer · read
common property
Queensland's regulations say the body corporate must maintain common property in good condition, and structurally sound where it is structural.
(1) The body corporate must maintain common property in good condition, including, to the extent that common property is structural in nature, in a structurally sound condition.
Source: Body Corporate and Community Management (Standard Module) Regulation 2020 (Qld) · read
professional engineering services
Queensland's Professional Engineers Act says a person who is not a practising professional engineer must not carry out professional engineering services.
(1) A person who is not a practising professional engineer must not carry out professional engineering services.
Source: Professional Engineers Act 2002 (Qld) · read
QBCC licence
QBCC says individuals and companies must hold a QBCC licence to carry out building work valued over $3,300.
In Queensland, individuals and companies must hold a QBCC licence to carry out building work that is: valued over $3,300
Source: QBCC, Who must hold a QBCC licence · read
Each layer names its source and the date it was read. It is no diagnosis of any building, and it sets no price.
Process
Who is responsible for a damaged balcony in a unit building?
If the balcony is part of the lot, in other words it is within the boundaries shown on the survey plan, then the body corporate is responsible for the maintenance of only parts of the balcony. This includes balustrades or railings on the boundaries, roofing membranes if the balcony provides protection to lots and common property below and structural maintenance of the slab, joists or other supporting framework. The whole of the balcony would usually be the body corporate's responsibility if the balcony is located outside the lot boundaries as it is part of common property.
When is an engineer needed?
(1) A person who is not a practising professional engineer must not carry out professional engineering services. (2) However, a person does not commit an offence under subsection (1) if the person carries out the professional engineering services under the direct supervision of a practising professional engineer who is responsible for the services.
Timing
How quickly can someone get to me?
We cannot promise a time. It depends on the provider's bookings. Form and phone enquiries are passed to a local provider, who contacts you directly.
Can concrete cancer wait?
UNSW explains that rust formation opens bigger cracks and lets in more water, so a small spot of damage tends to spread, not hold still. An inspection by the provider shows how far the damage has gone.
Permits and approvals
Does concrete repair need council consent?
No source read for this site says whether concrete repair needs council consent. It depends on the property and the work, so ask Sunshine Coast Council before work starts. In the Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area, the Council's information sheet says the State Government regulates development.
Source: Sunshine Coast Council, Proposed Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme, Maroochydore Local Plan Area information sheet, read 31 October 2026.
Service area
Which suburbs do you cover?
The Sunshine Coast. Four pages are written around one Sunshine Coast Council statement each: Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Buddina and Caloundra. The rest are covered on the same terms.
Do you do the work yourselves?
No. This site is run by a marketing company, which passes each enquiry to an independent licensed local provider. The provider carries out the inspection, the quote and any work itself; we hold no licence and do none of it.
Thanks — we have your enquiry. Someone will be in touch shortly. Prefer to talk now? Call (07) 5227 8232.
Last reviewed · Updated · First published