Why permits exist here
Jacking a house and replacing what holds it up can go badly wrong — for the house, the workers and the next buyer. Permits exist to put a registered practitioner's name on the structural decisions and an inspector's eyes on the result. For you as the owner, the permit trail is also proof: when you sell, a documented, certified restump answers the building inspector's questions before they're asked.
The state-by-state picture
Victoria — the strictest and the busiest market: a building permit is required for restumping/reblocking, the work must be done or supervised by a registered building practitioner, and you should receive a certificate of final inspection (the "Reg 126" certificate in trade shorthand) at completion. Queensland — contractors must hold the relevant QBCC licence; straightforward like-for-like restumping may not need approval, but raising the house or changing its height does, which matters because raise-and-restump is a Queensland staple. NSW — structural repairs generally proceed as exempt or complying development only within limits; underpinning commonly involves engineering sign-off. South Australia and WA — approval requirements hinge on the extent of structural change; licensed builders and engineering documentation are the norm for underpinning. The state pages carry specifics and link the regulators' own material.
Who arranges the permit
Almost always the contractor — reputable restumping firms build the permit, the building surveyor and the final certificate into their quote and their timeline. Treat it as a red flag if a quote is silent on permits, suggests you obtain them yourself, or proposes to skip them "to save time". The permit costs a fraction of the job (commonly $800–$2,000 including surveyor fees) and its absence surfaces at the worst possible moment: resale.
The paperwork that protects you
Keep, forever: the permit itself, the engineering drawings or computations, the certificate of final inspection, the contractor's warranty, and any insurance certificate (domestic building insurance applies over certain job values in several states). Together they turn "the house was restumped at some point" into "the house was restumped in 2026, certified, warranted" — a sentence that earns money at sale time.
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Common questions
What happens if work was done without a permit?
It surfaces during a sale or a later permit application. Retrospective approval is sometimes possible but slow and not guaranteed; buyers use the gap to negotiate hard. If you're buying such a house, price the risk in — and read the buying guide.
Do I need a permit for a few stumps?
Thresholds vary by state — minor like-for-like replacement is exempt in some places and not others. The state pages cover it; when in doubt, a phone call to your council or a private building surveyor settles it in minutes.
Does the permit slow the job down?
It adds lead time before work starts — typically a few weeks for drawings and issue — not time on the tools. Firms that do this weekly have the pipeline down to a routine.