Queensland Road and Civil Contracts, FY26 Q4: The Mid-Size Market
Queensland's state road market is built from mid-size packages. A typical Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) road and civil contract is worth millions, not hundreds of thousands, and the contractors who win most often are prequalified regional civil firms rather than the national majors. This post is the web edition of Tendor's Queensland Road and Civil Market Report for FY26 Q4 (April to June 2026). You can download the full 10-page PDF above.
Data coverage: Award figures in this report use records published through May 2026. June is outside the award sample, so the FY26 Q4 figures cover April and May only. The July–September tender section is a separate snapshot of opportunities, not an award total or a statement that those tenders are still open. Check each issuer's current notice before acting. This coverage note also applies when reading the original PDF.
Key findings
- 52 TMR road and civil awards were published from January to May 2026, worth $344m including GST.
- The median contract was $3.56m, and 69% of contracts sat between $1m and $20m. That is the middle of the market, where prequalified regional civil contractors compete hardest.
- Asphalt majors go big. Colas, Boral, Fulton Hogan and Hazell Bros averaged $12m to $19m per award.
- Regional civils go often. Durack Civil, Doval Constructions and Downer EDI Works each won five awards averaging $6m to $7m.
- Disaster recovery is a market of its own. 10 DRFA restoration awards were worth $59.8m.
- Next up: TMR's 2027 Road Asset Management Contracts for the Metropolitan and South Coast regions, and 8 new council DRFA packages opened from July to September.
The quarter in brief
FY26 Q4 produced 16 published TMR road and civil awards worth $108m by the end of May, against 36 awards and $236m in Q3. The Q4 median contract rose to $4.61m, from $3.09m in Q3. June notices are not included in this report's award sample; this is a partial-quarter result.
| Quarter | Awards | Disclosed value (incl. GST) | Median contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 (Jan to Mar 2026) | 36 | $236m | $3.09m |
| Q4 (Apr to Jun 2026)* | 16 | $108m | $4.61m |
*Q4 includes April and May notices only, so treat it as a floor. TMR construction award notices in Tendor's dataset start in January 2026, so this report compares Q3 with Q4 rather than the full financial year.
March was the peak in the January–May sample
TMR road and civil awards built through the first quarter of 2026 and peaked in March (19 awards, $175m), driven by the $94.8m Bruce Highway pavement rehabilitation package. April (5 awards, $30.5m) and May (11 awards, $77.6m) had fewer published awards in this sample.
How big is a typical TMR contract?
Queensland's state road packages are larger and more even than a typical state agency market. Half sit between $1.06m and $6.88m, and the median is $3.56m. Three awards above $20m carry 41% of value, led by the $94.8m Bruce Highway package shared by three asphalt suppliers.
| Contract size | Contracts | Value (incl. GST) | Share of contracts | Share of value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1m | 13 | $4.30m | 25% | 1% |
| $1m to $5m | 18 | $51.5m | 35% | 15% |
| $5m to $20m | 18 | $146m | 35% | 42% |
| $20m and above | 3 | $142m | 6% | 41% |
Only 25% of TMR awards are under $1m, and together they are just 1% of value. Small TMR works are mostly traffic signals, boat ramps and guardrail. Much of the small road work in Queensland sits with councils instead.
What was bought: pavement dominates, recovery is the second market
Pavement rehabilitation, asphalt and resurfacing account for 58% of value (15 contracts, $198m), much of it under the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program. Disaster recovery (DRFA) restoration is the next largest block (10 contracts, $59.8m), followed by highway safety treatments and intersections (9 contracts, $50.8m).
TMR contracted the work in three forms:
- Transport Infrastructure Contracts (TIC, construct only): 19 awards, $160m
- Minor Infrastructure Contracts (MIC): 23 awards, $148m
- Sole invitation to a council or RoadTek: 10 awards, $36.0m
Where the work is: Fitzroy and Wide Bay lead on value
| District | Awards | Value (incl. GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy | 4 | $114m |
| Wide Bay Burnett | 7 | $55.2m |
| South Coast | 9 | $51.5m |
| South West | 11 | $36.4m |
| Metropolitan | 7 | $28.1m |
| Mackay Whitsunday | 5 | $28.0m |
| Darling Downs | 4 | $19.0m |
| Far North | 3 | $9.78m |
| North Coast | 1 | $1.18m |
| Northern | 1 | $0.42m |
Fitzroy leads on value because of the Bruce Highway package. Wide Bay Burnett follows on the Bruce Highway Gympie to Maryborough works. The South West leads on count, thanks to DRFA restoration programs delivered by councils. Most South West recovery work went by sole invitation to councils and RoadTek.
The plays: big packages or a steady regional book
Each dot is a supplier that won TMR road or civil work between January and May 2026.
- Big-ticket lane, asphalt majors. Colas (2 awards, average $19.1m), Boral (2, average $17.7m), Fulton Hogan (3, average $14.8m) and Hazell Bros (3, average $12.7m). The $94.8m Bruce Highway package is split equally across Boral, Colas and Fulton Hogan.
- Repeat lane, regional civil. Durack Civil (5 awards, $35.1m), Doval Constructions (5, $31.7m) and Downer EDI Works (5, $29.3m), across pavement rehabilitation, DRFA restoration, safety treatments and intersections in several districts.
Queensland's repeat lane runs at a much larger ticket size than NSW's. In NSW, the repeat-business lane is firms winning three or more times at an average under $3m. In Queensland, the leading regional civils average $6m to $7m per award.
Who won: repeat winners took 75% of awards
| Rank | Supplier | Awards | Value (incl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulton Hogan | 3 | $44.3m |
| 2 | Hazell Bros | 3 | $38.1m |
| 3 | Colas Queensland | 2 | $38.1m |
| 4 | Boral Resources | 2 | $35.3m |
| 5 | Durack Civil | 5 | $35.1m |
| 6 | Doval Constructions | 5 | $31.7m |
| 7 | Downer EDI Works | 5 | $29.3m |
| 8 | Bellwether Contractors | 2 | $25.2m |
28 suppliers won TMR road and civil work between January and May 2026. 13 of them won more than once and together took 39 of the 52 awards. Value is less concentrated than in NSW: the top five hold 56%, against 74% in NSW. The most frequent winners were Durack Civil, Doval Constructions and Downer EDI Works (5 each), then Mi Electric (4) and Fulton Hogan (3).
19 of the 52 awards state the TMR prequalification level required, and the R2 and R3 roadworks levels are the most common. This is concentration within published TMR road and civil awards, not market share. Council-run road contracts and subcontracts are not included.
Prequalification is the gate
Most TMR tenders are open only to contractors prequalified at a set roadworks (R), asphalt (A) and financial (F) level. The level you hold decides which lane you can play in before price is even considered. R2 with F15 opens safety and floodway works. R3 with A3 and F25 or above opens the Bruce Highway pavement packages.
FY27 Q1 signals: recovery work and 2027 maintenance contracts
This report does not analyse July–September 2026 awards. This section instead uses a snapshot of 32 road and civil tender notices from Tendor's Queensland feed. These are tender signals, not confirmed awards or a current list of open opportunities.
- Repeat-business prize. TMR's 2027 Road Asset Management Contracts (RAMC) for the Metropolitan and South Coast regions closed in July. These multi-year maintenance contracts lock in network work for years. The South Coast contract requires minimum R2, B1, A2 and F75 prequalification.
- Council recovery wave. Goondiwindi, Banana, Noosa, Etheridge and Cassowary Coast councils opened DRFA road restoration packages, and Local Buy reopened its LB313 Road and Civil Construction register for councils.
- In the sample: 8 council DRFA restoration packages, 12 TMR notices (including two RAMC regions and new TIC intersections) and 19 council road and civil notices.
Three moves before the next Queensland road tender
- Match your prequalification to your lane. R2/F15 opens safety and floodway works. R3 with A3 and F25 or above opens the Bruce Highway pavement packages. Plan upgrades a year ahead of the work you want.
- Treat RAMC as a multi-year bet. The 2027 Road Asset Management Contracts are the largest repeat-business prize on the horizon. Partners, depots and local subcontractor networks decide these bids.
- Follow the recovery money. DRFA restoration flows through TMR TICs and council packages. Regional firms with plant close to affected shires can build volume fast.
You can browse live Queensland opportunities on Tendor's tenders page and past results on Queensland contract awards. Our civil contractor's guide to council and TMR tenders goes deeper on panels, DRFA and building a repeat pipeline. For the NSW market, read the NSW road and civil market report.
Data and methodology
- Scope: TMR Transport Infrastructure Contracts (TIC), Minor Infrastructure Contracts (MIC) and sole-invitation contracts for road, pavement, safety, drainage, signals and marine civil works, from award notices on QTenders and QBuild eTender. QBuild building works are excluded.
- Period: notices published 1 January to 31 May 2026 (FY26 Q3 and Q4). TMR construction awards in Tendor's dataset begin in January 2026. June notices are not included in this sample.
- Value: the disclosed contract value including GST as stated in the notice. It is not spend within the period. All 52 awards carry a disclosed value and a named location.
- Suppliers and location: value on multi-supplier awards is split equally. Location is the district, region or road named in the award, not the buyer's address. Metropolitan includes Brisbane and Moreton Bay works. An award spanning several districts is counted once, in the district named first.
- Signals: tender notices with open or close dates in July to September 2026, sampled by relevance. Duplicate listings of the same tender are counted once. They are not awards.
Frequently asked questions
How much were Queensland TMR road and civil contracts worth in early 2026?
Tendor counted 52 TMR road and civil contract awards published from January to May 2026, with a combined disclosed value of $344m including GST.
What is the typical size of a TMR road contract?
The median award was $3.56m. Half of all awards sat between $1.06m and $6.88m, and 69% of contracts were between $1m and $20m.
Which contractors won the most TMR road contract value?
Fulton Hogan led with $44.3m from three awards, followed by Hazell Bros ($38.1m), Colas Queensland ($38.1m) and Boral Resources ($35.3m). Durack Civil, Doval Constructions and Downer EDI Works won the most awards, with five each.
What TMR prequalification do I need for road contracts?
It depends on the package. R2 roadworks with F15 financial prequalification opens safety and floodway works, while R3 with A3 asphalt and F25 or above opens the larger Bruce Highway pavement packages. R2 and R3 were the most common levels stated in 2026 awards.
What Queensland road tenders are coming up in FY27 Q1?
TMR's 2027 Road Asset Management Contracts for the Metropolitan and South Coast regions, new TIC intersection packages, and council DRFA road restoration packages from Goondiwindi, Banana, Noosa, Etheridge and Cassowary Coast.