Some have lost between $100,000 and $200,000 in legal fees and building costs as their disputes drag on in a range of building trades that employ 400,000 Queenslanders.

A community groundswell is now being levelled against the Queensland Building and Construction Commission and its efforts to regulate inadequate builders.

One commentator has questioned what he described as the "toxic culture" within the QBCC, similar to issues raised against Queensland Rail in February 2017.

Disappointed customers of the QBCC are now asking for a formal Commission of Inquiry into the building watchdog, complaining it protects bad builders, not customers.

Brisbane's 4BC real estate radio host Kevin Turner has described the QBCC as a "protection racket for shonky builders".

The QBCC however strongly defended its record, reporting that in 2016-17 it conducted 4529 licence checks at 1293 construction sites and took action against 74 suspected unlicensed contractors.

It has a complex set of warnings and works by progressively issuing builders with demerit points.

"The QBCC issued 305 infringement notices against 300 contractors in 2016-2017 following 468 investigations into contractual issues," a QBCC spokeswoman said.

The QBCC replaced the Building Services Authority in 2013.

However the QBCC's entire board was dismissed and replaced in December 2016 by incoming Housing Minister Mick de Brenni, because of its poor performance.

The QBCC's charter is to: "provide information, advice and regulation to ensure the maintenance of proper building standards, remedies for defective building work."

However, as one home owner case intervierwed by Fairfax Media on Wednesday said, customers believe QBCC inspectors are "too protective" of builders.

In one recent one-hour Sunday radio program asking listeners for the views on the QBCC, 49 callers condemned the QBCC.

The major issues raised by 49 callers to 4BC were:

1. 44 per cent said the QBCC "misrepresented" facts on house warranty insurance during building work.
2. 84.4 per cent were "not satisfied" with the QBCC performance during their dispute.
3. 40 per cent waited for more than three years for the dispute to be resolved.
4. 24.4 per cent suffered financial losses of between $100,000 and $200,000.

Almost all callers wanted a commission of inquiry into the QBCC.

The QBCC disputed the negative findings on the 4BC survey, and has begun its own survey, which can be found here.

Turner said listeners have complained about the Building Services Authority and, more recently, the QBCC for 10 years.

He said the culture within the QBCC needed to change, similar to the recent review of Queensland Rail.

Mr Turner said people were "frustrated" by QBCC inspectors "wearing them down" with paperwork, hearings and legal proceedings before issues were ruled out, dismissed or compensated.

"It's a total delaying tactic," he said.

He said a commission of inquiry into the QBCC was badly needed.

Brian, a home owner from the Sunshine Coast, had his builder walk off his project when he "threw his licence in" in August.

"He just walked away from it," Brian said. "He won't have anything to do with it."

Brian, who did not want to use his real name, said he had an unfinished roof, garage floor, painting and internal fittings and virtually no certification documents for the project.

He has paid $6000 to the builder to pay the home building insurance.

Brian lodged a complaint with the QBCC in September and an inspector came out to examine the house.

"He's come out an inspected the place and said ???No, we're not going to do this and no, we're not going to do that. That's between you and the builder. I said, ???But the builder's walked away and he just said ???yeah, well'," Brian saif.

"The QBCC was just not helpful. It was like the builder has got to be protected, you know, rather than the consumer.

"I thought they were there to try to get problems fixed.

"You get the impression they are just trying to knock these complaints on the head.

Fairfax Media has several times investigated poor building allegations in 2017, but also reported on good work by the QBCC to prosecute builders.

A spokeswoman said the QBCC had in 2016-17 had approved $45.1 million in Home Warranty Scheme insurance claim costs for property owners.

"Included in the $45.1 million in payments approved by the scheme were $17 million for non-completion claims, $22.1 million for defective building work and $6 million for subsidence-related issues," she said.

The QBCC is required to strike an appropriate balance in representing the interests of both home owners and licensees in accordance with its legislative obligations.