How to check a builder's licence in every state
Every state runs a free online register. Here is where to find each one, what licence to look for, and what the result does and doesn't tell you.
To check a builder's licence in Australia, search the free public register run by the regulator in the state where the work will happen, such as the QBCC in Queensland, Building Commission NSW or the Building and Plumbing Commission in Victoria. Confirm the licence is current, that its class covers your job, and that the name and number match your contract.
Where do you check a builder's licence in each state?
Each state and territory runs its own free public register. Search the one for the state where the work will be done, not where the builder is based.
| State | Regulator | Search the register | Licence to look for (homes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) | QBCC licensee register | Contractor licence in a builder class, such as Builder low rise |
| NSW | Building Commission NSW | NSW home building licence check | Contractor licence for general building work |
| VIC | Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) | BPC find and check a practitioner | Domestic Builder (Unlimited), or a limited class matching the work |
| WA | Building and Energy (LGIRS) | WA Online Licence Search | Building service contractor (registered builder) |
| SA | Consumer and Business Services (CBS) | CBS licensing register | Building work contractor's licence (numbers start with BLD) |
| ACT | Access Canberra | Access Canberra list of builders | Builder licence Class C, or Class B or A |
| TAS | Building Standards Tasmania and Consumer Affairs Tasmania | Tasmanian occupational licensing search | Builder licence, Builder (General Construction), Domestic subclass or higher |
| NT | Building Practitioners Board | NT Public Register of Building Practitioners | Building contractor residential (restricted or unrestricted) |
Checked against each regulator's site on 26 October 2026. Victoria's register still runs on the old VBA web address after the BPC replaced the Victorian Building Authority on 1 July 2025. Tasmania's regulator changed on 1 October 2026, when CBOS was split into Building Standards Tasmania and Consumer Affairs Tasmania.
When does a builder need a licence?
The dollar point at which a builder must hold a licence or registration ranges from any value in South Australia and Tasmania to $25,000 for prescribed work in the Northern Territory and $50,000 for sheds, garages, carports and patios in WA. Below the threshold, a handyman can legally do the work, but you also lose the contract and insurance protections that come with a licensed builder.
| State | Licence or registration needed for | Commercial work |
|---|---|---|
| QLD | Building work over $3,300 (labour, materials and GST) | Builder low rise, medium rise or open, depending on size |
| NSW | Residential building work over $5,000 (incl. GST) | Apartment and certain class 3 and 9c builders must also be registered building practitioners |
| VIC | Domestic building work over $10,000 (except single trades such as painting); restumping, reblocking and demolition at any value | Commercial Builder (Unlimited) or a limited class |
| WA | Work needing a building permit valued at $20,000 or more; $50,000 for sheds, garages, carports and patios from 1 July 2026 | Same registration; conditions may limit building classes |
| SA | Any building work, no dollar threshold | Same licence; conditions can cap height and contract value |
| ACT | Work under a building approval that must be done by a licensed builder | Class B (3 storeys or lower) or Class A (unlimited) |
| TAS | Notifiable and permit building work, no dollar threshold | Low Rise, Medium Rise or Open subclass |
| NT | Prescribed work on houses and class 2 buildings of $25,000 or more | Building contractor commercial (restricted or unrestricted) |
How to check a builder's licence, step by step
The whole check takes about five minutes and should happen before you sign anything or pay a deposit.
- Ask for the licence number and the exact name of the licence holder. A company and its director can hold different licences.
- Search the register for your state from the table above, by number first, then by name.
- Confirm the status is current. Look for suspended, cancelled or expired. Tasmania's register only lists current licences, so if the builder is not there, treat them as unlicensed until you hear otherwise.
- Match the class to your job. A licence limited to one trade, such as carpentry, does not cover an extension. In Queensland look for a builder class; in Victoria, Domestic Builder (Unlimited) or a limited class that matches the work.
- Read the conditions and history. NSW shows conditions, public warnings and penalty notices. Victoria has a disciplinary register, SA a public assurances register and the ACT a disciplinary register.
- Match the name and number to the contract. The entity on the quote, the contract and the invoice should be the licence holder. WA does not publish trading names, so check the business name on ASIC if it differs.
- Call the regulator if anything is unclear. In Queensland the QBCC number is 139 333.
What are the red flags?
- No licence number on the quote, or a number that belongs to someone else.
- The contract is in a different name from the licence, such as a new company or a family member.
- A deposit request above the legal cap, for example more than 5% on a Queensland job of $20,000 or more, more than 10% in NSW, or more than 6.5% on a WA home building contract.
- Asking for money before warranty insurance is in place. In NSW, WA and the NT the builder must give you the certificate before taking any payment, including a deposit, where cover is required.
- Splitting the job into several small quotes that each sit below the licence or insurance threshold.
- Pressure to sign today, or to skip a written contract. Written contracts are compulsory above $3,300 in Queensland and $5,000 in NSW.
- A licence class that does not fit the work, such as a trade licence for a whole house renovation.
What does a licence tell you, and what doesn't it?
A current licence tells you the regulator has approved the builder to contract for that class of work, and that the regulator can act against them if things go wrong. It is the gateway to protections such as home warranty insurance, statutory warranties and regulator dispute services. In Victoria an unregistered builder cannot get Home Warranty insurance for you at all.
A licence does not tell you:
- whether the builder is good at your kind of job, or how busy they are;
- whether past clients were happy (talk to references and look at finished work);
- whether the business is in good financial shape right now;
- whether they carry public liability and contract works insurance, which are separate from the licence (ask for certificates of currency).
Treat the licence check as the minimum, then use our questions to ask a builder for the rest. Every builder we list has had their licence checked against the state register. Browse Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne builders to start.
What if your builder isn't licensed?
Hold off on further payments and contact the regulator in your state before more work is done. Home warranty insurance is arranged by the licensed builder, so an unlicensed builder will usually have no cover in place for you; in Victoria an unregistered builder cannot get it at all. The regulator can tell you where you stand and whether the matter can be investigated.
If the work is already finished and you are worried about quality, get an independent building inspection and keep every quote, invoice and message. See our home warranty insurance guide for what each state covers.
Common questions
Can I check a builder's licence online for free?
Yes. All eight states and territories have free online registers you can search by licence number or name. You do not need an account. If you cannot find the builder, call the regulator before signing, as the builder may be licensed under a company or a different name.
Does a builder need a licence for small jobs?
It depends on the state. In Queensland a licence is needed for work over $3,300, in NSW over $5,000 and in Victoria over $10,000 for multi-trade domestic work. South Australia and Tasmania have no dollar threshold. In Queensland and NSW, plumbing, drainage and gasfitting need a licence at any value, and NSW adds electrical work.
Is a builder licence from one state valid in another?
No. A builder must hold a licence or registration in the state where the work is done. Some builders hold licences in several states, so search the register for your state rather than relying on a number from interstate.
What is the difference between a licence and registration?
Mostly the name. Queensland, NSW, SA, the ACT and Tasmania call it a licence; Victoria, WA and the NT call it registration. Both mean the builder has been approved by the state regulator to contract for building work.
Does the licence prove the builder has insurance?
No. Home warranty insurance is taken out for each job, and public liability and contract works insurance are separate policies. Ask for the certificate of warranty insurance before you pay any deposit, and certificates of currency for the other policies.
Sources
- QBCC: Find a licensed contractor
- QBCC: When you need a licence
- NSW Government: Checking your contractor or tradesperson is qualified
- NSW Government: General building work licence
- NSW Government: Contracts for residential building work
- BPC: Find and check a practitioner
- BPC: Domestic builder classes
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: About builders, tradespeople and other building practitioners
- WA Government: Find a registered builder
- WA Government: Do I need to be a registered building contractor? (PDF)
- SA Government: Hiring a building industry professional
- CBS: Find a licence holder
- ACT Planning: Construction licences
- ACT Planning: Find a professional
- Building Standards Tasmania: Find a licensed tradesperson
- Consumer Affairs Tasmania: Builder licence
- NT Government: Check if your builder is registered