How to choose and check a tradie: licence checks by state

Most tradies are honest, skilled and want you to be happy so you’ll recommend them. The trouble comes from a small number who aren’t licensed, aren’t insured, or take a big deposit and stop answering the phone.

The good news is that a few minutes of checking before you sign anything weeds out most of them. This guide explains what to check, where to check it in each state and territory, and the warning signs. It’s written from the trade side, so it also explains why a good tradie won’t mind you asking.

Facts here come from state regulators and were checked in October 2026. Rules change, and thresholds differ between states, so follow the links to confirm before you sign.

Step 1: Find a few candidates

Ask neighbours, friends and local community groups who they’ve used and would use again. Online reviews help, but read the bad ones too and see how the tradie responded. Victoria’s building regulator suggests getting recommendations from at least three independent sources and still doing your own checks on anyone a friend recommends. Our guide to finding a tradie near you compares hipages, ServiceSeeking, Airtasker and Google.

For anything more than a small repair, get at least three written quotes. It’s the easiest way to spot a price that’s too high, or one that’s too low to be real.

Step 2: Check the licence on the official register

This is the most important check, and it’s free. Search the tradie’s name, business name or licence number on the official register for your state.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column

When you find them on the register, check four things:

1. The licence is current, not expired, suspended or cancelled.
2. It covers the work you want done. A licence can be limited to certain types of work, like bricklaying or wall tiling only.
3. The name and number match the quote. The licence holder should be the person or company you’re signing with.
4. There’s no disciplinary history you’re not comfortable with.

Step 3: Know when a licence is required

Specialist trades need a licence whatever the job size. Electrical, plumbing and gasfitting work must always be done by a licensed person. For general building work, the trigger is usually the value of the job. In the three biggest states:

Swipe the table sideways to see every column

All figures are from the state regulators and checked October 2026. For the other states and territories, check the regulator linked in the table above.

Step 4: Check their insurance

Two kinds of insurance matter to you.

Public liability. This covers damage the tradie causes to your property or injuries to other people. Ask for a certificate of currency, a one-page document from their insurer. Check the name matches and the date hasn’t passed. A good tradie will email it in a minute. Our tradie insurance guide explains what it does and doesn’t cover.

Home warranty or domestic building insurance. On bigger residential jobs, the builder must arrange this for you. It protects you if the builder dies, disappears or goes broke, and in some states covers defects they won’t fix.

• Victoria: from 1 July 2026, Home Warranty applies to eligible new contracts over $20,000 and replaces Domestic Building Insurance for new work. The BPC says it may provide up to $400,000 in total assistance per home, subject to eligibility, limits and exclusions. After you sign, you should receive a notice of cover. If you don’t, call the BPC.
• New South Wales: for work of $20,000 or more, the contractor must give you a home building compensation certificate before taking any money, including a deposit. You can confirm it on the HBC Check register.
• Queensland: the contractor must take out home warranty insurance through the QBCC for most residential work over $3,300, and the premium is paid on your behalf.

Using an unlicensed builder can void this protection. That’s another reason the licence check matters.

Wondering what’s a fair price? Our cost guides for Melbourne electricians and Melbourne plumbers give published price ranges and the certificates to expect.

Step 5: Read the quote and contract properly

Not sure if a price is fair? Our Melbourne electrician cost guide shows typical rates and what’s usually included.

A good quote or contract should include:

• the licence holder’s name, licence number and ABN
• a clear description of the work and materials, ideally with brands or specs
• the price, what’s included, and whether GST is included
• how variations (changes) are priced and approved, in writing
• the payment schedule, tied to stages of work
• start date and expected completion
• warranty details and who gets any permits

Progress payments should match work actually completed, not time on the job. NSW’s guidance puts it simply: payments should line up with work done.

For a line by line guide to comparing quotes, including prime cost and provisional sums, see how to read a builder’s quote.

Red flags

• Can’t or won’t give you a licence number.
• Name on the licence doesn’t match the name on the quote.
• Wants a big deposit, or the full amount, upfront.
• Asks for cash only with no written quote or invoice.
• Pressures you to sign today, or “has materials left over from another job”.
• No certificate of currency, or they get vague when you ask.
• Quote is far below the others with no explanation.
• Turned up uninvited after a storm offering to fix your roof.

Step 6: After the job

Get the paperwork before you make the final payment. For electrical work, that’s the electrical safety or compliance certificate (in Victoria a Certificate of Electrical Safety, in NSW a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work). For plumbing and gas, a compliance certificate where required. For building work, any permits, sign-offs and warranty documents.

Keep all of it with your house records. You’ll need it if you sell, make an insurance claim or need warranty work done.

If something goes wrong

Talk to the tradie first, in writing, and keep a record. If that doesn’t work, your state’s building regulator or consumer affairs office has a disputes process. Don’t stop paying or withhold money without advice, because that can put you in breach of the contract.

The short checklist

1. Get three written quotes.
2. Check every licence on the official state register.
3. Match the name and number on the quote.
4. Ask for a certificate of currency for public liability.
5. For bigger jobs, confirm home warranty cover before paying anything.
6. Keep the deposit within your state’s legal limit.
7. Tie payments to completed stages.
8. Get compliance certificates before the final payment.

A tradie who’s licensed, insured and organised will be happy you checked. It shows you’re a client who’ll pay on time and won’t cause trouble, which is exactly who they want to work for.