Check builder licence NSW: how to look up any builder or tradie

Why it counts. In NSW, bigger home building jobs and all electrical, plumbing and gas work need a licence. The check works the same way for every licensed trade, and it is the easiest protection you have before you pay a deposit.

How to check a builder or tradie licence in three steps

1. Get the licence number from the quote. A licensed contractor should put it on the quote. Write down the exact name the licence is held in too. It is often a company, not the name on the van.
2. Search the NSW licence check. Open the Service NSW page "Check a builder or tradesperson licence" and select Check online (Service NSW). You can search with the licensee name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or a suburb, postcode or local government area.
3. Read the result against your job. Match the name and number to the quote. Then check the status, the classes, the expiry date, the conditions and the compliance record, as set out below.

If you cannot use the online tool or cannot find a contractor licence online, contact NSW Fair Trading. For home building complaints and enquiries, contact the Building Commission NSW.

When a tradie needs a licence in NSW

Not every job needs a licence, so start by checking that yours does. These rules come from the NSW Government (checking your contractor is qualified).

• Building and trade work over $5,000. A licence is needed for residential building work valued at more than $5,000 including GST in labour and materials. That covers trades like carpentry, painting, roof plumbing, wall and floor tiling, waterproofing, fencing and general concreting (NSW Government, categories of work).
• Specialist work at any price. Electrical wiring, plumbing, drainage, gasfitting, and air conditioning and refrigeration work need a licence regardless of the cost. Plug-in appliances are the exception.
• Renovations and pools. Kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation, structural landscaping and swimming pool building need a contractor licence over the same $5,000 line.

The catch. A painter freshening one small room may not need a licence for that job. An electrician swapping one power point always does.

What the licence record shows

The NSW Government lists what the check tells you. You get the holder's name, licence numbers, the categories of work and expiry dates. You also see the type of licence and its current status.

It also shows details of any cancellation or suspension and any conditions on the licence.

Then comes the compliance record: public warnings, formal cautions, penalty infringement notices, non-compliance with a tribunal order, and the result of any prosecution under the Home Building Act 1989.

Here is one real record, laid out the way every listing on this site shows it.

Read it from the top:

• Licence. Match it to the number on your quote.
• Allowed to do. These are the licence classes. A painter licence does not cover tiling, and a builder's licence does not cover electrical work.
• Current until. The expiry date. If the job runs past it, ask whether the licence will be renewed.
• Limits on the licence. Conditions the regulator has put on it, such as a cap on contract value.
• Warnings, fines, NCAT orders. The compliance record. "None on record" is what you want to see.

What happened when we checked 144 Hunter tradies

On 31 October and 1 November 2026 we looked up all 144 Hunter businesses we shortlisted for our trade lists on the NSW trades register. We searched by the name each one trades under on Google.

• 50 of 144 matched a current licence.
• 3 matched only a licence that expired or was cancelled in the last ten years.
• 91 matched no current or recent licence under the trading name.

That does not mean most local tradies are unlicensed. It shows why a name search is the wrong way to check. A licence is often held by a company ending in Pty Ltd, or by the owner in their own name. Neither has to match the name on the ute or the Google listing.

Of all the trades, builders matched best, with 6 of 10 found by trading name.

Our view. Ask for the licence number and search on that. On our own lists, a tradie with no match shows "not matched yet", never "unlicensed", until we can match them by number.

Of the 50 current licences we found, 1 carried a condition limiting contracts to $20,000 in value. 1 had a penalty notice on its compliance record. You only see these on the register itself.

Five things to check on the result

1. The status is current. An expired or cancelled licence cannot be used to contract for work that needs one.
2. The name and number match your quote. If the quote is from a trading name, ask which company or person holds the licence.
3. The classes cover the whole job. A bathroom can need a renovator, a plumber, an electrician and a waterproofer. Check each trade.
4. The conditions allow your job. A licence limited to contracts under $20,000 cannot take a $35,000 extension.
5. The compliance record is clean. Read any public warning, penalty notice or tribunal order before you sign.

Jobs over $20,000: check the insurance before the deposit

For jobs over $20,000, your builder or contractor must have home building compensation cover. The NSW Government says not to pay the deposit until you have seen the certificate. Check it is valid with the insurance company or with the HBC Check on the Service NSW website (NSW Government, contracts).

If the work must be covered under the Home Building Compensation Scheme, it is illegal for the contractor to ask for a deposit or any other payment under the contract until the cover has been taken out. You must also have been given a certificate of the cover.

The deposit and contract rules

• A deposit of no more than 10 per cent. Under NSW home building law, the maximum deposit you can be asked to pay is 10 per cent.
• A written contract over $5,000. Your builder or tradesperson must give you a written contract if the price is over $5,000 including GST. Jobs worth between $5,000 and $20,000 need a small job contract, and bigger jobs need a large job contract.
• A cooling-off period on big jobs. A contract valued over $20,000 must set out a cooling-off period of five clear business days after you are given a copy.
• Quotes and references. The NSW Government's own tips: get more than one written quote, ask for references and examples of past work, and do not pay any money without a written contract.

Checking a digital licence on their phone

Many tradies carry their licence in the Service NSW app.

Ask the tradie to swipe down on the licence to refresh the screen, then check the refreshed date and time. You can also open your own Service NSW app, go to "Check a licence or credential", select Scan and scan the QR code on their phone (Service NSW, digital trade licences). Do not take the phone from them to check it.

Short version. Get the number, search the number, check the status, classes and conditions, and see the insurance certificate before any deposit on a job over $20,000.

Find a licence-checked tradie near Newcastle

What to do next. Every list on this site shows the licence line beside each business and a number you can ring yourself. Nobody pays to be listed or ranked, and there is no form. Start with the best-reviewed plumbers in Newcastle or the house painters in Newcastle.