How to check a builder or tradie licence in Queensland

In Queensland, one regulator covers nearly every building trade. The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licenses builders, plumbers, roofers, tilers, painters and the rest, while electrical work sits with the Electrical Safety Office. Here’s how to use each lookup.

How to run a QBCC licence search

1. Get the licence number and the licensed name. QBCC licensees have to show their licensed name and licence number in their advertising, including websites, business cards and vehicle signage, so you can often find it before you ring. Every licensed contractor also holds a QBCC licence card or a digital licence. Ask to see it.
2. Search the QBCC licensee register. Enter the licence number, or the person’s or company’s name.
3. Read the summary. It shows the licence number, the licensed name and address, each licence class, the licence type, its status and whether a condition applies. The class is the bit people skip. A Carpentry licence covers framing, doors and windows, not tiling a shower.
4. Open the Licensee’s Full History. This report lists the disciplinary record: directions to rectify defective work, QBCC disciplinary action, tribunal orders, convictions, infringement notices, demerit points and any exclusion or ban. It also shows conditions and the business’s maximum revenue category.
5. Check the company and the person. The Related Entities Search shows the history of both the individual and any company they run.

Plumbers and drainers also appear on QBCC’s plumber and drainer register, and its lists and registers page has the suspended, cancelled and excluded individuals lists.

No result? Check the spelling and search again. If it’s still empty, QBCC says you may be dealing with an unlicensed person, so don’t engage them, and call 139 333.

Electricians, gas, air-con, locksmiths and pest control

• Electricians: ask for the electrical contractor licence number and confirm it’s current on the Electrical Licence Search.
• Gas fitting: gas work needs a gas work licence or authorisation from Resources Safety and Health Queensland. Check it on the gas work licence registers.
• Air-conditioning: look for a QBCC Mechanical services (air-conditioning and refrigeration) licence, a refrigerant handling licence on Look for the Tick, and a licensed electrician for any new circuit.
• Locksmiths: most locksmith work, including repairing or replacing household locks, needs a security equipment installer licence. Search the Office of Fair Trading licence search.
• Pest control: ask to see the Queensland Health pest management licence. Termite inspections and treatments also need a QBCC Termite management (chemical) licence.

When a Queensland tradie needs a licence

The number to remember is $3,300. Building work worth more than that needs a QBCC licence in the right class. QBCC counts the reasonable cost of labour, materials and GST, even if you supply the materials, so buying your own tiles doesn’t drop a bathroom under the line. Handypersons can work up to $3,300 and have to say so in their advertising.

Some work needs a licence at any value: plumbing, drainage, gas fitting, chemical termite management, fire protection and mechanical services such as air-con. Electrical work always needs a licensed electrician. Household rubbish removal has no licence at all, so check the ABN and, as the Queensland Government suggests, ask for a tip receipt so your old couch doesn’t end up dumped in bushland.

Red flags

• An expired licence or card. QBCC is rolling out photo cards, so you’ll see old and new designs, but a card past its expiry date isn’t valid.
• The wrong class. A painter quoting for a retaining wall, say.
• A name or ABN that doesn’t match. Trading names are fine, but ads must carry the licensed name too. Run the ABN through ABN Lookup.
• A licence number on the quote that returns nothing or belongs to someone else.
• A deposit above the legal cap. For jobs of $3,301 to $19,999 it’s 10%, and over $20,000 it’s 5%, or up to 20% where more than half the price is built off-site. Pay more and you can’t recover the excess through home warranty.

Home warranty insurance in Queensland

Most residential building work worth more than $3,300 (labour, materials and GST) must be covered by the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, which QBCC runs. Your contractor pays the premium before work starts and it’s built into your contract. It can pay out if a fixed-price job isn’t finished, if defects aren’t fixed, or for subsidence. Each type of loss is capped at $200,000, or $300,000 with optional extra cover. Structural defects are covered for 6 years and 6 months, while non-structural defects must show up within 6 months of completion. Using an unlicensed contractor may void your access to the scheme.

Reporting unlicensed work

Report unlicensed building or plumbing work to QBCC through its report an offence page or on 139 333. Unlicensed electrical work goes to the Electrical Safety Office on 1300 362 128. Illegal dumping can be reported to your council or through the Queensland Government.

Skip the legwork

Our guide to which trades need a licence covers the rules across Australia. If you’re in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, needatradie checks licence, insurance, ABN and reviews before matching you with one local tradie. It’s free for homeowners, and we don’t sell your details to five businesses. Get a free quote to start.