How to check a builder or tradie licence in South Australia

South Australia does licensing a little differently. One agency, Consumer and Business Services (CBS), licenses nearly every building trade, and one public register covers builders, plumbers, gas fitters, electricians and security agents. There’s also no dollar threshold for a building licence here, which catches out people who’ve hired tradies interstate.

How to run a check on the CBS register

1. Get the details. Ask for the licence number and the exact name the tradie or company trades under. Licensed building contractors in SA must show their name and licence number in their advertising, so it’s usually on the quote, the website or the side of the ute.
2. Open the register. Go to the CBS Occupational Public Register. It asks you to confirm you’re not a robot before the search loads.
3. Search. The licence number is the most reliable search. Surname or trading name works too, but use the full legal name.
4. Check the other half. If a company is quoting, look up its nominated building work supervisor too. For plumbing, gas or electrical work, check the business holds a contractor’s licence and the person on the tools holds a registration.

Pest controllers aren’t on the CBS register, so use SA Health’s licensed pest management technicians look-up. For an air-con install, also check the technician on the ARC Licence Check.

What the result shows

A CBS record tells you the type of licence or registration, whether it’s current, and the conditions attached to it. The conditions matter most. A building licence can be limited to houses of up to three storeys, to single-storey houses, or to additions and alterations. Others cover one kind of work, such as wall and floor tiling, and some only allow work as a subcontractor to another licensed builder. A company’s record links to its nominated supervisor, and the law requires CBS to record disciplinary action against a licence holder on the register.

SA building licences don’t have a printed expiry date. They stay in force until surrendered, suspended or cancelled, so “current” is the word you want to see.

Red flags to stop on

• Not current, or not there at all. Don’t sign until it’s sorted.
• Conditions that don’t fit the job. CBS prosecuted a company in 2018 whose licence was limited to wall and floor tiling but which took on full bathroom and laundry renovations.
• A subcontract-only licence on someone quoting you directly.
• Names that don’t line up. The name on the licence, the quote, the contract and the ABN (check it on ABN Lookup) should all match.
• A licence number that belongs to someone else. Using another contractor’s licence number is an offence. If the number on your quote brings up a different name, stop there.
• No licence number in a builder’s ads or paperwork.

When you need a licensed tradie in SA

Anyone in the business of doing building work for others needs a CBS building work contractors licence, whatever the job is worth. On top of building, renovating and repairs, SA’s regulations count painting, paving, fencing (except post and wire), insulation, air-con and solar panel installation, and swimming pools and spas as building work. Floating floors, and carpet or vinyl that isn’t used for waterproofing, are left out. Our guide to what licence your tradie should have goes trade by trade.

The $20,000 figure you’ll hear about isn’t a licensing threshold. Since 10 November 2025, domestic building work under $20,000 counts as minor work, so there’s no legal requirement for a written contract or building indemnity insurance. The tradie still needs the licence, and the five-year statutory warranties still apply. From $20,000 you’re entitled to a written contract that shows the builder’s licence number, and five clear business days to cool off.

Plumbing, gas fitting and electrical work always needs a licensed contractor and a registered worker, and the work must be certified with an electronic certificate of compliance. A few trades have no state licence: locksmiths (unless they install alarms or CCTV) and rubbish removal. Asbestos is the exception there. It’s a listed waste, so carting it away for a fee needs an EPA licence.

Building indemnity insurance

If the work costs $20,000 or more and needs council approval, your builder must take out building indemnity insurance before any physical work starts and give you the certificate. It’s last-resort cover: it pays if the builder dies, disappears or becomes insolvent and can’t finish the job or fix defects, not for delays or disputes. Policies from 10 November 2025 cover up to $250,000. CBS has found forged certificates, so check yours with the insurer named on it and make sure the builder’s name matches your contract. The SAFA building indemnity insurance pages explain how.

Where to report unlicensed work

Report unlicensed building work, or a builder working without that insurance, to CBS through its online “Report or make a complaint about a business or product” form, or call 131 882. Unsafe electrical, gas or plumbing work is a matter for the Office of the Technical Regulator. Concerns about a pest controller go to SA Health’s Controlled Substances Licensing team on 8226 7100.

Rather skip the homework? We match you with one local tradie whose licence, insurance, ABN and reviews we’ve already checked. Get a free quote and tell us about the job.