How to Check a Builder Licence in Australia Before You Sign

If you are about to sign a building contract or pay a deposit, checking your builder's licence is the right first step. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and every state and territory in Australia keeps a public register you can search.

Here is the direct answer: a builder licence check tells you whether your builder is currently authorised to do the type of work you are asking them to do. It does not tell you whether the business is financially stable, whether it has a history of disputes, who is behind the company, or whether there are signals worth knowing about before you commit.

A builder licence check is the right first step, but it is not enough. Before you sign, check the wider record.

This guide shows you exactly how to check a builder licence in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT, what the result tells you, what it does not, and what else is worth checking before you sign or pay a deposit.

You might also see this written as a "builder license check". In Australia the correct spelling is licence, but the check itself is the same wherever you search.

Want to check more than the licence? Run a TrustSignal Builder Report before you sign.

How to check a builder licence in every state and territory

Licensing in Australia is managed state by state. There is no single national register, so the first step is finding the right one for where your project is located. For every state and territory, you should check the licence number, the name and entity on the licence, the licence class or category, the current status, the expiry date, any conditions or restrictions, any disciplinary history shown on the register, and (where relevant) the nominee or supervisor behind the licence.

New South Wales (NSW)

Public licence register: Service NSW: Check a builder or tradesperson licence, powered by Verify Licence (Building Commission NSW)
What to check: Search by name or licence number. Confirm the licence class, "General Building Work" or "Residential Building Work" for a full new build, rather than a restricted category such as kitchen or bathroom renovation work. Check the status is current, the expiry date, any conditions endorsed on the licence, and any public warnings or disciplinary notices.
Why it matters: A current NSW builder licence check is also the starting point for Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) eligibility. If the licence is not current, the insurance that is meant to protect your deposit may not be in place either.
Go deeper: see our full NSW Builder Licence Check guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Victoria (VIC)

Public licence register: Find a Practitioner, administered by the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority)
What to check: Victoria uses the word "registration" rather than "licence", so a builder registration check is the equivalent step. For a new home, look for "Domestic Builder Unlimited". A "Domestic Builder Limited" registration only covers specific work types, such as carpentry or tiling, and is not enough to manage a full build. Check the registration is current and search the disciplinary register for any findings against the practitioner.
Why it matters: Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) is mandatory in Victoria for contracts over $16,000. A registered builder is required for smaller jobs too, but DBI will not apply to them.
Go deeper: see our full VIC Builder Licence Check guide for a step-by-step walkthrough, including the building surveyor's role in matching the builder's name across your contract, permit and insurance certificate.

Queensland (QLD)

Public licence register: QBCC Licensee Register (Queensland Building and Construction Commission)
What to check: Search by licence number, name or company name. Confirm the licence class, such as "Builder - Open" for an unrestricted licence, or "Builder - Low Rise" / "Builder - Medium Rise" depending on the scale of your project. The QBCC register also shows licence history, including conditions, demerit points and rectification directions.
Why it matters: QBCC licensing is tied to a financial requirement category, which affects how much work a builder is approved to carry on. A licence class that does not match your project, or a history of rectification directions, is worth asking about before you sign.
Go deeper: see our full QLD Builder Licence Check guide for a step-by-step walkthrough, including Queensland's lower deposit caps and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme.

Western Australia (WA)

Public licence register: Online Licence Search (Building and Energy, DEMIRS)
What to check: Search by the registered builder's name or registration number. The WA register does not publish trading names, so search the legal entity name, not the brand on the van. Confirm the registration type matches the work (for example, a builder registered for residential building) and that it is currently active.
Why it matters: It is an offence in WA to contract for or carry out building work without the appropriate registration. Because trading names are not shown, this is the state where confirming the entity name against your contract matters most.
Go deeper: see our full WA Builder Registration Check guide for a step-by-step walkthrough, including why trading names need a separate ASIC search and WA's 6.5% deposit cap.

South Australia (SA)

Public licence register: Find a Licence Holder (Consumer and Business Services)
What to check: Search by the builder's name or licence number. Confirm the licence class covers building work (as opposed to a more limited trade licence), check the status is current, and look for any conditions attached to the licence.
Why it matters: As in other states, the licensed entity must match the entity in your contract. A licence held by an individual is not the same as a licence held by the company named on your quote.
Go deeper: see our full SA Builder Licence Check guide, including why the CBS register has no ABN search field and the current Building Indemnity Insurance threshold.

Tasmania (TAS)

Public licence register: Search licensed occupations (CBOS, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services)
What to check: Search for the builder under "building services provider" licences. Confirm the licence category matches your project type and that the licence is current.
Why it matters: Tasmania requires a licensed building services provider for work above certain value and complexity thresholds. Checking the category against your project avoids a mismatch between what the builder is licensed for and what you are asking them to do.
Go deeper: see our full TAS Builder Licence Check guide, including the current status of Tasmania's home warranty insurance scheme and why a "no result" search is genuinely ambiguous there.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Public licence register: Find a licensed design and construction professional (Access Canberra)
What to check: Search by licence number, name or business name. ACT builder licences are graded A to D by building height (storeys) and Building Code of Australia classification, not by project dollar value. Confirm the grade covers your project's storey count, including any basement level, and that the licence is current.
Why it matters: A licence that is valid but graded for fewer storeys than your build is a mismatch worth raising before you sign.
Go deeper: see our full ACT Builder Licence Check guide, including the A to D grading system and the deposit insurance sub-cap most homeowners don't know about.

Northern Territory (NT)

Public licence register: Building Practitioners Board Register
What to check: Search for the builder as a registered "Building Contractor". Confirm the registration class matches your project and that the registration is current.
Why it matters: Anyone carrying out building work in the NT must be registered with the Building Practitioners Board. An unregistered or lapsed registration means the builder is not currently authorised to contract for your build.
Go deeper: see our full NT Builder Licence Check guide, including the NT's 5% deposit cap and Fidelity Fund NT insurance.

What a builder licence check tells you

When your search comes back clean, here is what that result actually confirms:

The builder, or the company named on the licence, is currently authorised to perform the type of building work covered by that licence
The licence appears current and has not expired, been suspended or been cancelled
The licence category or class matches (or does not match) the scale and type of your project
Whether there are any conditions or restrictions attached to the licence
In states where this is published, whether there is any disciplinary information recorded against the licence holder

That is a genuinely useful result. It is the first gate every builder has to pass, and it rules out a meaningful share of problems before they start.

What a builder licence check does not tell you

This is the part most homeowners do not realise, and it is the reason a licence check on its own is not enough before you sign or pay a deposit.

A builder licence check does not tell you:

Whether the builder, or the company, is financially stable
Whether the company has any insolvency indicators in its history
Whether the directors behind the company have links to other companies that have failed
Whether there are current or past court or tribunal matters involving the builder
Whether previous clients have unresolved payment disputes with the builder
Whether the required project insurance is actually in place, separate from the licence itself
Whether there are PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) entries or other credit-risk signals worth knowing about
Whether the entity you are about to sign a contract with is the same entity that holds the licence
Whether the builder has a pattern of operating through a series of companies that open and close, sometimes called phoenix-like behaviour

None of this means the licence check was a waste of time. It means the licence check answers one question (is this builder authorised to trade) and leaves several others unanswered (can this builder complete my project, and is there anything in their background worth knowing first).

Before you sign or pay a deposit, run a TrustSignal Builder Report to check the wider record. It brings licence status together with company, court, tribunal and credit-risk information in one plain-English report.

For more on the records that exist beyond the licence register and how to read them, see TrustSignal Public Registers. If you want to understand the early signs that a building business may be under financial pressure, see Builder Insolvency Warning Signs: How to Spot Financial Trouble Before It's Too Late.

Before you sign, check the wider record

A licence check is step one. Here is the fuller list worth working through before you sign a building contract or pay a deposit:

Licence: current, correct class for your project, no unexplained conditions
Insurance: the relevant home warranty or builder's insurance scheme for your state is in place and current. For NSW homeowners, see How to Verify a Builder's HBCF Insurance in NSW
Company and ABN details: the entity on your contract matches the entity on the licence and the entity registered with ASIC
Directors and related entities: who is behind the company, and whether they are linked to other businesses
Court and tribunal history: any current or past matters involving the builder or its directors
Insolvency history: any prior administrations, liquidations or related insolvency events linked to the business or its directors
Credit-risk and repayment signals: indicators of how the business manages its financial obligations
PPSR indicators: registrations that may point to financing arrangements or disputes over assets
Regulatory sanctions: any disciplinary action recorded by the licensing regulator
Trading history: how long the current entity has been operating, and whether it has a track record under that name

Working through this list manually means searching ASIC, state tribunals, court records, the licensing register and PPSR separately. Each system is different, and none of them are linked to each other.

TrustSignal's Builder Report brings these checks together in plain English so homeowners can make a more informed decision before signing. You can see what a finished report looks like in our sample report.

Common mistakes homeowners make when checking a builder

Only checking the licence. A current licence is necessary, but it answers a narrower question than most people assume.
Searching the trading name, not the company name. "Premier Building Co" might be a brand. The licence is held by a registered legal entity with its own name and ABN, which may look quite different.
Not checking the ABN or ACN. Names can be similar across unrelated businesses. The ABN or ACN is unique and is the safest way to confirm you are looking at the right entity.
Assuming good reviews mean the business is financially sound. Reviews reflect past projects and customer experience. They do not reflect a company's current financial position.
Not checking insurance before paying a deposit. A licence and a current insurance policy are two separate things. Confirm both.
Not checking whether the contract entity matches the licensed entity. If you sign with a different entity to the one on the licence, the licence may not cover your project at all.
Not looking for court, tribunal or insolvency signals. These sit in separate public systems to the licence register, and most homeowners do not know they exist or where to look.

Builder licence check FAQs

How do I check if a builder is licensed in Australia?

There is no single national register. Licensing is managed by each state and territory, so you need to search the register for the state where your project is located. See the state-by-state list above for the correct register and what to check in each one.

How do I check a NSW builder licence?

Use Service NSW's "Check a builder or tradesperson licence" tool, which draws on the Verify Licence register run by Building Commission NSW. Search by name or licence number, then confirm the licence class covers your project (for a new build, look for "General Building Work" or "Residential Building Work"), the status is current, and there are no unexplained conditions.

Is a builder licence enough?

No. A licence check confirms a builder is currently authorised to trade. It does not confirm financial stability, dispute history, insurance, director history, or court and tribunal activity. A builder licence check is the right first step, but it is not enough on its own before you sign.

What if the builder uses a company name different from the licence name?

Treat this as something to clarify before signing, not ignore. Ask for the exact registered name and ABN on the licence, and confirm it matches the entity named in your contract. If the names differ and there is no clear explanation (such as a recently updated trading name), get this in writing before paying a deposit.

What if the licence is current but the builder has had disputes?

A current licence does not mean a dispute-free history. Some states show disciplinary findings on the public register, but tribunal and court matters generally sit in separate systems and are not visible on a licence search. If you want to check for this kind of history, a broader search, or a TrustSignal Builder Report, looks beyond the licence register specifically for this.

Should I check insurance as well as the licence?

Yes. Licensing and insurance are related but separate. A licence is usually a prerequisite for home warranty insurance, but having a licence does not confirm the insurance is actually in place for your project. For NSW, see our guide to verifying HBCF insurance.

What should I check before paying a deposit?

At minimum: licence status and class, insurance, the entity on your contract against the entity on the licence and with ASIC, and whether there are any court, tribunal, insolvency or credit-risk signals worth knowing about. See "Before you sign, check the wider record" above for the full list.

Can TrustSignal check more than the licence?

Yes. The TrustSignal Builder Report brings together licence status, company and director information, court and tribunal records, insolvency indicators and credit-risk signals in one plain-English report. See a sample report or pricing for details.

Doing the checks yourself or getting a report

A licence check is the right first step, and you can do it yourself for free using the state registers above. Before you sign or pay a deposit, it is worth going further: checking insurance, company and ABN details, directors and related entities, court and tribunal history, insolvency indicators, and credit-risk signals.

TrustSignal's Builder Report brings that wider record together in one place, so you know what you are committing to before the deposit is paid.

This article is a decision aid, not legal or financial advice. Licence registers and requirements vary by state and change over time. Always verify current status directly with the relevant state or territory regulator before signing a contract.