Do you need to be a registered builder?
It comes down to what the job is worth, not what you call yourself. Every state sets a dollar figure, and over that figure you must be registered or licensed to contract for the work. Under it, in most cases, you can quote and take the job without registration.
The figures are not close to each other, which is why this catches people who move states or who read advice written for somewhere else. Last checked 8 August 2026.
| State | The line where it bites | What you need over it |
|---|---|---|
| WAWestern Australia | Registration only bites when all three are true: the work needs a building permit, AND it is worth $20,000 or more ($50,000 for a Class 10a building like a shed, garage or carport), AND it is inside the prescribed area, which covers 122 of WA's local government districts. Miss any one of those and you can contract without registering. | Building contractor registration (individual, Form 13) |
| NSWNew South Wales | The trigger is $5,000. You need a contractor licence to carry out, advertise or contract for residential building or trade work valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. That is a low bar: one bathroom of materials clears it. | Individual contractor licence, category "General building work" |
| VICVictoria | $10,000 is the line. You must engage a registered builder for domestic building work worth more than $10,000, counting labour, materials and GST across the whole project. Under that you can contract unregistered. | Registration as a building practitioner, Domestic Builder (Unlimited) or (Limited) |
| QLDQueensland | The line is $3,300, and it is low. A licence is required for building work valued over $3,300 including materials and labour. QBCC lists a handyman as exempt only up to that figure, and only where the work is not electrical or plumbing. | Builder, low rise: contractor licence (individual) |
The distinction that costs people the job
In most states there are two separate things, and holding the first does not give you the second. One authorises you to do the work, usually while supervised by or employed under someone else’s registration. The other lets you contract for it in your own name. Regulators say this plainly: a qualified supervisor certificate in NSW does not let you advertise or contract, and a nominee supervisor in QLD cannot personally enter into building contracts. Victoria is the exception, where one registration does both.
How a tradie becomes a registered builder
Yes, it is a path you can take from the tools, and no state hands it over on experience alone. Each one wants a qualification, the experience behind it, and in two of them evidence that the business can carry the work financially. Read off each regulator.
Western Australia
Building Services Board, through Building and Energy
Practitioner registration first, then contractor on top. The contractor application requires you already hold the practitioner registration.
How long: Building and Energy aims to decide within 50 business days when everything is supplied, longer if they have to come back to you.
The full WAguide, with the fee and the sources →New South Wales
Building Commission NSW
One of three pathways: a Certificate IV in Building and Construction (CPC40120) with the specified mandatory units, a relevant degree, or the other recognised qualification routes Fair Trading lists. Experience requirements apply on top.
How long: Published estimate as at 1 August 2026: 14 weeks for an individual building licence.
The full NSWguide, with the fee and the sources →Victoria
Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority)
The qualifications and experience for the class, plus Minimum Financial Requirements for new domestic builder applicants: Victoria tests whether you can afford to run the business, not just build.
The full VICguide, with the fee and the sources →Queensland
Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)
The technical qualification and experience for the class, plus Minimum Financial Requirements: Queensland tests your finances against the revenue class you pick.
How long: QBCC says most applications are fully processed within a few weeks, sometimes longer.
The full QLDguide, with the fee and the sources →Questions people actually ask
Do I need to register to become a builder?
Not always. Registration is triggered by what the work is worth, not by calling yourself a builder. Under the threshold in your state you can contract without it. Over the threshold you cannot, no matter how good you are or how long you have been on the tools.
Can a tradie become a registered builder?
Yes. Every state has a path, and it generally combines a qualification, a set period of relevant experience or supervised work, and evidence you can run a business. The exact requirements differ by state and are listed on each state guide.
What happens if I do building work over the threshold without registration?
You are working unregistered, which exposes you to fines, and typically means you cannot enforce the contract, cannot access statutory warranty or home indemnity insurance, and your customer may have grounds to withhold payment. Check your own regulator before relying on any of this.
Not a builder, or not only a builder?
The same two-licence split runs through every trade, and a few trades need no contractor licence at all in some states.
Every trade, compared by stateRegistered, and now pricing the work
The threshold that decides whether you need registration is also the threshold where jobs get big enough to hurt if you price them wrong.
We are not accountants, lawyers or insurance brokers, and none of this is advice. It is what the regulators and the ATO publish, gathered in one place with links to the source, so you know what to go and ask about. Rules and fees change, so check with the authority before you act on anything here. Government fees shown are for the 2026-27 year and are indexed every 1 July.