What you actually need to work in your own name, by state and trade
There are two different licences, and most people going out on their own only know about one of them. The first lets you do the work, usually under someone else’s. The second lets you take the job in your own name. You can hold the first, do the work perfectly, and still have been unlicensed to quote it.
Every line below was read off the regulator’s own site and links to the full guide with the fee, the wait and the sources. Last checked 8 August 2026.
Chasing builder registration in particular? That one turns on what the job is worth, and the figure is different in every state: do you need to be a registered builder?
Western Australia (WA)
Regulator: Building and Energy
| Trade | To take the job in your name | To do the work | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Electrical contractor's licence | Electrician's licence | New application, fees effective 1 July 2026 and exclusive of GST: 1 year $795 ($653 registration plus $142 application), or 3 years $2,101 ($1,959 plus $142). The electrician's licence underneath it is charged separately. |
| Plumber | Plumbing contractor's licence (PL00) | Tradesperson's licence (TL00) | New application, effective 1 July 2026 and exclusive of GST: $928 for 3 years ($846 registration plus $82 application). Only a 3 year term is offered. |
| Gas fitter | There isn't one, and that surprises people | Class G gasfitting permit, unrestricted | New Class G permit, effective 1 July 2026: $155 for 1 year ($73 registration plus $82 application), or $447 for 5 years ($365 plus $82). Renewal is $73 or $365. |
| Builder | Building contractor registration (individual, Form 13) | Building practitioner registration | Effective 1 July 2026. Practitioner: $1,133 ($290 application plus $843 registration). Contractor, individual: $854 ($290 plus $564). About $1,987 all up, renewable every three years. |
| Roofer | No roofing licence exists in WA, but that is not the same as needing nothing | Not separately licensed | Nothing for roofing itself. Where builder registration is triggered, the same fees as a builder apply: about $1,987 all up, effective 1 July 2026. |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration | Usually none, which is the opposite of what most people assume | Restricted electrical licence, endorsed for refrigeration and air conditioning | Restricted electrical licence, effective 1 July 2026, excluding GST: $218 for 1 year, $714 for 5 years. Refrigerant handling licence, from 1 January 2026: $89 for 1 year, $178 for 2, $267 for 3. The trading authorisation is charged separately. |
| Solar installer | Electrical contractor's licence | Electrician's licence (full, not restricted) | Effective 1 July 2026, excluding GST. Electrician's licence: $218 for 1 year, $714 for 5. Electrical contractor's licence: $795 for 1 year, $2,101 for 3. SAA accreditation is charged separately. |
New South Wales (NSW)
Regulator: NSW Fair Trading
| Trade | To take the job in your name | To do the work | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Contractor licence, class "Electrician" | Not separately licensed | Trade or specialist contractor licence, individual, new application: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. Fee schedule applies July 2026 to June 2027. |
| Plumber | Contractor licence, class "Plumber" | Not separately licensed | Trade or specialist contractor licence, individual, new application: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. Applies July 2026 to June 2027. |
| Gas fitter | Individual contractor licence, class "Gasfitter" | Not separately licensed | Individual contractor licence, specialist, July 2026 to June 2027: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. |
| Builder | Individual contractor licence, category "General building work" | Qualified supervisor certificate, general building work | Individual, new, building category, July 2026 to June 2027: $883 for 1 year, $1,654 for 3 years, $2,890 for 5 years. Noticeably dearer than the trade categories. |
| Roofer | Individual contractor licence, in the right roofing category | Qualified supervisor certificate, same category | Individual, new, trade category, July 2026 to June 2027: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration | Individual contractor licence, air conditioning and refrigeration | Qualified supervisor certificate, air conditioning and refrigeration | Individual specialist contractor licence, July 2026 to June 2027: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. Refrigerant licences are charged separately by the ARC. |
| Solar installer | Individual contractor licence, electrical | Not separately licensed | Individual specialist contractor licence, July 2026 to June 2027: $403 for 1 year, $803 for 3 years, $1,235 for 5 years. SAA accreditation is charged separately. |
Victoria (VIC)
Regulator: Energy Safe Victoria (electrical) and the Building and Plumbing Commission (plumbing, gas and building)
| Trade | To take the job in your name | To do the work | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) | Electrician's licence (A Grade) | ESV published fees for 2026-27: electrician's licence (A) application $471.50, renewal $235.70. REC application $734.30. |
| Plumber | Licence, in each class of plumbing work | Registration, in each class of plumbing work | Published plumber fees for 2026-27, GST exempt: application fee $66.30 at any accreditation level, registration $416.30 for 3 years. Each class you add is charged. |
| Gas fitter | Plumbing licence, class Gasfitting work | Plumbing registration, class Gasfitting work | BPC fees for 2026-27, GST exempt: application fee $66.30 at either level and payable separately for each, registration $416.30 for 3 years, licence $369 for 12 months. |
| Builder | Registration as a building practitioner, Domestic Builder (Unlimited) or (Limited) | Not separately licensed | BPC fees, GST exempt, individual, 2026-27: Domestic Builder (Unlimited) application $1,039, Domestic Builder (Limited) $831.20. Annual fees on top. |
| Roofer | Depends entirely on the material, and doing both means holding both | Not separately licensed | Plumbing side, 2026-27, GST exempt: application $66.30, registration $416.30 for 3 years, licence $369 for 12 months. |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration | Plumbing licence, same class | Plumbing registration, class Refrigerated air-conditioning work | BPC 2026-27, GST exempt: application $66.30, registration $416.30 for 3 years, licence $369 for 12 months, registration practical exam $202.20. ARC refrigerant licences are separate. |
| Solar installer | Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) | Electrician's licence (A Grade) | Energy Safe fees for 2026-27: A Grade licence application $471.50, renewal $235.70. REC application $734.30, renewal $352. SAA is charged separately. |
Queensland (QLD)
Regulator: QBCC (building and plumbing) and WorkSafe Queensland (electrical)
| Trade | To take the job in your name | To do the work | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Electrical contractor licence | Electrical work licence | Fees effective 1 July 2026. Note that Queensland electrical contractor licences are issued for one year, so this is an annual cost rather than a three or five year one. |
| Plumber | QBCC contractor licence, class "Plumbing and drainage" | Plumber and/or drainer licence | QBCC fees as increased on 1 July 2026. Contractor, individual, plumbing and drainage: $773.89 application for the SC1 class (turnover up to $200,000 a year), or $438.81 for the lower band. |
| Gas fitter | QBCC gasfitting contractor licence | Gas work licence | Gas work licence, 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027: $55.23 application, $165.54 for a 3 year licence, $36.77 annual fee. The QBCC contractor licence is charged separately by revenue class. |
| Builder | Builder, low rise: contractor licence (individual) | Builder, low rise: nominee supervisor or site supervisor licence | New individual contractor application: $920.68 for SC2 (turnover up to $800,000), $1,180.19 for Cat 1-2 (up to $12m), $1,696.50 for Cat 3-7. Note the cheapest class, SC1, is not available to builders. |
| Roofer | Contractor licence in the right roofing class | Nominee supervisor or site supervisor licence, same class | New individual contractor application: $773.89 for SC1 (turnover up to $200,000), $920.68 for SC2 (up to $800,000), rising from there. Cheaper if you already hold a current individual QBCC licence. |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration | QBCC contractor licence, "Mechanical services, air conditioning and refrigeration" | Not separately licensed | QBCC contractor fees by revenue class as above. ARC refrigerant handling licence from 1 January 2026: $89 for 1 year, $178 for 2, $267 for 3. |
| Solar installer | Electrical contractor licence | Electrical mechanic licence | From 1 July 2026: electrical contractor licence $464.30 to issue and the same to renew, electrical work licence $97.15. SAA first accreditation is $715 excluding GST. |
Licence sorted. Now the numbers
The fee above is the smallest number you will deal with. What you charge an hour, and what is left after the ute, the insurance and the hours nobody pays you for, is the one that decides whether this works.
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.