Starting a trade business in New South Wales
Licensing is the part that differs state to state, and NSW has its own quirks. Pick your trade for the licence you actually need, what it costs, and how long the wait is.
NSW runs one licensing system across the trades, so the paperwork looks the same whatever you do. Be ready to wait: the published processing estimates are in months, not weeks, and they start from a complete application.
Who licenses you in NSW
NSW Fair Trading
Pick your trade
Electrician
Contractor licence, class "Electrician"
What you need →Plumber
Contractor licence, class "Plumber"
What you need →Gas fitter
Individual contractor licence, class "Gasfitter"
What you need →Builder
Individual contractor licence, category "General building work"
What you need →Roofer
Individual contractor licence, in the right roofing category
What you need →Air conditioning and refrigeration
Individual contractor licence, air conditioning and refrigeration
What you need →Solar installer
Individual contractor licence, electrical
What you need →Not your trade, or not your state?
The national side covers everything that is the same wherever you are: ABN, GST, insurance, records and workers comp. For licensing anywhere else, your own state’s regulator is the place to start.
When you are ready to take the first job
Once the licence is sorted, you need to look like you have been doing this for years: a website people can book from, and quotes and invoices with your logo that go out the same day you finish. That part is us.
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.