Starting a trade business in Queensland
Licensing is the part that differs state to state, and QLD has its own quirks. Pick your trade for the licence you actually need, what it costs, and how long the wait is.
Queensland is unusual in tying your builder or plumber licence class to how much you turn over. Pick the wrong revenue class and you are either paying too much or capped below what you actually bill.
Who licenses you in QLD
QBCC (building and plumbing) and WorkSafe Queensland (electrical)
Pick your trade
Electrician
Electrical contractor licence
What you need →Plumber
QBCC contractor licence, class "Plumbing and drainage"
What you need →Gas fitter
QBCC gasfitting contractor licence
What you need →Builder
Builder, low rise: contractor licence (individual)
What you need →Roofer
Contractor licence in the right roofing class
What you need →Air conditioning and refrigeration
QBCC contractor licence, "Mechanical services, air conditioning and refrigeration"
What you need →Solar installer
Electrical contractor licence
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.