Going out on your own as an air conditioning technician in QLD
Checked against QBCC, WorkSafe Queensland for electrical, and the Australian Refrigeration Council for refrigerant on 8 August 2026.
To take jobs in your own name
QBCC contractor licence, "Mechanical services, air conditioning and refrigeration"
Three things all up for a sole trader: this, the electrical side, and the Commonwealth refrigerant credentials.
- What you need before you apply
- The QBCC class requirements, the electrical licensing that applies to the work you do, and from the ARC a refrigerant handling licence plus a refrigerant trading authorisation in the business name.
- What it costs
- 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.
- What you can do without it
- No dollar threshold on the refrigerant side at all: the Commonwealth rules are absolute.
- Insurance the regulator requires
- Professional indemnity is not required for this class. QBCC tests Minimum Financial Requirements instead.
Read this before you rely on it
- We could not confirm whether a sole trader holding the QBCC contractor licence in their own name must also hold the separate occupational licence. QBCC's pages address nominees and employees but not squarely the one person business. Ring QBCC on 139 333 before you assume.
- QBCC's two published processing-time statements conflict, between 20 days and about 8 weeks.
Where this came from
Read off QBCC, WorkSafe Queensland for electrical, and the Australian Refrigeration Council for refrigerant on 8 August 2026. Fees and processing times usually change on 1 July, so check before you budget.
Once you are up and running, we also have a page on what ONARA Ops does for hvac technicians.
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.
Other trades in QLD
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.