Choosing a tradie

Check the licence

Look it up on your state or territory's register:

• NSW: NSW licence check
• Victoria: Building and Plumbing Commission; electricians: Energy Safe Victoria
• Queensland: QBCC licensee register
• SA: Consumer and Business Services
• WA: Building and Energy
• Tasmania: Consumer Affairs Tasmania
• NT: Building Practitioners Board
• ACT: Access Canberra

Check it's current and covers your job.

Check the ABN

Enter it on ABN Lookup and check it's active and the name matches.

Check the insurance

Ask for the public liability certificate of currency. Check the name matches your quote and the policy is current until after your job finishes. Call the insurer to confirm it.

How to search ABN Lookup

1. Go to ABN Lookup.
2. Type in the 11-digit ABN, or search by business name.
3. Open the result to see the details.

What the record tells you

• Whether the ABN is active. A cancelled ABN is a warning sign.
• The legal name, plus any business names it trades under.
• The type of business, such as a sole trader, company or trust.
• Whether it's registered for GST.
• The state and postcode of the business.

Compare these with your quote. The name on the quote should match the legal name or one of the business names. If the quote adds GST, the business should be registered for GST.

What an ABN doesn't tell you

An ABN shows the business exists. It doesn't show a licence or insurance, so it's worth checking those too.

A SureQuote profile brings together the ABN and other details we've found for a business, so it's a handy place to start. ABN Lookup is the up-to-date source, so confirm it there and compare it with your quote.

If something doesn't match

Ask the tradie. Sole traders often trade under a business name, and ABN Lookup lists those names too. Take more care if the ABN is cancelled, belongs to an unrelated business, or the tradie won't give you one.

Next, check the tradie's licence and their insurance.

Why it matters

Public liability insurance covers damage or injury the tradie's work causes to other people or property, including your home. Without it, getting damage put right can be hard. A licence and insurance are different things, so it's worth checking both.

What to check on the certificate

A certificate of currency is a short document from the insurer. Look for:

1. The insured name matches the business on your quote. Small differences such as "Pty Ltd" are normal.
2. Any ABN on it matches the ABN on your quote.
3. The cover is current and runs past the date your job will finish.
4. It includes public liability, with a dollar limit.
5. The insurer's name.

To confirm it, call the insurer, give them the policy number and ask whether the policy is current.

Other cover worth asking about

Depending on the job, a tradie may also carry professional indemnity insurance, or workers compensation for their staff. Ask what cover they hold for your type of work. For larger building jobs, ask whether home warranty insurance applies.

Insurance on SureQuote

We do our best to bring a business's insurance details together on its SureQuote profile, and businesses can add their public liability certificate. Cover can lapse or change, so ask for your own copy of the certificate and confirm with the insurer that it's current for your job.

Next, see what to ask a tradie before you hire them.

How to check

1. Ask the tradie for their licence number and what it covers.
2. Look it up on your state or territory's register. See How do I check a tradie's licence?

About the business

• What's your licence number, and what work does it cover?
• What's your ABN?
• Can you send me your public liability certificate of currency?

Then check the licence, ABN and insurance.

About the job and the price

• What does the quote include, and what does it leave out?
• Is the price fixed, and does it include GST?
• Who supplies the materials?

About timing, payment and the finish

• When can you start, and how long will it take?
• What deposit do you need, and when are the other payments due?
• What warranty do you give?
• Will I get a compliance certificate?

Check what each quote covers

Give every tradie the same description and photos, then check each quote for:

• Scope: which rooms, areas or items are included.
• Materials: who supplies them, and which brand or grade.
• Rubbish removal, clean-up and GST.
• What happens if the tradie finds a problem, such as rot or old wiring.

Use your estimate as a guide

If a quote is well outside your SureQuote estimate, ask the tradie why. See Is the estimate a quote?

Look beyond the price

• A current licence and public liability insurance.
• Start and finish dates that suit you.
• A reasonable deposit, with each payment due when that stage is done.
• A written warranty.

Most tradies are honest and good at what they do. These signs help you spot the few who aren't.

Before you agree to the job

• They won't put the quote in writing.
• They won't give you a licence number for work that needs one.
• The name on the quote doesn't match the licence or the ABN.
• They can't show you a public liability certificate.
• They knock on your door with an offer, or say they have leftover materials from a job nearby.
• They push you to sign today, or say the price is about to end.
• The quote is far lower than the others, with no clear reason.

Around money

• They want a large deposit before any work or materials.
• They want cash only, with no tax invoice.
• They ask you to pay into a personal account that doesn't match the business name.
• Their bank details suddenly change by email or text. Call the tradie on a number you already have to confirm before you pay.
• They ask for each stage payment before that stage of work is done.

Getting quotes through SureQuote is free, and you pay the tradie directly for the work. Read should I pay a tradie a deposit.

During the job

• The price climbs with no written explanation.
• Different workers turn up and the tradie won't say who they are.
• They won't give you a compliance certificate for electrical or plumbing work.

If you're worried

1. Hold off on any more payments until you're comfortable.
2. Check the licence and the ABN.
3. Keep every quote, message and receipt.
4. If it's a tradie you met through SureQuote, let us know and we'll look into it.

If a message about your job looks like a scam, read what to do about a scam message.

Reading reviews

1. Read the written reviews, not just the stars.
2. Look for jobs like yours.
3. Check the dates, and give recent reviews more weight.
4. Look for the same complaint more than once.
5. Take care if lots of reviews sound alike or appeared at the same time.

Before you hire

Check the licence, ABN and insurance, and ask for photos of similar jobs.

Set the job up well

1. Get a written quote that covers the scope, price, timing, payment and warranty.
2. Check the licence and insurance before work starts.