Getting a licence will certify that when you carry out building and construction work, you have the necessary technical knowledge, practical skills, industry experience, and formal qualifications required to manage a construction or building project. It means that you can maintain the necessary quality and safety standards. With this licence, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy professional in the industry.
The NSW Department of Fair Trading regulates all contractor and building licences for the state. You can apply for different licence subclasses according to different types of contracting and building work.
Requirements
A NSW builders licence and NSW contractors licence are regulated and managed by the NSW Department of Fair Trading. They have a set of requirements that all applicants have to meet. You can obtain a full list of required units from the NSW Department of Fair Trading. Make sure you check these requirements regularly as they tend to change.
For any NSW contractors or builders licence, you need a minimum of 2 years relevant industry experience, obtained within the last 10 years. Along with this base requirement, you need to have at least one of the following qualifications:
- CPC40120 (current) Certificate IV in Building and Construction, or
- CPC40320 (current) Certificate IV in Building Project Support, or
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction (BCG40106 or CPC40108 Building or CPC40110 Building)
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction (BCG40206 or CPC40208 Contract Administration)
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction (BCG40306 or CPC40308 Estimating)
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction (BCG40506 or CPC40508 Site Management).
Along with these certificates, you need at least one of the following:
- a current Carpentry or Bricklaying contractor licence or supervisor certificate
- a Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) - CPC50220 (current)/ BCG50206/ CPC50208 or
- a Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) CPC50210
- or a Degree in Building, Construction Management, General Construction, Construction Economics, Quantity Surveying, or Applied Science (Building) from an Australian University (4-year full time degree program) with mandatory work placement.
How to Apply
The process of getting a NSW builders licence or contractors licence starts with the NSW Department of Fair Trading. You have to identify the licence subclass you want to obtain. Then, you can get the forms, resources and mandatory checklists from the NSW Fair Trading website to start your application.
Your application with all the required documentation must be handed in to your nearest Government Access Centre or Service NSW.
You will require the following supporting documents:
- Proof of identity
- Application fee (varies by licence type or qualification)
- Relevant qualifications
- A referee statement from a licensed supervisor
For more information for the current licensing requirements in New South Wales, click here.
Next Steps for your NSW Builders Licence
To give your career a boost, work with the team at Skills Certified. We recognise your prior experience and skills and help you obtain a formal qualification. You can give your career a new direction, or re-enter the workforce.
We recognise that figuring out how to get a building or contractor licence can be difficult. The process can be confusing to navigate. We make it simple by linking you with experienced professionals who can provide guidance specific to your individual needs.
Contact our team to discuss your requirements and see how we can help. Call us at 13 17 75 or email us at [email protected], and one of our representatives will contact you.
