Do concreters, pavers and bricklayers need a licence in Australia?
NSW, VIC and QLD need a licence or registration over a set job value, and SA needs a building work licence at any value. WA, TAS, ACT and NT have no licence for these trades on their own.
Licence by state
| State | Licence needed? | Licence and who issues it | Check a licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSWNew South Wales | Over a job value $5,000 incl GST (labour and materials) |
Contractor licence - general concreting, bricklaying, stonemasonry or wet plastering Building Commission NSW Paving, driveways and paths of any material sit under the structural landscaping licence. |
Verify Licence - home building licence check |
| VICVictoria | Over a job value $10,000 incl GST (labour and materials) |
Domestic Builder (limited to bricklaying and blocklaying, footings and slab work, or structural landscaping) Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) Consumer Affairs Victoria says bricklayers and concreters must be registered for work over $10,000. |
BPC Find and check a practitioner |
| QLDQueensland | Over a job value $3,300 incl GST (labour and materials) |
QBCC Concreting, Bricklaying and blocklaying, Brick and segmental paving, Stonemasonry or Plastering - solid licence Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) QLD has its own licences for paving and for solid render. |
QBCC licensee register |
| WAWestern Australia | No | Building and Energy (WA Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) No trade licence. A registered builder is only needed for permit work of $20,000 or more; walls and retaining walls are exempt. |
WA Online Licence Search |
| SASouth Australia | Yes | Building work contractor's licence (plus building work supervisor registration) Consumer and Business Services (CBS) Building work includes paving, so a licence is needed at any job value. |
Check occupational licence holders |
| TASTasmania | No | No licence for these trades. Work on a house or extension is run by a licensed builder. |
Find a licensed tradesperson |
| ACTAustralian Capital Territory | No | Bricklayers and concreters are not licensed now. The ACT is looking at licensing them, but not before 2027. |
Access Canberra public registers |
| NTNorthern Territory | No | No trade registration. Free-standing fences and retaining walls not tied to a house need no registered builder. |
Public Register of Building Practitioners |
Jobs that need an extra licence
Retaining walls that need council approvalStructural landscaping or builder licence
NSW (VIC has a separate retaining walls class)
Paving, driveways and paths as part of landscapingStructural landscaping licence (QLD also has a brick and segmental paving licence)
NSW, VIC, QLD
Rendering (solid plastering)Wet plastering licence (NSW) or Plastering - solid licence (QLD)
NSW, QLD
House slabs and footingsFootings and slab class, or a builder licence
VIC; builder licence in other states
Deep digging that could affect a neighbour's landExcavating licence or builder
NSW
Hiring? How to check a licence
- Ask for the licence or registration number and the name on it.
- Check the number on the official register for your state (links below).
- Make sure the name, licence class and expiry date match the person or company you are hiring.
- Check the licence covers the exact work, not just a related trade.
- Ask if your driveway, slab or retaining wall needs council or building approval before work starts.
- In WA, TAS, ACT and NT, ask for trade papers, insurance and photos of past work.
- Get a written quote and contract that shows the licence number.
- For electrical, plumbing or gas parts of the job, check that tradie's own licence too.
Find local businesses: BricklayerConcretersConcrete ResurfacingPaversAsphalt ContractorsFloor CoatingStonemasons
On ServiceTasker, a business uploads its licence and our team checks it before a licence badge shows on its profile. You see what it holds, never the number or the document.
For businesses: how to get this licence
- Qualify: finish a Certificate III in your trade, such as Concreting, Bricklaying and Blocklaying, Stonemasonry or Landscape Construction.
- Experience: get supervised, paid trade work. VIC asks for at least 2 years for bricklaying or footings and slab classes.
- Documents: have your ID, qualification copies, a police check (NSW asks for one no older than 4 months) and business details ready.
- Apply to your state (links below). QLD also needs the business unit BSBESB402 and financial checks.
- Licensed in another state? You may be able to work under mutual recognition. Check the state page first.
| State | Who issues it | Apply here (official) | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Building Commission NSW | How to apply | Requirements |
| VIC | Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) | How to apply | Requirements |
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) | How to apply | Requirements |
| WA | Building and Energy (WA Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) | Ask the regulator | Requirements |
| SA | Consumer and Business Services (CBS) | How to apply | Requirements |
| TAS | Ask the regulator | Requirements | |
| ACT | Ask the regulator | Requirements | |
| NT | Ask the regulator | Requirements |
Last checked: 12 November 2026. General information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees and forms change: always check with the regulator in your state before you hire or apply. Some details could not be confirmed online and are left out; the regulator can confirm them.
Official sources (38)
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/concreting
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/bricklaying-blo...
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/brick-segmental...
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/stonemasonry
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/plastering-soli...
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence/available-licences/other-trade/structural-land...
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- verify.licence.nsw.gov.au /home/Trades
- nsw.gov.au /business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-lice...
- bpc.vic.gov.au /resource-hub/info-sheets/What-is-domestic-building-work
- consumer.vic.gov.au /housing/building-and-renovating/plan-and-manage-your-building-project...
- bpc.vic.gov.au /home-owners/before-you-start-building/engaging-a-builder
- bpc.vic.gov.au /find-and-check-a-practitioner
- bpc.vic.gov.au /builders/registration/how-to-complete-your-builder-application
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/start-your-career/when-you-need-licence
- qbcc.qld.gov.au /licences/apply-licence
- my.qbcc.qld.gov.au /myQBCC/s/qbcc-licensee-register
- wa.gov.au /government/publications/do-i-need-be-registered-building-contractor
- wa.gov.au /government/multi-step-guides/builders-registration
- ols.demirs.wa.gov.au /search
- sa.gov.au /topics/business-and-trade/licensing/building-and-trades/building-work...
- legislation.sa.gov.au /_legislation-documents/lz/c/r/building-work-contractors-regulations-2...
- sa.gov.au /topics/business-and-trade/licensing/licence-check
- buildingstandards.tas.gov.au /topics/technical-regulation/building-standards/permit-authorities/cat...
- consumeraffairs.tas.gov.au /topics/licensing-and-registration/licensed-occupations/building-provi...
- buildingstandards.tas.gov.au /topics/resources-tools/apply-for-a-licence
- buildingstandards.tas.gov.au /topics/licensing-and-registration/search-licensed-occupations/find-a-...
- planning.act.gov.au /professionals/regulation-and-responsibilities/construction-licences
- planning.act.gov.au /professionals/regulation-and-responsibilities/extension-of-trade-lice...
- services.accesscanberra.act.gov.au /s/public-registers
- bpb.nt.gov.au /
- bpb.nt.gov.au /practitioners
- ntlis.nt.gov.au /building-practitioners/
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