What Is Consumer and Business Services SA?
Consumer and Business Services (CBS) is the South Australian government agency within the Attorney-General’s Department that regulates occupational licensing, consumer protection, and business affairs in South Australia. For the building and construction industry, CBS administers the licensing of builders, building work supervisors, and plumbers under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 and the Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Electricians Act 1995.
Key Functions
CBS performs several critical roles for the SA building industry:
- Licensing — issuing and renewing licences for building work contractors, building work supervisors, plumbers, gasfitters, and electricians
- Consumer protection — enforcing minimum standards for residential building contracts, including deposit limits, progress payment schedules, and cooling-off periods
- Complaint handling — investigating complaints about defective or incomplete building work and mediating between homeowners and builders
- Disciplinary action — suspending or cancelling licences, imposing fines, and referring serious matters to the SA Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT)
- Building indemnity insurance — administering the requirement for builders to hold building indemnity insurance for residential work above $12,000
CBS Licence Search
CBS provides a public licence search through the SA Government website where you can verify a tradesperson’s licence type, status, conditions, and any disciplinary history.
Licence Types
| Licence Type | Scope |
|---|---|
| Building Work Contractor | Contracts to perform building work for others |
| Building Work Supervisor | Supervises building work on behalf of a contractor |
| Plumbing Contractor | Contracts to perform plumbing work |
| Gas Fitting Contractor | Contracts to perform gas fitting work |
How It Relates to Licence Verification
CBS is the authoritative source for building and trade licences in South Australia. TradieVerify integrates SA licence data so you can verify a tradesperson’s credentials alongside practitioners from every other state. A current CBS licence confirms the holder meets South Australia’s qualification, insurance, and financial requirements.