Hiring & Trade Guides
Expert advice to help you hire the right tradesperson, understand costs, and navigate licensing requirements across Australia.
Hiring Guides
12 guidesHow to find, vet, and hire qualified tradespeople
How to Hire a Licensed Air Conditioning Technician in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed air conditioning technician in Australia. Covers ARCtick licence, split vs ducted systems, costs, and state regulators.
How to Hire a Licensed Builder in Australia: A Homeowner's Complete Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed builder in Australia. Covers licence classes, costs, home warranty insurance, progress payments, and state regulators.
How to Hire a Licensed Carpenter in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed carpenter in Australia. Covers licence checks, carpentry costs, structural vs finishing work, and state licensing requirements.
How to Hire a Licensed Electrician in Australia: A Homeowner's Complete Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed electrician in Australia. Covers licence checks, costs, quotes, state regulators, and red flags.
How to Hire a Licensed Gasfitter in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed gasfitter in Australia. Covers licence checks, gas work costs, compliance certificates, CO safety, and state regulators.
How to Hire a Licensed Landscaper in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed landscaper in Australia. Covers licence checks, landscaping costs, retaining walls, drainage, and state requirements.
How to Hire a Licensed Locksmith in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed locksmith in Australia. Covers security licence checks, locksmith costs, emergency services, master key systems, and scam alerts.
How to Hire a Licensed Painter in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed painter in Australia. Covers licence checks, painting costs, lead paint safety, warranties, and state-by-state licensing rules.
How to Hire a Licensed Plumber in Australia: A Homeowner's Complete Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed plumber in Australia. Covers licence checks, costs, quotes, state regulators, and red flags to avoid.
How to Hire a Licensed Roofer in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed roofer in Australia. Covers licence checks, roofing costs, metal vs tile, asbestos rules, and state-by-state regulators.
How to Hire a Licensed Solar Installer in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed solar installer in Australia. Covers CEC accreditation, STC rebates, battery storage, costs, and state regulators.
How to Hire a Licensed Tiler in Australia: A Homeowner's Practical Guide
Learn how to hire a licensed tiler in Australia. Covers licence checks, tiling costs per sqm, waterproofing rules, and state-by-state licensing requirements.
Cost Guides
12 guidesWhat to expect to pay for common trade services
How Much Does a Bathroom Renovation Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Bathroom renovation cost in Australia from $10K to $80K+. Itemised breakdown of plumbing, tiling, waterproofing, fixtures, and labour by budget tier.
How Much Does a Deck or Pergola Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Deck or pergola cost in Australia from $3,000 to $25,000+. Per-m² rates for timber, composite, and aluminium with city-by-city pricing.
How Much Does a Fence Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Fence cost in Australia from $50 to $600+ per metre. Colorbond, timber, pool fencing prices with neighbour cost-sharing and city-by-city rates.
How Much Does a Granny Flat Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Granny flat cost in Australia from $80K to $250K+. Prefab vs custom build, state approval rules, itemised breakdown, and rental yield potential.
How Much Does a Kitchen Renovation Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Kitchen renovation cost in Australia from $15K to $100K+. Itemised breakdown of cabinetry, benchtops, appliances, plumbing, and electrical by budget tier.
How Much Does a New Build Cost Per Square Metre in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
New build cost per square metre in Australia from $1,500 to $5,000+. Project home vs custom, state-by-state pricing, and itemised cost breakdowns.
How Much Does Electrical Rewiring Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Electrical rewiring cost in Australia from $3,000 to $20,000+. Per-point pricing, switchboard upgrades, safety switch costs, and city-by-city breakdowns.
How Much Does House Painting Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
House painting cost in Australia from $20 to $80 per sqm. Interior, exterior, per-room estimates, prep work, and city-by-city price comparison.
How Much Does Plumbing Rough-In Cost for a New Home in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Plumbing rough-in cost for a new home in Australia ranges from $8,000 to $15,000+. Itemised breakdown by room, material, labour, and connection fees.
How Much Does Roof Replacement Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Roof replacement cost in Australia from $10K to $50K+. Colorbond, tile, and slate costs per m2, asbestos removal pricing, and city-by-city breakdowns.
How Much Does Solar Panel Installation Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Solar panel installation cost in Australia from $4,500 to $20,000+. System sizes, STC rebates, battery add-ons, and city-by-city pricing breakdowns.
How Much Does Split System AC Installation Cost in Australia? Full 2025–2026 Price Guide
Split system AC installation cost in Australia from $1,200 to $5,500+. Unit sizes, brand tiers, running costs, and city-by-city pricing breakdowns.
Licensing Guides
8 guidesUnderstanding licence requirements across states
Australian Builder Licensing Explained: A State-by-State Guide for Homeowners
Understand builder licensing in Australia. State-by-state regulator guide, licence classes, financial requirements, and how to verify a builder's licence.
Building Permits and Approvals: An Australian Homeowner's Guide
Understand building permits in Australia. When you need one, how to apply, exempt works, council vs private certifier, costs, timeframes, and penalties.
Home Warranty Insurance: What Australian Homeowners Must Know
Understand home warranty insurance in Australia. State-by-state thresholds, coverage periods, claim process, and how to verify your builder is covered.
How to Check a Tradesperson's Licence in Australia: State-by-State Verification Guide
Step-by-step guide to check a tradesperson's licence in every Australian state. Find your state regulator, verify licence status, and avoid unlicensed tradies.
Owner Builder Permits: A Complete Australian Guide
Understand owner builder permit requirements in every Australian state. Thresholds, training, insurance, resale rules, and what work you can do yourself.
Plumbing Licences in Australia: What Homeowners Need to Know
Understand plumbing licences across Australia. State-by-state regulators, endorsements explained, journeyperson vs contractor, and licence verification.
Understanding Electrical Licensing Requirements Across Australia
Understand electrical licensing across Australia. State-by-state regulator guide, restricted vs unrestricted licences, safety certificates, and verification.
What Happens If You Hire an Unlicensed Tradie in Australia? Penalties, Insurance Risks, and Your Rights
What happens when you hire an unlicensed tradie in Australia? State-by-state penalties, insurance void risks, and how to report unlicensed work.
Checklists
10 guidesStep-by-step checklists before, during, and after hiring
10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Any Tradie in Australia
Practical checklist of questions to ask before hiring a tradie in Australia. Covers licences, insurance, quotes, contracts, and red flags.
Checklist: Before Your Builder Starts Work in Australia
Pre-start checklist for building work in Australia. Covers contracts, insurance, permits, neighbour notification, site access, and the variation process.
Emergency Plumbing: What to Do Before the Plumber Arrives
Step-by-step emergency plumbing guide for Australian homeowners. Shut off water, contain damage, avoid costly mistakes, and know after-hours rates.
Getting Quotes from Tradies: The Complete Australian Guide
Step-by-step guide to getting quotes from tradies in Australia. Covers written briefs, comparing quotes, deposit caps, and contract rules by state.
How to Handle a Building Dispute in Australia
Practical guide to resolving building disputes in Australia. Covers mediation, state tribunals (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT), costs, timeframes, and your legal rights.
How to Prepare Your Home for an Electrician Visit in Australia
Step-by-step checklist for preparing your home before an electrician arrives. Covers switchboard access, safety, scope, and what to expect.
How to Read and Compare Trade Quotes in Australia
Practical guide to reading and comparing trade quotes in Australia. Covers line-by-line analysis, provisional sums, red flags, and like-for-like comparison.
Renovation Project Management Tips for Australian Homeowners
Practical renovation project management tips for Australian homeowners. Covers timelines, budgets, variations, communication, and progress tracking.
Tradie Payment Terms: What's Standard in Australia
Understand standard tradie payment terms in Australia. Covers deposits, progress payments, final payments, retention, and red flags to watch for.
What to Do When a Tradie Does Poor Work in Australia
Step-by-step guide for Australian homeowners dealing with poor tradie work. Covers documentation, complaints, state tribunals, and your legal rights.
Seasonal Guides
8 guidesTimely advice for seasonal home maintenance
Bushfire Season Home Preparation Checklist for Australian Homeowners
Prepare your Australian home for bushfire season. Covers BAL ratings, defendable space, ember protection, gutter guards and which trades to book.
End of Financial Year: Tax Deductions for Home Renovations in Australia
Which home renovation costs are tax deductible in Australia? Covers investment property deductions, CGT cost base, depreciation and trades to book by 30 June.
First Home Buyer's Guide to Building Inspections in Australia
A first home buyer's guide to building and pest inspections in Australia. Covers costs, what inspectors check, red flags, and how to choose an inspector.
Pre-Winter Home Maintenance Checklist for Australians
Seasonal home maintenance checklist to prepare your Australian home for winter. Covers heating, roofing, gutters, plumbing, insulation and trades to book.
Renting Out Your Property: Required Trade Inspections for Australian Landlords
Which trade inspections does your rental property need? Covers smoke alarms, electrical safety, gas compliance, pool fencing and RCDs by state.
Selling Your Home: Trade Jobs That Add the Most Value in Australia
Which trade jobs add the most value before selling your Australian home? ROI by renovation type, costs, quick wins and which licensed tradies to hire.
Storm Season Preparation Guide for Australian Homeowners
Prepare your Australian home for storm season. Covers roof checks, tree trimming, drainage, insurance review and which trades to book before severe weather.
Summer-Ready Home: Essential Trade Jobs to Book Before December
Get your Australian home summer-ready. AC servicing, pool compliance, pest inspections, solar panel cleaning and outdoor jobs to book before December.
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