Building work contractor's licence

Individuals and businesses must be licensed as building contractors, including subcontractors if they run a business that carries out or organises building work:

• for others
• to sell or let land or buildings.

Sole traders normally apply for a contractor's licence and building work supervisor registration at the same time as both are required to contract work.

Exemptions

Business partners who don’t organise or do the work no longer need to hold a contractor’s licence and can apply for an exemption - eg administrative partner.

Apply for an exemption - new applicants

Surrender your licence - for partners who already hold a licence and would like to apply for an exemption.

Finances

People who do 'specified building work' - eg bricklayers, carpenters - need to have at least $10,000 in net assets to apply for a contractor's licence. If you don’t have enough in net assets, you can apply for a restricted licence as a subcontractor.

Builders who work in 'major residential construction' must attach a certificate of eligibility for building indemnity insurance to the application.

Industrial, commercial and civil builders must declare on the application form that they have the financial resources needed to carry on this type of business.

Knowledge and experience

Check you have the right knowledge and experience to apply for a building contractor's licence.

Business criteria for contractors (205KB PDF)

Interstate builders working in SA (128.99 KB PDF)

Police clearance

Include with your application a copy of your National Police Certificate (NPC) no more than 12 months old.

Apply for an NPC - SA Police

You don't need an NPC if you:

• are the director of a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange
• have lodged an NPC with CBS within the last year
• are an overseas resident and have never lived in Australia
• have held a licence within the last year and are applying for an equivalent licence
• have already supplied an NPC for a different licence issued under the same Act.

You'll need to have your photo taken for your registration and undergo an ID check before being issued with a licence card.

Estimated processing times

If you're an interstate applicant, and not applying through mutual recognition, you'll need to provide evidence that you intend to do contract building work in South Australia.

All building work must be supervised by a registered building work supervisor.

Suggested best practice principles for supervision of building work are outlined in supervision guidance (PDF 158KB).

Companies will need to nominate a building work supervisor when applying for a contractor licence.

Individuals who apply for a contractor licence can also register as a supervisor on the same application. If an individual is only contracting out building work, a supervisor must be nominated.

Building work supervisor’s registration

You must notify CBS within 14 days:

• if you have committed an offence
• if the business has gone bankrupt
• when you change or add a nominated supervisor
• if you change your address - you can also update your address when you renew your licence
• to surrender your occupational licence - you'll no longer be able to work under this licence
• if you have lost or damaged cards or certificates
• when you change directors in your company.

Digital licences