NSW builder check services, compared
The official NSW registers (Verify NSW, HBC Check, the Fair Trading registers and NSW Caselaw) cover the core checks if you search each one yourself. One-off paid reports cost $199 from TrustSignal (introductory; normally $250) and $299 from Property Assurance, and both add courts, tribunals, director history and insolvency records. BuilderVet is free to check, and A$79 once for 24 months of change notices on one builder. TradieVerify is a free, ad-funded licence lookup.
on each provider's own pages · Sources below
Comparison table
Each service covers different records. Here's what each one says it covers, as of October 2026, with a source for every price.
| Official registers | BuilderVet | Property Assurance | TradieVerify | TrustSignal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Verify NSW, HBC Check, the Complaints Register, ABN Lookup and NSW Caselaw are free to search | Check: free. Build Watch: A$79 once (one builder, 24 months, no automatic renewal). Practice plan: A$199 a month, up to 25 builders. No GST charged (source) | "$299 per check (GST inclusive)", the same price for any builder or state. No subscription (source) | Free, funded by display ads and affiliate links (source) | "$199 AUD · INC GST", an introductory offer for the first 500 reports, normally $250. No subscription (source) |
| Free tier includes | Each register, one at a time | Any NSW builder: licence, company and regulator records, with sources, dates and gaps. Watch one builder free for 30 days when you verify your email | Its pricing page lists 4 free instant checks: ABN & GST status, company status & age, deregistration check, and licence status1 | Licence status, type, conditions and expiry, with a link to the official register | A free licence and company search |
| Licence status (NSW) | Yes (Verify NSW) | Yes. Normally daily in Build Watch | Yes (Verify NSW named) | Yes. NSW profiles can be re-verified on demand; most state registers are re-synced monthly | Yes (Verify NSW named; 8 jurisdictions in the report) |
| Company / ASIC status | Yes (ASIC registers) | Yes. Weekly in Build Watch | Yes (company status & age, deregistration) | Doesn't advertise | Yes, in the report |
| ABN | Yes (ABN Lookup) | Status where we hold it. Not monitored | Yes (ABN & GST status) | Doesn't advertise | Yes, in the report |
| HBC certificate | Yes (HBC Check) | Certificates on record for a site address, for the builders we've checked. Not monitored | Insurance Eligibility section in the report; icare HBCF named as a source | Doesn't advertise (its guides explain how to check HBC yourself) | Yes, HBCF insurance in the report |
| Disciplinary / regulator records | Yes (Fair Trading registers) | Yes. Three NSW regulator sources, normally daily in Build Watch | Regulatory Actions section in the report | Doesn't advertise | Building Commission NSW and NSW Fair Trading named as sources |
| NCAT / courts | Yes (NSW Caselaw, published decisions) | No | Yes. Courts & Tribunals section in the report | Doesn't advertise | Yes. Federal and state court matters, plus building tribunal matters |
| Director history / related entities | Not in the free searches above | No | Yes. Company & Directors section | Doesn't advertise | Yes. "Full director history & related entities" |
| Credit / insolvency / PPSR | Not in the free searches above | No | Insolvency Notices section | Doesn't advertise | Yes. Insolvency and credit history; PPSR named as a source |
| Ongoing change monitoring | No. You search again each time | Yes. 24 months with Build Watch | Doesn't advertise | Doesn't advertise | Doesn't advertise (offers re-download access for 24 months and a free re-run within 30 days) |
| Human review | No. You read the results | No | Yes. "Human-reviewed"; analysts run a free manual trace within 24 hours if a builder doesn't match automatically | Doesn't advertise | Doesn't advertise. Delivery is automated, in most cases within minutes |
| States covered | NSW (these registers) | NSW only | NSW and QLD in its headline; state pages for all 8 states and territories | NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, SA and ACT live per its FAQ; TAS and NT being added | NSW live; other states rolling out through 2026–27 |
| Account needed | Not for the searches above | Not for the summary, the first three sources or any warning. A free account opens every record; no card | Not for the free check ("No payment, no account"); it uses your phone and email to send results | No ("no sign-up") | Paid reports are emailed and kept in your account; doesn't say for the free search |
| Agent / API access | No | Free read-only MCP server at mcp.buildervet.au/mcp. No key, no account (details) | Doesn't advertise | Doesn't advertise | Doesn't advertise |
¹ Property Assurance's NSW page says the instant check "reports the licence numbers on record" and that whether the licence is read instantly or by an analyst "depends on the state" (source).
Which one fits you
The right choice depends on which records you need and for how long. Here's how we'd choose.
You only want to confirm the licence. Use Verify NSW, the official register, which is free. TradieVerify is also free, needs no sign-up, and covers several states and many trades, not just builders.
You want courts, directors and credit in one report. Buy a one-off report from TrustSignal ($199 introductory, NSW) or Property Assurance ($299, human-reviewed, NSW and QLD). Both cover more than we do here: NCAT and court matters, director history and insolvency records. BuilderVet doesn't search any of those.
You want one builder's records kept and watched from deposit to handover. Use BuilderVet Build Watch: A$79 once, with no automatic renewal. You get a saved, dated report and 24 months of scheduled checks, with a notice when a supported record changes. The check itself is free, and you can watch one builder free for 30 days when you verify your email, before you pay anything.
You check builders for clients. The BuilderVet Practice plan watches up to 25 builders for A$199 a month and renews monthly until cancelled.
Where BuilderVet is weaker
We're narrower than the paid reports, and here's exactly where.
- No NCAT decisions or court records. NCAT appears only where a Fair Trading disciplinary entry mentions it.
- No director links across companies, and no related entities.
- No credit reports, no insolvency notices and no prediction of financial distress.
- NSW only.
- No human review.
- ABN and HBC changes aren't monitored. Build Watch monitors the licence, ASIC and the three NSW regulator sources.
- HBC certificates appear only for the builders we've checked.
- Development-application history is incomplete. Check with the relevant council.
- Checks aren't real-time. Every record shows the date we read it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the alternatives to Property Assurance for checking a builder in NSW?
The main alternatives are TrustSignal ($199 introductory, normally $250, NSW live), which also covers courts, tribunals, director history and credit; BuilderVet, which checks licence, company and NSW regulator records free, shows HBC certificates on record by address, and watches one builder for 24 months for A$79 once; TradieVerify, a free licence lookup; and the official registers. Property Assurance charges $299 per check for a human-reviewed report and covers NSW and QLD. Prices as of October 2026.
What's the best website to check a builder's history and complaints in NSW?
Start with the official registers: Verify NSW for the licence, the Fair Trading Complaints Register and online registers for complaints and disciplinary action, and NSW Caselaw for NCAT decisions. For several checks in one place, BuilderVet checks the licence, company and three NSW regulator sources free, while TrustSignal ($199 introductory, normally $250) and Property Assurance ($299) sell one-off reports that also cover courts and tribunals. Our comparison of builder check services sets out what each covers, with prices as of October 2026.
Is there a service that checks a NSW builder's licence, insurance and complaints in one place?
Partly. BuilderVet's free tools read the NSW licence register, ASIC, the ABN where we hold it, three NSW regulator sources and HBC certificates on record for a site address (for the builders we've checked), and show the source and date of each record. We don't read the Fair Trading Complaints Register, NCAT or court decisions; TrustSignal and Property Assurance cover courts and tribunals in paid one-off reports. TradieVerify is a free lookup for licence records only.
Is BuilderVet cheaper than a one-off builder report?
On price, yes. BuilderVet's check is free and Build Watch is A$79 once for a saved, dated report and 24 months of change notices on one builder; TrustSignal's report is $199 (introductory, normally $250) and Property Assurance's is $299 per check, as of October 2026. Those reports include courts, tribunals, director history and insolvency records, which BuilderVet does not cover.
Do any of these services rate builders?
BuilderVet, Property Assurance and TrustSignal each say they don't. BuilderVet: "No safety score, automatic winner, credit report, or financial prediction." Property Assurance says its reports are "Never scored." TrustSignal says "No scores, no ratings, no recommendations." TradieVerify shows licence records (status, type, conditions, expiry) with a link to the official register. The separate iCIRT register, which Building Commission NSW links to, is a voluntary star rating that companies apply and pay for.
Method and sources
We checked each provider's own public pages on 18 Oct 2026. Prices are copied exactly as each provider states them. Where a provider's pages didn't mention something, the table says "Doesn't advertise" rather than guessing. We re-check these pages monthly and update the date at the top of this page each time.
- Property Assurance: https://www.propertyassurance.com.au/pricing · https://www.propertyassurance.com.au/ · https://check.propertyassurance.com.au/ · https://www.propertyassurance.com.au/check-a-builder/nsw
- TradieVerify: https://tradieverify.com.au/ · https://tradieverify.com.au/about/ · https://tradieverify.com.au/data-sources/ · https://tradieverify.com.au/guides/how-to-check-a-builders-licence-in-nsw/
- TrustSignal (Exodite Pty Ltd): https://trustsignal.com.au/ · https://trustsignal.com.au/pricing · https://trustsignal.com.au/faq · https://trustsignal.com.au/knowledge-hub/nsw-builder-licence-check
- BuilderVet: /pricing · /data · /faq · /terms · /compare
- Official registers: Verify NSW https://verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/ · HBC Check https://verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/home/HBCF · Fair Trading Complaints Register https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/complaints-and-enquiries/complaints-register · Fair Trading online registers https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/stay-informed/online-registers-and-tools · NSW Caselaw https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/ · ABN Lookup https://abr.business.gov.au/ · ASIC registers https://asic.gov.au/online-services/search-asic-registers/ · iCIRT (Building Commission NSW) https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/building-commission/icirt
Corrections: hello@buildervet.au. If a provider's page has changed, tell us and we'll re-check and update this page.
How to do the checks yourself: How to check a NSW builder in 5 minutes. What we cover and how often: Data and coverage. Full prices: Pricing.
Check a builder
See the records for any NSW builder before you decide whether you need a paid report.