How to check if a builder is licensed in NSW (Verify NSW)
Short answer
Search the builder's name or licence number on Verify NSW (verify.licence.nsw.gov.au), the free NSW Government licence register. Confirm the licence is "Current", that its class covers your type of work, and that the licence holder's name matches the company you'll actually contract with. BuilderVet does this for you and adds ASIC and disciplinary history the register doesn't show.
Verifying a licence is the single most important pre-contract check, and it takes five minutes.
Checking more than the licence? How to check a NSW builder in 5 minutes.
1. Find the official register
NSW contractor licences are published on Verify NSW, the free NSW Government licence register. Search by licence number, business name, or person’s name. Service NSW explains the search step by step: check a builder or tradesperson licence.
2. Confirm the status is “Current”
A licence can be Current, Expired, Suspended, or Cancelled. Only Current means the holder may lawfully contract for residential building work today. An expired or cancelled licence is a hard stop: do not sign.
3. Match the licence class to your job
Licences are issued by class (for example Building, or a Specialist class like waterproofing or electrical). The class must cover the work you are contracting for. A waterproofing specialist licence does not authorise a full home build.
4. Match the name to who you actually contract with
This is where people get caught. The quote may come from “Smith Homes” but the contract names a different Pty Ltd, or the licence belongs to an individual, not the company. The entity you sign with must be the entity that holds the licence. A mismatch is a red flag.
What the register does not tell you
The licence register shows licence status right now. It does not show:
- whether the company is in administration or has been deregistered by ASIC;
- director history or creditworthiness (outside BuilderVet coverage);
- disciplinary findings that have since been removed from public listings.
That longitudinal, cross-register picture is what BuilderVet assembles: one search across the NSW licence register, ASIC and three NSW regulator sources (disciplinary register, regulatory actions and building orders), with dates and sources. Development-application history is incomplete, so check with the relevant council (what we cover). We don’t search NCAT decisions or court records.
Related questions
- Is it illegal to do residential building work without a licence in NSW?
- Yes. In NSW, residential building work valued over $5,000 (including labour and materials) must be carried out by the holder of an appropriate contractor licence issued by NSW Fair Trading.
- Does a current licence mean the builder is financially sound?
- No. A licence can be "Current" while the company behind it is in financial distress. Licence status and ASIC insolvency status are separate registers. Check both.
Put the records beside your quote
Search the exact business on your quote. Read the source dates and gaps before you decide.
Updated 18 Oct 2026