Permits and licensing
Renovation permits and contractor licensing in Australia
Before you renovate, two questions matter: does the work need approval, and does the person doing it need a licence? In Australia both are decided state by state, and the answers genuinely differ. Pick your state or territory to see the official bodies involved.
Choose your state or territory
Each guide lists the state's licensing regulator, the trades that must be licensed, how building approval works there and what to check before you hire.
- Australian Capital Territory3 official bodies listed
- New South Wales3 official bodies listed
- Northern Territory2 official bodies listed
- Queensland2 official bodies listed
- South Australia2 official bodies listed
- Tasmania2 official bodies listed
- Victoria3 official bodies listed
- Western Australia2 official bodies listed
How permits and licensing work in Australia
Licensing is a state matter
Each state and territory runs its own licensing system, and the trigger is not the same everywhere. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory require a licence for building work above a value threshold they each set. South Australia licenses by activity, Tasmania by risk category, and the ACT by occupation.
The National Construction Code is adopted, not automatic
The ABCB produces the NCC on behalf of all Australian governments, but states that it is given legal effect through state and territory building and plumbing legislation, with adoption dates set by each administration. Requirements can apply at different times, or not at all, because of state variations.
Approval pathways have different names
New South Wales runs exempt development, complying development certificates and development applications. Victoria separates the planning permit from the building permit, which a registered building surveyor issues. Queensland grants a building development approval, South Australia a development approval made of separate consents, and the Northern Territory issues permits through private certifiers.
Electrical, plumbing and gas are licensed separately
These trades are usually licensed whatever the job is worth, and the ABCB notes that gasfitting and electrical work are not covered by the NCC at all. Every state publishes a public register, so a licence can be checked before you hire.
Planning a renovation?
Describe your project once and hear from local pros. Ask each one for their licence and permit details before you hire.