Permits and licensing · Western Australia
Renovation permits and contractor licences in Western Australia
In Western Australia, Building and Energy registers building service providers and licenses electricians, gas fitters and plumbers. It is illegal to contract for or carry out a building service without the right licence or registration. A building permit must be obtained from your local government before construction starts.
Regulators and licensing bodies in Western Australia
These official bodies license contractors, oversee safety or issue permits in Western Australia.
Building and Energy
A division of the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety. It registers builders, painters, building surveyors and building engineers, licenses electricians, gas fitters and plumbers, and runs the online licence search.
Your local government (the permit authority)
Assesses building permit applications and issues the permit. The Building Commissioner approves the forms used in the process, and owners must ensure a building permit is obtained before construction commences.
Trades that need a licence in Western Australia
General contracting and renovation
Western Australia states plainly that it is illegal for an individual, partnership or company to contract for or carry out a building service without first having the appropriate licence or registration from Building and Energy, and advises always checking that a provider's registration is current before you enter an agreement. Most other building work above a value threshold that also needs a building permit must be carried out by a registered builder.
Sources:WA Government – Find a registered building service provider(opens in a new tab)Building and Energy – Building or renovating your home(opens in a new tab)
Electrical work
WA's system for regulating electrical work means only suitably qualified people who hold electrical licences are legally entitled to carry out electrical work.
Sources:WA Government – Information for electrical licence holders(opens in a new tab)
Plumbing
Only suitably qualified people holding plumbers licences granted by the Plumbers Licensing Board are legally entitled to carry out plumbing work in Western Australia.
Sources:WA Government – Information for licensed plumbers(opens in a new tab)
General contracting and renovation
The National Construction Code sets the technical provisions for designing and constructing buildings and plumbing and drainage systems, but it has no force of its own: the ABCB states that the NCC is given legal effect through state and territory building and plumbing legislation, and that adoption dates are set by each state's administration. Requirements can apply at different times, or not at all, because of state variations — and the ABCB notes that gasfitting and electrical work are not covered by the NCC at all.
Sources:ABCB – About the National Construction Code(opens in a new tab)ABCB – NCC 2025 state and territory adoption information(opens in a new tab)ABCB – Information for homeowners(opens in a new tab)
Building and renovation permits in Western Australia
Owners must ensure that a building permit, where required, is obtained from their relevant local government before construction commences — the duty sits with the owner, not only the builder. Your local government assesses the application, so contact it early about what it needs and any local laws. Western Australia's application forms are named and distinct: BA1 is an application for a certified building permit and BA2 for an uncertified one, with BA3 the certificate of design compliance, BA5 a demolition permit, BA9 an occupancy permit and BA7 the notice of completion. A certificate of design compliance is required before a building permit is granted, and it can only be issued by a registered building surveying contractor or a building surveying practitioner employed by a permit authority.
Sources:Building and Energy – Building or renovating your home(opens in a new tab)Building and Energy – Building approvals(opens in a new tab)
Before you hire a contractor in Western Australia
Practical checks you can do yourself, using official tools where they exist.
Search the WA online licence search and confirm the registration or licence is current before entering an agreement.
Official lookup: WA Online Licence Search(opens in a new tab)
Check your local government's requirements before lodging, since it assesses the building permit application.
Official lookup: Building and Energy – Building approvals(opens in a new tab)
For electrical or plumbing work, confirm the individual holds the relevant WA licence — only licence holders may legally do the work.
Official lookup: WA Government – Find a registered building service provider(opens in a new tab)
Make sure a building permit is in place before construction commences: WA puts that duty on the owner.
Official lookup: Building and Energy – Building or renovating your home(opens in a new tab)
Sources for renovation permits and licences in Western Australia
Every fact on this page comes from these official sources.
- Building and Energy – About Building and Energy(opens in a new tab)
- WA Government – Obligations of registered building service providers(opens in a new tab)
- Building and Energy – Building approvals(opens in a new tab)
- Building and Energy – Building or renovating your home(opens in a new tab)
- WA Government – Find a registered building service provider(opens in a new tab)
- WA Government – Information for electrical licence holders(opens in a new tab)
- WA Government – Information for licensed plumbers(opens in a new tab)
- ABCB – About the National Construction Code(opens in a new tab)
- ABCB – NCC 2025 state and territory adoption information(opens in a new tab)
- ABCB – Information for homeowners(opens in a new tab)
Find licensed pros
Compare local pros for the regulated trades in this guide, then confirm their licence with the regulator before you hire.
Renovation permits in other states and territories
Planning a renovation?
Describe your project once and hear from local pros. Ask each one for their licence and permit details before you hire.