The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) collects personal information for the purpose of:
- assessing your application
- verifying your eligibility
- maintaining licensing records
- undertaking compliance, audit and enforcement functions where required
Your personal information collected is required for the department to comply with the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011, Building Act 2011, Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act 2020.
If you do not provide the requested information, LGIRS may be unable to process your application or provide the relevant licence or service required.
Your information may be included in an online licence search, published in a register, shared with other divisions at LGIRS, as well as to relevant government agencies, regulatory bodies, local governments, and third parties where authorised or required by law, including for verification, compliance, enforcement, policy, educational or audit purposes.
Please refer to the Privacy Policy on our website for more information about how we handle your personal information, how you can request access to or correction for the personal information we hold about you, and who to contact if you have a privacy enquiry or complaint.
Individuals, partnerships and companies that wish to contract with others to provide building work valued over $20,000 (or over $50,000 for class 10a buildings) must be registered as a 'building contractor' and demonstrate both financial and organisational capacity. For further information visit building contractor application guidelines.
Refer to the Building Services Board’s ‘Management and Supervision Policy’ for details of the organisational requirements. The Building Services Board generally requires an applicant for building contractor registration to demonstrate access to a minimum of $50,000 in cash or cash equivalent and have a quick ratio of at least 1:1 to meet the financial requirements. Partnerships and companies are required to have at least one nominated supervisor who is a registered 'building practitioner'.
It is important to note that a trust cannot obtain registration. The trustee of the trust must apply for registration and all documents and financial information provided must reflect that the trustee is acting in that capacity.
Individual application
Show more1. You'll need
- Demonstrate access to a minimum of $50,000 in liquid funds (cash or cash equivalent)
- Bank statement (in your name) no more than three months old from the date this application is lodged which corresponds with the personal financial statement
- If the bank statement is from a joint account, a signed letter from the joint account holder authorising use of the account for the purpose of your building registration
- Credit report (with name matching the application) no more than three months old from the date this application is lodged
- Completed Business profile
- Completed Management and Supervision Questionnaire
- Proof of identification
- A current Building Practitioner registration. If you do not currently hold one, you may apply for both registrations at the same time, however please note your Building Contractor application cannot be finalised until your Building Practitioner application has been approved.
- Visa/Mastercard for fee payment.
2. Complete application form
Submit your application
Online
Submit your application online
By post or in person
| By Post | In Person |
|---|---|
If posting your application and Post to: Licensing Services |
Customer Service |
After your application has been submitted
Licence applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process. We’ll contact you if we need any additional information, and you’ll receive an email once your licence has been finalised.
Partnership application
Show more1. You'll need
- Nominated supervisor details (Building practitioner registration number)
- A letter confirming the nominated supervisor is employed by the business (unless they are a director or officer of the company).
- Demonstrate access to a minimum of $50,000 in liquid funds (cash or cash equivalent) and, in the case of partners which are trading companies, have a quick ratio of at least 1:1
- Bank statements showing the partnership as the accountholder OR individual bank statements of all partners, no more than three months old from the date this application is lodged which corresponds with the personal financial statement
- Credit report for each partner (in your name) no more than three months old from the date this application is lodged
- Completed Business profile
- Completed Management and supervision Questionnaire
- Visa/Mastercard for fee payment.
2. Complete application form
- Building Contractor Registration (Partnership) – Form 14.
- Form A2.1 – Partner details.
- Form A2.2 – Partner details, body corporate.
Submit your application
Online:
Submit your application online
By post or in person
| By Post | In Person |
|---|---|
If posting your application and Post to: Licensing Services |
Customer Service |
After your application has been submitted
Licence applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process. We’ll contact you if we need any additional information, and you’ll receive an email once your licence has been finalised.
Company/Body Corporate application
Show more1. You'll need
- Nominated supervisor details (Building practitioner registration number)
- A letter confirming the nominated supervisor is employed by the business (unless they are a director or officer of the company).
- Company directors and secretary details (name, directors number, date of birth, postal address)
- Completed Business profile
- Completed Management and supervision Questionnaire
- Visa/Mastercard for fee payment
- Financial documentation
- For companies already trading:
- Special purpose financial report (SPFR) in the name of the company that has been compiled by an independent certified accountant dated within three months of this application (must include corresponding bank statement, trading profit and loss statement, balance sheet, WIP, any relevant loan agreements, accounts receivable aging and accounts payable aging.)
- Bank statements coinciding with the most recent SPFR which identify the company as the accountholder ready to attach
- For newly incorporated companies:
- Proof of start up capital ready to attach (i.e. gift, loan agreement, overdraft facility etc.)
- Bank statements dated within three months of the application which identify the company as the accountholder ready to attach
- For companies already trading:
2. Complete application form
- Building Contractor Registration (Company) – Form 15.
- Template: Statement by accountant – non-trading company.
Submit your application
Online:
Submit your application online
By post or in person
| By Post | In Person |
|---|---|
If posting your application and Post to: Licensing Services |
Customer Service |
After your application has been submitted
Licence applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process. We’ll contact you if we need any additional information, and you’ll receive an email once your licence has been finalised.
What happens after you apply
Show moreWe receive a high volume of building registration applications and aim to assess them as quickly as possible, while ensuring a fair and thorough process.
Our assessment process
We review applications based on set criteria, including financial capacity, management and supervision. This may involve checking of disciplinary actions, adverse cross-directorship, courts order, payment defaults or financial probity.
Once we receive your application, we will complete an initial check and let you know if anything is missing (by email or phone).
After you have provided all the required information, an assessor will review your application in detail. You may be asked for more information about your qualifications or experience. If you do not provide the additional information we ask for, your application may be refused.
If we need to request additional information, the process will take longer. Make sure you submit all required information and documents with your application to avoid delays.
Application outcome
If all the required information is provided, we aim to make a decision within 50 business days. If more information is needed, processing may take longer.
Please note if your application is depending on a building practitioner application that is in lodged at the same time, the building contractor application will not be finalised until the building practitioner is finalised.
You will be notified of the decision in writing.
If successful: You will be registered for three years, and your details will appear on the Register of Builders. You will also receive a registration certificate in mail.
If unsuccessful: You will be informed of the reasons in writing. You can reapply in the future; however you will need to show that you have addressed the reasons for the initial refusal.
Dispute the outcome of your application.
If you are not satisfied with the Building Services Board's decision on your registration application, you may apply to the State of Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for a review of the decision.
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