Direct answers homeowners ask before signing a build contract.
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How to check if a builder is licensed in NSW
Search the builder's name, ABN or licence number on the NSW Fair Trading public register (onegov.nsw.gov.au/publicregister). 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.
Updated 1 June 2026
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What happens if my builder goes insolvent mid-build
If your builder enters liquidation or administration mid-build, work stops and you become an unsecured creditor for any money paid ahead of work done. Your protection comes from Home Building Compensation (HBC) insurance, which must be in place for residential jobs over $20,000 and can cover incomplete or defective work if the builder dies, disappears, becomes insolvent, or has their licence suspended for failing to comply with a rectification order.
Updated 13 July 2026
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How to spot a phoenix builder
A phoenix builder liquidates a company that owes money, then continues the same business through a new company, leaving creditors and homeowners unpaid. Spot it by checking whether the directors have a recently deregistered or liquidated company in the same trade and area, whether the "new" business uses the same name, branding, address or phone number, and whether a current licence sits on a company registered only weeks ago. BuilderVet links directors across companies and flags this pattern automatically.
Updated 13 July 2026
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The NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register, and what it hides
No. The NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register only lists a business once it receives 10 or more complaints in a single calendar month. A builder can have a long trail of individual complaints, disciplinary findings, or an insolvency history and never appear on it. Treat an empty result as "not high-volume this month", not "clean".
Updated 13 July 2026
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How to verify a builder's Home Building Compensation insurance in NSW
For residential building work over $20,000, a NSW builder must give you a certificate of Home Building Compensation (HBC) insurance before taking any deposit or starting work. Ask for the certificate for your specific job (not a generic eligibility letter) and confirm it names your address, the builder, and the work. If a builder asks for a deposit without it, stop.
Updated 13 July 2026
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Questions to ask a builder before you sign
Before signing, get five things in writing: the licence number (and confirm it is Current and covers your work), the exact legal entity you are contracting with, the Home Building Compensation certificate for jobs over $20,000, a fixed contract price with a deposit no greater than the legal cap, and progress payments tied to completed stages. If a builder resists putting any of these in writing, treat it as a warning.
Updated 13 July 2026
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Builder licence vs owner-builder permit in NSW, the difference that matters
A contractor licence lets a business carry out and contract for residential building work for other people. An owner-builder permit lets an individual manage building work on their own land, without a licensed builder, but they cannot contract that work out as a licensed builder, generally can't get Home Building Compensation cover, and take on the warranty risk themselves. If someone offers to build for you on "their owner-builder permit", that is a serious red flag.
Updated 13 July 2026
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