How to Check a Flooring Contractor's Licence in NSW

Use the Service NSW licence check before the work starts. Service NSW says to check online whether a builder or tradesperson holds a valid contractor licence, and the search needs only one detail to begin: the licensee name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location. Then match the result to your contractor and your job.

Before you search

Get the details in writing

Ask the contractor for the business name, ABN and licence number before you request a quote. A licensed contractor can supply them straight away. Write down the name exactly as it appears on the quote, because the next steps compare it with the official record.

Know which licence class you expect

NSW Government lists 33 licence categories. Floor tiling, waterproofing and general concreting are named. Carpet laying, floor sanding and epoxy coating are not. That means the class you expect depends on the trade, which is why the licence guide for which flooring work needs a licence in NSW comes first for non-tiling jobs.

The check, step by step

Search on Service NSW

Use the official Service NSW "check builder or tradesperson licence" page. You can search by licensee name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location. Searching by ABN or ACN is the quickest way when the contractor trades through a company.

Match the name and ABN

The licensee on the result should be the business or person on your quote. A different name is a question to ask, not proof of a problem: a sole trader may trade under a business name, and a company licence belongs to the company.

Check the licence is current

The result should show an active licence. NSW licences can be issued for 1, 3 or 5 years, so a licence can lapse. If it is not active, do not start work until the contractor explains and NSW Fair Trading confirms the position.

Check the class covers your job

The result shows the category of work the licence allows. Compare it with the work in your quote. A tiler should hold wall and floor tiling, and a concreter should hold general concreting.

Keep a record

Save a screenshot or note the date you checked, the licence number and the class. If a dispute starts later, the record shows what you relied on.

Digital licences

For a digital trade licence that a tradesperson shows you on a phone, Service NSW also offers a "Check a digital trade licence" option in the Service NSW app. Use it when the person on site shows you the licence on a device rather than a card.

When the licence class does not match the job

Trades the official list does not name

Carpet laying, floor sanding and epoxy coating are not named categories on the NSW Government list. A flooring contractor may hold a licence in a different class, or none for a trade the list does not name. Read do you need a licence for flooring work in NSW before you decide whether a mismatch matters.

Tiling is clearer

For tilers the rule is plain: wall and floor tiling over $5,000 needs a licence. See do you need a licence to tile a floor in NSW.

When a licence is required at all

The NSW Government tiling page sets the licence threshold at $5,000 in labour and materials including GST for residential work in that trade, with fines of $22,000 for an individual and $110,000 for a company for unlicensed work. A licence check is still worth doing on smaller jobs, because it shows you who you are dealing with.

What a licence check does not tell you

Insurance and contract terms

A licence is not insurance. For work over $20,000, NSW sources require Home Building Compensation cover, and the contractor cannot take a deposit until the certificate has been given to you. For work over $5,000 you are entitled to a written contract. The full list is in the contractor hiring checklist.

Quality of work

A valid licence does not show how good the work is. Pair the check with written quotes and a look at reviews: see reading Google ratings for tradies.

If the contractor has no licence

What the sources say

NSW Fair Trading says home building disputes normally go to Fair Trading before the tribunal, and that claims involving unlicensed contractors can go straight to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Work done by an unlicensed contractor above the threshold can attract the fines described above. Stop paying and read the Fair Trading page for your situation.

Do not pay a deposit first

Check before you pay. The maximum deposit is 10 percent of the contract price, and a deposit paid to someone who turns out to be unlicensed is harder to recover than one never paid.

Finding contractors to check

Browse Western Sydney flooring businesses, Newcastle & Hunter flooring businesses or South West Sydney flooring businesses. NSW Flooring does not verify licences: see how listings are placed and ranked and the directory disclaimer.

Quick answers

Is the check free?

The Service NSW page presents it as an online check. We found no fee mentioned.

What if the contractor says the licence is in a company name?

Search by ABN or ACN, which the tool accepts.

Which phone number can I call?

Sources we found disagreed on the Fair Trading number, so use the contact details on the official NSW Government or Service NSW page.

Can I check a licence after the work has started?

Yes, and you should. A late check is better than none, but a check before the contract is signed is what protects the deposit.