Do You Need a Licence to Tile a Floor in NSW?

Yes, if the job is worth more than $5,000. NSW Government guidance says residential wall and floor tiling valued above $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST, needs a contractor licence. A person who does this work unlicensed can be fined $22,000 as an individual or $110,000 as a company under the Home Building Act 1989.

What the NSW rule says

The $5,000 threshold

The NSW Government page on wall and floor tiling states that you need a contractor licence to carry out residential building or trade work, including wall and floor tiling, valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials (including GST). The same page says the licence is also needed to contract for the work or to advertise it. Legal Aid NSW adds that work costing less than $5,000 is not home building work unless it is specialist work, and the tiling page does not describe tiling as specialist work.

What counts toward the $5,000

The figure is the value of the whole job, not a price per square metre. A bathroom floor and wall retile that comes to $4,200 sits under the line. The same job quoted at $5,400 sits over it. Labour, materials and GST all count. If a tiler splits one job into smaller invoices to stay under $5,000, ask why before you sign anything.

Penalties for unlicensed work

The NSW Government page says unlicensed work can be fined $22,000 for an individual or $110,000 for a company under the Home Building Act 1989. These are the figures on the official page at the time of writing. Check the page for the current amounts before you rely on them.

Licence types for tilers

Individual and company licences

The NSW Government page lists three kinds of licence for wall and floor tiling: an individual contractor licence (or endorsed contractor licence), a company or partnership contractor licence, and a qualified supervisor certificate. A company must hold the licence in its own name, so a tiler quoting under a company name should show a company licence.

The qualified supervisor certificate

A qualified supervisor certificate lets a person supervise tiling work for a company. It is a different document from a contractor licence. Ask a company which licence covers the job and who the qualified supervisor is.

How long licences last

Licences can be issued for 1, 3 or 5 years. An individual applicant needs a National Police Check that is no older than four months. A licence that has expired is not a valid licence, which is why the check described below shows whether the licence is current.

Waterproofing under tiles

A separate rule with the same threshold

Tiling a bathroom, laundry or balcony usually involves waterproofing underneath. The NSW Government waterproofing page applies the same threshold: a contractor licence is required for waterproofing valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. It describes waterproofing as protective treatment of wet areas, such as showers, to stop water escaping.

Who is responsible for the membrane

A tiler who quotes for tiling only may not be quoting for the membrane. Ask in writing who applies the waterproofing, which licence they hold and who pays if the membrane fails. Our guide to waterproof flooring for bathrooms and laundries explains why a waterproof floor covering is not the same thing as waterproofing.

Contract and payment rules

When a written contract is required

The NSW Government contracts page says work priced over $5,000 including GST needs a written contract. Jobs from $5,000 to $20,000 need a small job contract with basic information. Jobs over $20,000 need a large job contract that is signed and dated by both parties, shows the price on the first page and attaches the plans and specifications.

Deposits and progress payments

The maximum deposit is 10 percent of the contract price. Progress payments can be fixed amounts tied to completed stages, or paid as work is done, and should match work actually completed. For work that needs Home Building Compensation cover, the contractor cannot take a deposit until the cover is in place and a certificate has been given to the owner.

Variations in writing

Any change to the job must be written down, describe the cost and time impact and be signed by both parties. If a variation is needed because of the contractor's fault, the owner does not pay for the fix.

How to check a tiler before you hire

The steps

Service NSW tells homeowners to check for a valid contractor licence online before work starts. You can search by licensee name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location. Our step-by-step guide explains how to check a flooring contractor's licence in NSW.

What a mismatch means

If the name on the licence is not the name on the quote, or the licence class is not wall and floor tiling, ask the tiler to explain in writing. A mismatch is a question to ask, not proof of a problem, but do not pay a deposit until it is answered.

If something goes wrong

Fair Trading first

NSW Fair Trading says home building disputes must go through it before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal will accept an application. A homeowner can start the process without the contractor's consent. Where the work is unlicensed, or the filing deadline is close, the tribunal route may be available sooner, so read the Fair Trading page for your case.

Time limits

Statutory warranties apply even if they are not written into the contract. They last six years for major defects and two years for other defects, from completion of the work. A leaking shower is the kind of fault where the time limit matters, so do not wait.

Finding tilers in the directory

NSW Flooring lists 161 businesses with a confirmed floor tiling service, for example floor tiling western sydney, floor tiling south west sydney and floor tiling newcastle & hunter. The directory takes its data from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026, and does not check licences. See how this directory collects data and the NSW Flooring disclaimer.

Quick answers

Does a small tiling job need a licence?

The NSW Government page sets the line at $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. Below it, the licence rule on that page does not apply.

Who can I ask if I am not sure?

The NSW Government page gives Building Commission NSW as the contact for licensing questions.

Is a licence the same as insurance?

No. This guide covers licensing and contract limits only. The wider hiring checklist is in how to choose a flooring contractor in NSW.