Doing it yourself: when do you need a licensed tradie?
You can do a lot of work on your own home. But some jobs need a licence no matter who does them, and that includes you.
When do you need a licensed tradie?
If you pay someone to do building work worth more than $3,300, they need a QBCC licence for it.
Some work needs a licence at any price, even a $50 job:
- plumbing and drainage
- gas fitting
- chemical termite treatment
- fire protection
- building inspections of finished homes
- building design
- site classification
- mechanical services, such as air conditioning
Hydraulic services design (planning a building’s plumbing) needs a licence once it is worth more than $1,100.
Doing the work yourself
On your own home, you can do most non-licensed work yourself, like painting, tiling a splashback or building a garden bed.
Plumbing, drainage, gas and electrical work are different. These are safety work, and the licence rules apply to you as well.
There are a few small plumbing jobs anyone can do, which QBCC calls unregulated plumbing work. They include:
- replacing a shower head or a water filter cartridge
- replacing a washer or jumper valve in a tap
- replacing the washers or the rubber seal inside a toilet cistern
The work still has to meet the plumbing standards. For anything beyond these, use a licensed plumber.
Electrical work
Electrical work in Queensland must be done by a licensed electrician. Electricians are licensed by the Electrical Safety Office, not QBCC, so you won’t find them on this site. Check an electrician’s licence on the Electrical Safety Office website.
Bigger projects on your own land
If you want to manage a bigger project yourself, such as an extension, you may need an owner builder permit. You need one when the work is worth more than $11,000. Read our guide to owner building first, because the permit comes with real responsibilities.
Before you hire
When a job needs a licence, check the person holds the right class for it. A carpentry licence doesn’t cover plumbing. Search any business on this site, or read how to check a builder before you sign.