For the trade business owner
Rules, money and paperwork.
Straight answers for the decisions behind the job. Each guide names its jurisdiction, official sources and the date we checked them.
Templates and a pricing calculator
Download and edit the paperwork, or work out a selling price. Free to use, without an account.
Tax · Australia
GST registration for sole traders: the $75,000 test
Check the $75,000 GST turnover threshold for sole traders, with current and projected turnover examples, a monthly checklist and the 21-day rule.
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Templates · Australia
Free Australian tax invoice template with ABN
Edit and download a free tax invoice template with ABN. See a worked GST example, the buyer details checklist and how non-GST invoices differ.
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Tax · Australia
Does my trade business need to lodge a TPAR?
Builders and trade businesses that pay contractors may need to lodge a Taxable payments annual report by 28 August. Here are the ATO's three tests and what to leave out.
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Safety · Queensland
SWMS requirements in Queensland: when you need one
Check when Queensland work needs a SWMS, with high risk construction examples, required contents and a practical checklist before work starts.
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Safety · Queensland
Who on my Queensland trade crew needs a white card?
In Queensland, anyone carrying out construction work must hold a general construction induction card, known as a white card. A short checklist for owners.
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Compliance · Queensland
What should electricians quote for Queensland's 2027 smoke alarm deadline?
Queensland dwellings must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027. A quoting checklist for electricians, with what must be hardwired and what need not be.
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Licensing · Australia
Does an HVAC business need an ARC handling licence, trading authorisation, or both?
An ARC refrigerant handling licence covers a qualified person's work. A refrigerant trading authorisation covers buying, storing or disposing of fluorocarbon refrigerant. Many HVAC businesses need both.
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Templates · Australia
Free quote template for Australian tradies
Copy, edit or download a free tradie quote template. Includes a worked quote, GST wording, scope and exclusions, payment terms and acceptance.
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Getting paid · Australia
What should a tradie's overdue invoice letter say?
Two copyable overdue invoice letters for tradies, a friendly reminder and a firmer follow-up, and how they differ from a formal letter of demand.
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Getting paid · Australia
How do I write a letter of demand for unpaid trade work?
A blank letter of demand for unpaid trade work, with the checks to make first, how to choose a deadline and what to attach and keep.
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Getting paid · Queensland
Retention money in Queensland construction subcontracts
Track retention under Queensland commercial building contracts and subcontracts: release triggers, the statutory default and end-of-defects notices.
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Pricing · Australia
How do I calculate my trade business charge-out rate?
A step-by-step charge-out rate formula for trade businesses with a fictional worked example, ex GST, showing how billable hours change the rate.
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Pricing · Australia
How do I cost a trade job before quoting?
A copyable job cost sheet for tradies comparing estimate and actual labour, materials, subcontractors, overhead and variations, with fictional ex GST figures.
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Compliance · Queensland
What should a building variation form include?
What a Queensland domestic building variation document must show, the written steps before work starts, the urgent exception and a blank variation form.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade job sheet include?
A copyable job sheet for trade crews covering site, scope, contacts, materials, hours, photos, completion and unresolved work, plus how to keep it.
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Safety · Queensland
What should a SWMS template include?
A blank Queensland SWMS scaffold for high risk construction work, the four required content elements and what to do before using a generic template.
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Safety · Australia
What is the difference between a JSA and a SWMS?
How a SWMS differs from a JSA and a Take 5, where the rules come from in Queensland and Victoria, and why a JSA does not replace a required SWMS.
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Getting paid · Queensland
How do I make a Queensland security of payment claim?
What a Queensland payment claim must contain, how reference dates work, the different claim, payment and schedule clocks, and a checklist with a template.
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Getting paid · New South Wales
How do I serve a NSW security of payment claim?
Make and serve a NSW construction payment claim using the current Act: required statement, monthly timing, service methods and a practical service log.
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Getting paid · Victoria
How do I make a Victorian security of payment claim?
What a Victorian payment claim must contain, the exact Act statement, monthly claim timing with December adjustments, the outside limit and a claim checklist.
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Getting paid · Western Australia
How do I make a WA security of payment claim?
How a Western Australian payment claim works under the 2021 Act: which contracts it covers, the homeowner exclusion, required claim content and a template.
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Safety · Queensland
What must a trade employer do about lone-worker risks?
What Queensland's Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 section 48 requires for remote or isolated work, plus a risk assessment and check-in plan template.
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Getting paid · Tasmania
How do I make a Tasmanian security of payment claim?
Tasmanian construction payment claims: the current Act's content requirements, reference dates, outside limit and service checklist.
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Tax · Australia
When is a quarterly BAS due for a trade business?
Quarterly BAS due dates for trade businesses, what happens on weekends and public holidays, the extra time rule that does not apply to quarter 2, and who reports quarterly.
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Getting paid · Queensland
What must a Queensland payment schedule include?
What a Queensland payment schedule must contain, the 15 business day response time versus the payment due date, and a template with a diary workflow.
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Pricing · Australia
How do materials markup and profit margin differ?
Markup is profit on cost and margin is profit on price. Worked fictional ex GST examples show why 25% markup is 20% margin and how to price to a target margin.
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Compliance · Australia
How do trade businesses distinguish employees and contractors?
Which Fair Work test applies to your trade business, how it differs from the ATO's tax and super approach, and a practical worker review checklist.
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Tax · Australia
When must a tradie pay super for a contractor?
The ATO's super test for labour contractors: mainly personal labour, skill rather than result, no delegation. Includes companies and trusts and an assessment record.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade crew timesheet record?
A copyable crew timesheet for Australian trade businesses, and how a payroll hours record differs from job costing.
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Pricing · Australia
How do I calculate the full cost of employing a tradie?
A hypothetical annual worksheet for the full cost of employing a tradie in Australia, using placeholders for current award, super and tax rates.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade progress invoice include?
A progress invoice template for Australian tradies that ties each claim to the agreed stage, earlier claims and payments, without double billing.
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Tax · Australia
How does a GST-registered tradie issue a credit note?
How a GST-registered tradie issues a credit note that works as a GST adjustment note, with the 28-day trigger, required content and a blank template.
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Getting paid · Australia
What payment terms should a trade business agree before starting work?
A pre-job checklist of payment terms for Australian trade businesses: triggers, methods, contacts, milestone evidence and the overdue process.
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Templates · Australia
What should an HVAC service report include?
A copyable HVAC maintenance service report outline for Australian technicians, covering asset, scope, observations, measurements and photos.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade job handover checklist include?
A copyable handover checklist for Australian trade jobs covering scope, open defects, applicable documents, keys, customer instructions and follow-up.
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Templates · Australia
What should an HVAC maintenance agreement include?
A service schedule outline for an HVAC maintenance agreement in Australia: assets, visits, inclusions, response targets, price, term and approvals.
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Tax · Australia
When can a GST-registered tradie adjust GST for a bad debt?
When a GST-registered tradie can make a GST adjustment for a bad debt under ATO ruling GSTR 2000/2, with a fictional $1,100 example.
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Templates · Australia
What should a subcontractor's daywork docket record?
A copyable daywork docket for Australian subcontractors covering authorisation, site, crew hours, materials, photos and acknowledgement.
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Compliance · Australia
What should a trade business check before signing a subcontract?
A pre-signing review checklist for Australian trade subcontracts: parties, licence, scope, payment, variations, insurance, risk, termination and disputes.
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Pricing · Australia
How does a trade business build a cash flow forecast?
A simple rolling cash flow forecast for Australian trade businesses, with a fictional four-week table and an optional 13-week horizon.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade business purchase order include?
A copyable purchase order template and acceptance checklist for trade businesses buying materials, with notes on matching supplier invoices to the order.
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Tax · Australia
Does a GST-registered tradie charge GST when selling used tools?
When a GST-registered tradie must charge GST on selling used business tools, with a worked $1,100 example and a short record checklist.
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Pricing · Australia
When should a trade business use cost-plus or fixed-price pricing?
How cost-plus and fixed-price pricing differ for builders, with a worked example excluding GST and the contract points to settle before using either.
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Templates · Australia
What should a trade business tool and asset register include?
A copyable tool and asset register for trade businesses, covering IDs, purchase records, business use, custodian, maintenance and disposal.
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Quoting · Australia
What is the difference between a quote and an estimate for trade work?
How a trade quote differs from a rough estimate, what an accepted quote means, and a checklist for scope, inclusions, exclusions and assumptions.
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Compliance · Australia
How should a trade business check a subcontractor's insurance records?
A checklist for verifying a subcontractor's insurance records, including entity, activities, dates, limits, exclusions and job fit, and why a certificate is only a snapshot.
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Pricing · Australia
How does a trade business calculate its break-even point?
How to work out break-even sales and jobs for a trade business, with a worked table, fixed and variable cost allocation and the difference between profit and cash.
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Tax · Australia
How should a sole-trader tradie keep a vehicle logbook?
How a sole trader keeps an ATO logbook for car expenses: the 12-week period, what to record, five-year validity and the evidence to keep.
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Tax · Australia
When does GST apply to a customer deposit?
How GST treats a genuine security deposit differently from an ordinary part payment, with cash and non-cash accounting examples and a record checklist.
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Payments · Australia
Can a tradie charge interest on an overdue invoice?
What to check before adding interest to an overdue trade invoice: the contract, applicable law, the agreed rate and start date, and a placeholder simple-interest formula.
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Tax · Australia
Can a trade business immediately deduct tools this financial year?
How the $20,000 instant asset write-off works for trade tools in 2026-27: eligibility, GST, trade-ins, business use and four fictional examples.
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Quoting · Australia
How should a tradie disclose a call-out fee?
How to work out and disclose a call-out fee to homeowners before booking, including GST-inclusive totals, after-hours loadings, cancellation terms and approval of extra work.
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Safety · Queensland
What must a Queensland confined space entry permit cover?
What a Queensland confined space entry permit must state under the WHS Regulation, plus a planning sheet to use alongside a competent person's written risk assessment.
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Compliance · Australia
What belongs in a refrigerant risk management plan?
What ARC expects in a refrigerant risk management plan for an RTA business, with a plain plan outline to adapt for your own refrigerant handling and storage.
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Compliance · Australia
What refrigerant records should an HVAC business keep?
The quarterly refrigerant record categories ARC asks RTA businesses to keep, what each excludes, and a quarterly review checklist you can copy.
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Safety · Queensland
How should a Queensland contractor plan work near overhead powerlines?
How to plan work near overhead powerlines in Queensland: identify the line, assess plant reach, consider de-energising, and brief the crew, with a pre-start note to adapt.
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Compliance · Queensland
What supervision must a Queensland electrical employer provide to apprentices?
What section 307 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 means for supervising electrical apprentices in Queensland, with a task-by-task supervision record to adapt.
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Safety · Queensland
What first aid arrangements must a Queensland trade employer provide?
What Regulation 42 requires of Queensland businesses for first aid, how WorkSafe says needs vary, and a coverage checklist for crews, vehicles and remote jobs.
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Safety · Queensland
When should a trade contractor use a hot work permit?
What Queensland's Welding processes Code of Practice says about hot work permits, how they differ from confined space permits, and a permit planning sheet to adapt.
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Safety · Queensland
When must Queensland trade businesses test and tag tools?
Who can test and tag in Queensland, what counts as specified electrical equipment, the construction interval table WorkSafe lists, and a register line to copy.
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Safety · Queensland
What should a Queensland trade employer do if asbestos is found on a job?
A cautious first-response sequence for suspected asbestos on a Queensland job, what the WHS Regulation says about management plans, and a site note to adapt.
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Safety · Queensland
What should a Queensland contractor cover in a site induction?
What Queensland law and WorkSafe expect in a worker induction, plus a site induction checklist for contractors, with the source of each item marked.
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Licensing · Queensland
Does my Queensland electrical business need a contractor licence as well as a worker licence?
How Queensland's electrical worker licence and electrical contractor licence differ, who must hold which, and a readiness checklist for a business that works for others.
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Compliance · Queensland
What should a Queensland plumbing business record for backflow testing?
What Form 9 asks for when a testable backflow device is tested in Queensland, the 10 business day deadline, and an admin checklist to track each device.
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Licensing · New South Wales
When does NSW require a contractor licence for trade work?
When a NSW contractor licence is needed for residential building and trade work, which specialist work needs a licence at any value, and a quote preflight checklist.
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Licensing · Australian Capital Territory
When does an ACT builder need a licence?
The four ACT builder licence classes, the endorsements for specialist work, what an application involves and a readiness check before you apply.
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Compliance · New South Wales
When must a NSW plumber issue a compliance certificate?
NSW plumbers and drainers complete a Certificate of Compliance at the end of plumbing and drainage work. Where it goes, how it differs from the sewer service diagram, and a closeout checklist.
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Compliance · Queensland
When must a Queensland gas fitter issue a certificate?
Which certificate a Queensland gas fitter issues after a gas installation, who receives it, the defect notice duty and a closeout note, all through the RSHQ Portal.
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Compliance · New South Wales
What gas compliance paperwork does NSW require?
Since 1 March 2026 NSW gasfitters submit certificates through BCNSW eCert within 5 business days. Network and non-network jobs differ, and a record workflow helps.
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Licensing · Victoria
When does a Victorian builder need registration?
When Victorian domestic building work needs a registered builder, how Unlimited and Limited classes differ, why a company needs its own registration and a check before you quote.
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Insurance · Queensland
When does a Queensland contractor need home warranty insurance?
When a Queensland principal contractor must take out home warranty cover, which work is excluded, the payment timing and a quote preflight.
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Insurance · Victoria
Do Victorian builders still need domestic building insurance after 1 July 2026?
From 1 July 2026 Victoria's Home Warranty replaces domestic building insurance for new eligible contracts. Who pays, when, and a decision check for each job.
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Licensing · Northern Territory
When does a Northern Territory builder need registration?
Northern Territory residential building registration for work valued at $25,000 or above, how Restricted and Unrestricted differ, and a scope check before you quote.
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Compliance · Queensland
Which Queensland plumbing work needs a Form 4?
Which Queensland plumbing and drainage work is notifiable and registered on Form 4, when to register it, how progress invoices work and an invoice-linked closeout note.
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Compliance · Victoria
When must a Victorian plumber lodge a compliance certificate?
When a Victorian licensed plumber must issue a compliance certificate, the $750 trigger, work needing one at any cost, the five day deadlines and a closeout checklist.
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Compliance · Western Australia
When must a WA plumber submit a compliance certificate?
How Western Australian major plumbing work needs a notice of intention and a certificate of compliance, the drainage diagram, eNotice fees and a prestart and closeout checklist.
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Compliance · South Australia
What plumbing certificates are required in South Australia?
When a South Australian plumber needs an electronic Certificate of Compliance, which jobs are covered, the 7 day timing and a close-out checklist you can copy.
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Compliance · New South Wales
When does a NSW electrician submit a CCEW?
The NSW CCEW deadline, the mandatory BCNSW eCert portal from 1 July 2026, who gets a copy and a test-to-lodgement workflow you can copy.
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Compliance · Victoria
When does a Victorian electrician need a COES?
Victorian Certificates of Electrical Safety explained: prescribed versus non-prescribed work, inspection, the 4 day and 30 day customer copy timing, and a tracking checklist.
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Payments · Queensland
How much deposit can a Queensland building contractor take?
Queensland deposit caps under Schedule 1B section 33 of the QBCC Act: 10% and 5% by contract level, the 20% off-site exception, what counts as a deposit and a pre-invoice check.
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Payments · New South Wales
What is the maximum residential building deposit in NSW?
The NSW 10% deposit limit for residential building contracts, how it applies to small and large jobs, what else larger contracts need, and a pre-invoice check.
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Payments · Victoria
What is the residential building deposit limit in Victoria?
Victorian deposit limits (10% under $20,000, 5% from $20,000), how Home Warranty from 1 July 2026 fits in, and why stage payments follow completed stages.
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Compliance · Tasmania
What plumbing certification does Tasmania require?
Tasmanian plumbing forms explained: Form 71B, Form 21, Form 60, Form 3 and Form 80, who completes each one, and a document handover checklist.
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Compliance · Queensland
What electrical certificate must a Queensland electrician provide?
The Queensland certificate of testing and compliance and certificate of testing and safety: what each covers, what must be on it, who receives it and the 5 year copy rule.
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Compliance · Western Australia
What electrical notices does WA require?
Western Australia's preliminary notice, notice of completion and electrical safety certificate: when each is due, who receives it, the 5 year records rule and a job workflow.
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Compliance · South Australia
How does South Australia's eCoC system work?
How South Australia's electronic Certificate of Compliance system works for electrical, gas and plumbing work, the different timing for each, and a three-workstream check.
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Licensing · Queensland
When does a Queensland trade business need a QBCC licence?
The QBCC licence thresholds ($3,300, $1,100 and work needing a licence at any value), how class, type, employees and subcontracting change the answer, and a scope-before-quote check.
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Insurance · New South Wales
When does NSW home building compensation cover apply?
When a NSW principal contractor must take out Home Building Compensation insurance, the $20,000 test, why it comes before any deposit and a pre-start check.
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Compliance · Queensland
How should a Queensland contractor track the defects liability period?
A defects liability period is set by your contract, not a single Queensland rule. Copy a defects register that keeps dates, notices, evidence and retention apart.
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Compliance · Queensland
What should a Queensland contractor record at practical completion?
For Queensland domestic building work, practical completion has a defined meaning. Copy a record of scope, documents, acceptance and open items.
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Payments · South Australia
How do I make a South Australian security of payment claim?
What a South Australian payment claim must contain, when it can be made, and a working draft to check before you seek advice on service.
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Payments · Australian Capital Territory
What deposit rules apply to ACT building contracts?
The ACT Government says there is no limit on the initial deposit for building work. Copy a checklist for agreeing a deposit in writing.
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Payments · Australian Capital Territory
How do I make an ACT security of payment claim?
What an ACT payment claim must contain, when it can be given, and a working draft with an admin check before you get advice on service.
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Payments · Northern Territory
How do I make a Northern Territory construction payment claim?
In the NT, check your contract's claim terms first. The Act implies default claim terms only where the contract is silent. Copy a claim record.
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Payments · Queensland
Can a Queensland tradie recover an unpaid invoice through QCAT?
QCAT can sometimes help, but minor debt and building disputes are different pathways. Check which one fits before you apply, and copy a routing pack.
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Payments · New South Wales
Can a NSW trade business use NCAT for unpaid work?
NCAT's home building page covers residential building work in NSW, including payment and specialist trade work. Check scope, the Fair Trading step and time limits.
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Licensing · New South Wales
How should a NSW plumbing contractor prepare for licence renewal?
In NSW an expired licence ends your authorisation to work. Copy a renewal docket and see how online renewal, restoration and in-person options work.
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Insurance · Australia
How should a trade business choose public liability cover?
Public liability covers injury or property damage to others caused by your negligence. Copy a broker brief to get comparable quotes.
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Staff · Australia
How do I find the correct electrical apprentice pay rate?
There is no single first-year electrical apprentice rate. Work out which award or agreement applies, then use Fair Work's tool with the right inputs.
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Staff · Australia
How do I find the correct plumbing apprentice pay rate?
Plumbing apprentice pay depends on coverage, year, start age and allowances. Use this checklist and Fair Work's tool to build the rate.
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